Much has been made of the Pirates' demotion of Ian Snell to Triple-A Indianapolis. It turns out that Snell has been battling severe depression, which has been a common theme throughout the 2009 season. Perhaps this is a turning point for Major League Baseball and the recognition of depression as a major player in today's game. With all the pressure placed on such young kids, early failure to live up to expectations can easily drive a player into doubt and depression. Joey Votto, Khalil Green, and Dontrelle Willis have also been connected to depression this season.
When word of Green's struggles first surfaced, I was dismayed to hear Brewers iconic broadcaster Bob Uecker sort of clowning this situation during the Brewers broadcast -- clearly, Ueck didn't "get it." But to his credit, Bob had a fresh take a few nights ago and he admitted that he didn't understand what it is like to suffer from depression. His whole tone was changed, perhaps because of the number of guys hitting the DL with this disorder. Props for taking a second look at this, Ueck.
To me this situation is another reminder that ballplayers are, at the end of the day, real human beings prone to the same sort of stuff that can plague anyone else.
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