Twin's White only knows how to play hard

By Deron Snyder
Fort Myers News Press

Rondell White reached down to his knees and pulled up his shorts, revealing the problem that's plagued him and perplexed doctors since he was a teenager. White's right leg, particularly the thigh muscle, is significantly larger than his left leg.

He said the "imbalance" has been a primary factor in his injury-riddled 14-year career, which stalled again just three games into this season.

"I broke my leg when I was 13 and the size never came back," said White, the Minnesota Twins' left fielder who was slated to make a rehabilitation start Friday for the Fort Myers Miracle. The game was rained out, setting up a doubleheader today against the St. Lucie Mets.

"That's why I walk funny," he said. "Everywhere I go, people ask, 'Are you OK?' But that's how I walk. I have to concentrate to walk right. Some doctors have wondered how I can play. But I'm thankful I'm 10 days short of 14 seasons. That's a great career."

A career in which he's been limited to an average of 114 games per year since his first full season in 1995. In addition to mismatched legs putting most of his weight on one side — resulting in the strained hamstrings, groins and hip flexors that have put him on the disabled list several times — White's hell-bent approach has betrayed him, too.

He missed two months in 1996 with a bruised kidney and spleen, after a diving catch at the warning track. He missed two months in 1998 with a fractured finger after failing to catch a line drive. He was sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder in 2000 (headfirst slide) and 2005 (diving attempted catch). The same shoulder cost him a month last season, his first with the Twins, and a pulled left hamstring sent him back to the disabled list in August.

"People know I play the game hard," said White, 35, whose right calf injury this season became a torn calf in late April during rehabilitation work. "They say I'm always hurt and I need to stay off the DL.

"But this is a big blow to me because I did everything right this offseason," he said. "I did Noni juice, green tea, chicken, fish. ... I know my whole career people have said, 'What if, what if, what if?' But everything happens for a reason."

Looking for the positive, White found it in the time spent with his wife Zanovia, who's expecting the couple's first child in September. They've lived in south Fort Myers for the past several weeks as White works his way back to the major leagues. A Hawaiian native, Zanovia has taught him how to swim and cook, and sat with him through countless movies and reality TV shows.

"Getting hurt allowed me to spend more time with my wife," White said. "That's the only way I can look at it. I'm with her while she's pregnant, go to the doctor with her, and help out around the house. We watch TV until about 10 o'clock at night and fall asleep, over and over."

He's not ready for his career to be over — he'll be a free agent after this season — but he knows his age and injury history will work against him on the open market. That's why he considered this to be the most important season of his career, during which he planned to stay healthy and continue playing for another few years.

Now, he's not so sure.

"Hopefully I'll go back, play well in the second half, and after that we'll see," White said. "If someone wants me to come play, I'll think about it. If not, it's been great. I'm going to give it everything I've got. If this is my last three months playing, I'm just going to have fun, enjoy it and not worry about nothing."