C.J. Wilson Reports, Makes Excuses

Well Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register has the big scoop from camp. On the day pitchers and catchers reported to the Angels Tempe, Arizona Spring Training facility, Fletcher tweeted the comments of pitcher C.J. Wilson:

#Angels CJ Wilson said his ankle hurt the whole time after he came back from DL.

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 19, 2015

In 2012 it was elbow chips that he pitched through in pain. In 2014 a banged-up ankle. He plays through pain. Is that admirable? To get anywhere in the game coming up as an amateur a player has to show that he will take the field under any condition. And so the boys are socialized into men who do not think about the long-term, right?

CJ Wilson said he shouldn't have pitched sick or hurt last year. Goal is to be back "better than 2013" #Angels

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) February 19, 2015

Wait a minute, we are talking about supposedly nonconformist straight-edge role model C.J. Wilson, the purveyor of Positive Mental Attitude propaganda, aren't we? This is no ordinary jock according to the DIY hype machine located in the trunk of a Mazda sedan at his dealership up in Oxnard. How does he see himself? MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez lets the scruffie-faced one deliver the self-assessment:

CJ: "I'm a regular-sized white dude, with a huge chip on my shoulder." #Angels

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 19, 2015

The dramatics are an attempt to minimize his own stupidity, ingrained into him since little league - play banged-up or don't play at all. The Angels have started their camp at the dawn of the Chinese New Year and C.J. Wilson's self-mythologizing is a sham – It is just perfect we see the real him at last on the first day of the Year of the Sheep.