The Daily Feather — Pulling a Hammy

Hamstring pulls are agnostic to an athlete’s size and shape. Being the aspiring, albeit amateur, etymologists we are, it was of great intrigue to learn that a “hamstring” is not a single ‘string,’ it’s a group of three muscles that run along the back of the thigh that allow you to bend your leg at the knee. Those who’ve suffered a ‘pulled hammy’ can attest to one or more of these muscles hitting the overload button. As WebMD explains, you up your risk if a) You don't warm up before exercising; b) Your quadriceps are so tight, they pull your pelvis forward and tighten your hamstrings; or c) You have weak glutes. If you play in a 32 and over men’s baseball league, you’ll likely raise your hand for d) All of the above. Unfortunately, QI’s Dr. Gates experienced the injury for the first time last week. His Jersey Shore Expos were battling the Wall Dodgers in a playoff. The ‘pop’ happened as Gates was sprinting down the first base line to beat out an infield dribbler. Luckily, the throw from the second baseman was wide and he was safe. We regret to report he’s a scratch for this week’s game against the number one seed.

For now, it will be a matter of taking it slow until both legs are back to 100%, which takes time. The opposite held for July Wholesale Sales, which rose 0.8% month-over-month (MoM), fully reversing June’s -0.8% MoM decline. For what it’s worth, the sequential jump in wholesale activity was the biggest in 13 months. This flashed a ray of hope that demand from this intermediate sector might be on the mend after not seeing a single month this year with a ‘+’ sign in front of the print.