Kevin Mitchell had what I thought was the oddest baseball injury ever: games missed due to biting into a half-defrosted microwave donut. (Not surprising if you saw Mitchell's gut wobble when he trotted out to left field, no; but definitely odd.)
↵↵Dontrelle Willis, you have now topped this by being placed on the disabled list for an anxiety disorder. This is no Freudian guess as Willis' condition, or euphemism for something else: no, this is very scientific and scientifically diagnosed, with Willis being one of those people who carry high levels of stress hormones at all times, even when he's just strolling around attempting to be a calm, normal human being. ↵
↵↵In other words, Willis is always on Defcon 1 even if he doesn't have to be. It would be fascinating to see how many athletes in pressure positions -- quarterbacks, goalies, people within 10 feet of Terrell Owens -- have the same type of anxiety disorder, the sort that would help in a time of stress, but might make you a quaking, nervous wreck for the more normal, quiet moments in your life. I would guess this would be a shockingly high number, as athletes are adrenaline junkies of a sort, and the far end of that spectrum are those so tweaky they can't function in anything but the most chaotic situations. (See: New York Knicks' fans, Stephon Marbury's agent.) ↵
↵↵Willis is out for an unspecified amount of time for the disorder, but it might be the beginning of a grand revival for the 27-year-old former phenom. Before the diagnosis he appeared to be afraid of throwing strikes; now we know he's afraid of everything. That's way less damaging to his earning potential as a baseball player, since medication can work on that. A fear of throwing strikes remains sadly incurable, and psychological professionals recommend you examine the case files for one Rick Ankiel if you deny this medical fact. ↵
↵↵(H/T: Sports By Brooks) ↵
↵This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.