BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Matt Watson was Howell High School’s leading hitter in 2005.That was about the last thing that Watson expected to be.
He began the season as the Rebels’ No. 1 pitcher and one of the best in the Shore Conference. He had a 90-plus mph fastball and had already signed with Wagner University. The scholastic world was his.
Then, in his second start of the season against Freehold Township, everything changed.
“It was the top of the second, and the third batter I faced,” he recalled. “I felt a popping sensation in my elbow. I threw two more pitches and called my coach [Bill Gallacher] out [to the mound]. He told me just to try and throw the ball to the catcher, and I couldn’t even reach home plate. I bounced it to the catcher.”
Watson was hoping for the best as he headed for the dugout, but when the school’s trainer told him it was serious, he made a call to Dr. David Altcheck in New York City, the doctor who is an expert on what has been called Tommy John surgery.
A friend of Watson’s, Manasquan pitcher A.J. Adamczyk, had gone through Tommy John surgery when he was a sophomore and recommended Dr. Altcheck to Watson.
The Rebel was still hoping for the best when Dr. Altcheck gave him the news. He had torn the ligament in his elbow.
“It was just a shock to me that I needed surgery,” he said. “The thought crossed my mind, ‘Will I ever play again?’ ”
Never one to surrender, Watson was determined to get back on the diamond in some capacity.
“I asked Dr. Altcheck if I could hit, and he told me that I could if it didn’t hurt,” he said.
As soon as he got the green light following surgery, Watson was in the Howell lineup as the designated hitter (DH), coming through with a .433 batting average and hitting for power with nine doubles and three home runs. Those were numbers he had never approached before. He credited it to his total concentration on hitting alone.
“Not pitching and not playing the field, I went to every game with my mindset only on hitting,” Watson said. “I think the big difference was more reps. In practice, that’s all I did was swing the bat.”
His hitting success was a tonic for Watson. It made him feel good about himself again because he was part of the team and making a contribution.
“I was so happy with myself, I was finally doing my job,” he said. “I tried to rally the team.”
It was important to him, Watson said, to play again in 2005. Howell had such high expectations when the season began, only to have those expectations dashed by the loss of their ace. He didn’t want the Rebels to give up on the season, and his presence in the lineup was reassuring.
Watson’s attitude impressed Gallacher, who noted that he brought so much more to the team than any offensive statistic could reveal.
“He kept positive and never complained,” he said. “Matt didn’t let it get to him. He could have packed it in. He was a real leader. We [coaching staff] appreciated what he did. ”
There was another hurdle that Watson had to clear, and that was with Wagner. After the diagnosis by Dr. Altcheck, Watson made the dreaded phone call to the Seahawks’ head coach Joe Litterio.
“I was definitely worried about it,” he said. “When I told him what happened he was totally understanding. He told me that one other player he had recruited had the same surgery. He told me I would rehab the elbow at the college starting in the fall and be ready for next year.”
Litterio’s response made Watson more confident than ever that he had made the right college choice.
“I knew Mr. Litterio was a nice guy when he was recruiting me,” he said. “He treated me with respect. I’m more confident in Wagner.”
In Watson’s Tommy John surgery, a ligament from his right wrist was removed and replaced the torn one in his elbow. Recovery is anywhere between 12 and 18 months, with the good news that pitchers return as strong, if not stronger than before. The new ligament doesn’t have the stretching and wear and tear of the old one, Watson said, and the result is that a pitcher’s fastball can improve from 3 to 8 mph.
Watson will be spending the summer with his right elbow in a cast. After four months, he will be able to start tossing the ball 20-30 feet.
“I’ve been reading a lot [about] the guys who have it [the surgery],’ ” Watson said as he looked ahead to his rehab. “It’s all mental.”