Orlando, FL AP Wire..............08/20/2008 21:22............

IR Report: 08/04/2008
Injury report for Elliott Barnes #00
-Probable fracture to left hand, placed on IR for 6-8 Weeks
-Rehabilitation schedule to follow

IR Report: 08/20/2008
Injury report for Elliott Barnes #00
***Updated***
-Elliott Barnes listed as probable for 08/22/2008 game
-Elliott “Big E” Barnes #00 cleared for Friday Night


Swami Sayz:

August 20, 2008

After suffering a near broken hand injury to his glove hand on the rainy night of August 1st, 2008, Elliott “Big E” Barnes had his doubts of returning to fields under the lights of Red Bug Lake Park for quite some time. After a de-moralizing loss to what was surely a comeback victory, the Cobra Kais had to stay positive for the second game of the double header against The Beatdowns. “Walking off the field injured when there is still a game to be played is always tough. You don’t want to be the guy that let your team down.” said Big E while reflecting on the game. “You get mad; you get mad at yourself and the situation.” he said. Eventually the Cobra Kais went down to Top Shelf; but not for lack of effort.

When asked about that game, Captain Tucci acknowledged, “It always takes the wind out of your sails when a guy like that [Big E] goes down. You know the whole team wants him to get up and continue, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.”

Although suffering from the injury, Big E was able to do what he could and pick up the clipboard. Even Keith “Trigger” G. quipped, “Even with a swollen hand, he showed his dedication to the team; and that’s all that I can ask of anyone.” Noticeably irritated that he could not help his team, Elliott “Big E” showed his emotion as the Cobra Kais were powering through the lineup. But in the end, The Beatdowns were too much and the team, leaving nothing left in the tank, congratulated their opponents. “I can never feel like we lost when we played our best and showed nothing but heart” Big E said after wrapping his hand. “I just hope to come back soon and fight like these guys [the Cobra Kais] showed me how.”“When something like that happens, you hope it’s just one game, and not something that keeps a guy out for too long,” added veteran pitcher Mike “Ice” Broderick. “I have played a few years and seen this happen, and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

And that is what happened. Determined to finish the season, Elliott “Big E” Barnes looked past the prognosis and moved forward. “To hear that someone can be that far along in such a short time is always good news,” commented Richard “Doc” Gutierrez. With only three weeks to the day after his hand injury, Big E is his game face ready to come out of the dugout hungry. With trophy contention out of sight, we all know that the Cobra Kais don’t miss the opportunity to get more play time under their belts. “As always, I am ready to have one of our vets get back under the lights. Some guys just bring a swagger to the team, and everyone, including fans, like to have that person on the field” commented Johnny “Blaze” Grecco. “This guy brings energy to the field, and frankly hes knows whats ta do’s” said Xalvy “Half man, half amazing” Vargas when hearing of the news. And Captain Tucci, when updating his depth chart later that Wednesday evening said, “I love moving that guy [Barnes] from one list to the next. Makes it feel like that hole that we have all felt being filled back in. I can’t wait for Friday Night!”

The Cobra Kai team has always been rich in its roster depth and talent. No lack of heart, no lack of focus, and no lack of fans. For a team that is only walked off the field with two wins; to watch them, you would never know. An ever-gelling group of young men who come together to create a vastly diverse team rich in spirit. Always putting their trust in one thing, play a good game, and leave nothing on the field. Although the season has not been what they had hoped for, the Cobra Kais can always look back and know that there are no regrets. With their ups and downs, and this season nearing a close, they can always say that they made friends, made enemies, and drank the bad thoughts away. But one thing good can come away from this season. A season of education. For this is the season that all players learned what they are made of, on and off the field. “The one thing that a ball player can look forward to is the next season” said Big E as he was testing his throwing arm; which hasn’t seen action for three consecutive weeks. Its game time for the Cobra Kais, and it looks like the forecast for Cessna is cloudy skies and a 100% chance of payback.