SABR 41: Medical Panel

SABR 41 opens Wednesday, July 6, with the Medical Panel at 7 p.m. at the Long Beach Hilton.

Baseball organizations lost more than $1 billion to the disabled list during the last decade. Over the history of baseball, there is a long history of what-ifs — promising careers ended or stunted by injuries. While endless discussions about what might have been if Sandy Koufax, Kerry Wood, or Mickey Mantle had just been healthy keep raising the question, the members of this panel are doing something about getting answers.

In a panel moderated by Will Carroll of Sports Illustrated, this illustrious group of sports medicine professionals will look at this often neglected area of sports and sports history. 

  • Will Carroll of Sports Illustrated is the leading journalist covering sports medicine. His column, “Under The Knife,” has been called “the industry standard” by Peter Gammons. He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of American, the author of two books (including The Juice, winner of a Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award in 2005), and editor of The Carroll Guide to Sports Injuries.
  • Dr. Neal ElAttrache is the Director of Sports Medicine at the world-famous Kerlan-Jobe Clinic and the team orthopaedist for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He might be best known today as the surgeon who rebuilt NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s knee in 2008, but ElAttrache is also at the forefront of research in baseball.
  • Dr. Kevin Wilk has led a distinguished career as a clinical physical therapist for over 25 years, as a leading authority in rehabilitation of sports injuries and orthopaedic lesions. Kevin is currently Associate Clinical Director for Champion Sports Medicine (a physiotherapy facility) in Birmingham, Alabama. In addition, he is the Director of Rehabilitative Research at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham and is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kevin is also a Rehabilitation Consultant for the Tampa Bay Rays. Kevin is currently the President of the Sports Section of the American Physical Therapy Association.
  • Ned Bergert was one of the most respected and longest-tenured athletic trainers as head trainer of the Angels baseball team from 1991 through 2010. His Angels teams were often among the most healthy teams, helping them to the playoffs and the 2002 World Series championship during his tenure.

For a complete schedule of events for SABR 41, click here.

For all other information about SABR’s annual convention, click here.



Originally published: June 30, 2011. Last Updated: April 17, 2020.