Colorado Springs – Aside from pitching again in the big leagues without one of his ribs, the biggest challenge facing the Rockies’ Aaron Cook on Saturday night will be keeping things in perspective.
How he does isn’t nearly as important as simply getting another chance a year after leaving a game against Cincinnati because of difficulty breathing. Little did Cook know last Aug. 7 how close he came to dying from blood clots in his lungs, or how difficult the journey back to Coors Field would be.
“All it took was a small portion of the clot to break off and go into his heart and that would have been it, or possibly a stroke,” said Tom Probst, the Rockies’ head trainer last year and now the team’s director of medical operations.
Probst knew Cook was having difficulties when he took the mound against Cincinnati, but never suspected what would transpire.
“When he came in from warming up in the bullpen, he was a little light-headed, which isn’t uncommon here in Denver,” Probst said. “He had shortness of breath after the first inning. As he started the third inning, he stepped off the mound and didn’t look right. He was having difficulty, and we pulled him off the field.
“Initially it wasn’t a huge concern. As a precautionary measure we decided to send him to Rose Medical. It was a shock; I remember getting the call from Rose Hospital and almost dropping the phone.”
Probst learned that the first rib on Cook’s right side and the collarbone were pressing down on a vein, resulting in blood clots being formed in his right shoulder that had moved to his lungs and threatened his life.
“The doctors told me I should have died on the mound that day,” Cook said. “They said a person in that situation and doing what I was doing, they didn’t know how I made it to the hospital in time.”
Long road back
Cook’s long road back became an obstacle course he navigated with his Christian faith and help from his family.
He first underwent surgery Sept. 10 in St. Louis, an eight-hour procedure during which the first rib on his right side was removed to relieve compression on a vein. When he got out of the hospital, he went home to Hamilton, Ohio, to begin a painful period of rehabilitation. He credits the support of his wife, Holly, and children Alexis and Elijah, for keeping his spirits up.
“It was an ordeal for me, my family and the Rockies in general,” Cook said. “My wife and kids were there by me. We have a strong background in our church, and we have a strong faith. When something like this happens, you think life is so fragile.”
Showing he hasn’t lost his sense of humor, Cook added, “I told everyone that it’s hard to die because the doctors are so good today.”
Cook underwent a second operation Dec. 27 to return blood flow to normal. Throughout the winter, he was restricted to rehabilitation exercises. He couldn’t do any throwing. He improved enough physically to report to spring training with other Rockies pitchers but was months behind in preparation, so the Rockies kept him in extended spring training.
“I struggled a little bit in extended spring training,” Cook said. “I had a couple of starts when I couldn’t get back out there the fifth day.”
His first competitive game came June 26, one of two rehabilitation starts with the Rockies’ Tri-City affiliate in the short-season Single-A Northwest League. He moved up to Modesto in the Single-A California League for one start and on to Tulsa for a Double-A appearance before advancing to Triple-A and Colorado Springs this month for three starts. His last was Monday, when he held Tacoma to two runs in 7 1/3 innings.
Sky Sox pitching coach Bob McClure is pleasantly surprised by how fast Cook has recovered.
“Aaron had very good arm strength when I saw him, but I thought his delivery needed a lot of work,” McClure said. “He had learned some bad habits, and they were hurting his command. He was the lowest pitch-count starter I’ve had. He could throw a game with 85 pitches.”
Probst said the inactivity after the surgeries accounted for the rust.
“There was an extended period of time when the doctors didn’t want him to do anything,” Probst said. “When Aaron first started throwing a baseball, he threw it into the ground. Whenever there is surgery and you’re coming back, the game we take for granted and ability that we have in all the minor aspects of the game are a chore. As a person going through that, you can’t be outside your body and looking in and seeing the mistakes. There’s a learning process. There’s a process of regaining muscle memory.”
Starting over
Cook, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander, is eager to once again face big-league hitters. He returns to a rebuilding Rockies team looking for a spark.
“I don’t mind people putting expectations on me,” he said. “That means they’re looking for me to do something. ‘Savior’ at this point of the season is a really big word. I think we need to use the rest of this season as building blocks for taking off next year.
“If you don’t pitch for seven months, it’s just like learning to ride a bike again. I know how to throw, but the fine-tuning is the part we have to work on. I may not be 100 percent sharp until next year.”
Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca expects that Cook, 26, will press on Saturday against Philadelphia. Apodaca’s message to Cook, and to Rockies fans, is to keep things in perspective. Cook will need time to once again find his form.
“I’m sure he’s going to go out and try to do more than he’s capable of doing right now,” Apodaca said. “I want to see a pitcher who is secure in himself. My expectations aren’t that he’s going to dominate the hitters. I want him to dominate the strike zone.”
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle’s expectations are for Cook to get as many starts as possible in the final two months.
“This is an opportunity we weren’t sure we were going to have,” Hurdle said. “He deserves a lot of credit because he has worked hard to get back. We’d like to see him work the ball down in the zone. Once we get him plugged in, we’d like to see him pitch every fifth day.”
A 1997 second-round draft pick, Cook has a 12-11 record in parts of three major-league seasons, including 37 starts. He could possibly make up to 12 starts yet this season.
Cook wears constant reminders of what he has gone through, including a 5-inch scar at the base of his neck and a 3-inch scar on his chest.
“They help keep things in perspective,” he said.
The Rockie road
Tracing Aaron Cook’s return to Coors Field:
DIZZY SPELL
Aug. 7, 2004: Left game against Cincinnati dizzy, light-headed; rushed to Rose Medical, where blood clots were found in his lungs.
SURGERY 1
Sept. 10: Underwent eight-hour surgery in St. Louis; had first rib on right side removed to relieve compression on vein.
SURGERY 2
Dec. 27: Underwent second surgery to return blood flow to normal.
MINOR START
June 26: Made 2005 debut in minor-league game for Tri- City after rehabilitating in extended spring training.
BIG GAME
Monday: Threw 7 1/3 impressive innings against Tacoma for Triple-A Sky Sox.
THE RETURN
Saturday: Scheduled to make first start at Coors in almost a year.
Staff writer Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
