Dr. James Andrews throws out first pitch for Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Dr. James Andrews has extended the careers of countless professional athletes through the years, returning them to the spotlight as though their ligaments, bones and joints had never been injured at all.

On Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium, however, it was Andrews’ turn for a little fanfare. He threw out the first pitch and was honored with a Blue Wahoos jersey between the second and third inning.

The first 2,000 fans at the stadium left with their own Andrews souvenir, as well: A bobblehead of the renowned doctor that his wife, Jenelle, was quick to tease him about.

“She’s been kidding me about it,” Andrews said. “My kids are wanting a bobblehead and I’ve had some people ask me about it. I said, ‘I know where you can get one. Go down to the pawn shop and 25 cents will get one.’”

Unlike the athletes he operates on, there’s little offseason for the 75-year-old orthopedic surgeon.

He exchanges his role as team doctor for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers and Washington Redskins for the same role with the Tampa Bay Rays come baseball season.

America’s pastime is also the subject of his “No. 1” advocacy cause.

Andrews is a leading voice in the push against specialization in youth sports like baseball. Specialization – which he said causes a 36-to-1 increase in elbow injury potential baseball – has become rampant in youth sports over the past two decades despite data indicating its dangers.

“Progress is slow, but we are making some progress,” Andrews said. “Since the year 2000 for example, there’s been an eight to ten-fold increase in youth injuries in all youth sports, particularly youth baseball.

“That’s what we’re trying to get involved with so we can get that injury rate way back down where it’s reasonable.”

The Gulf Breeze-based Andrews Institute has been a hub for that advocacy both locally and nationally, producing research dedicated to the prevention, recovery and education of risks in youth sports.

So much of the issue comes down to the latter according to Andrews, who said specialization has become the culture in many baseball circles.

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“The culture right now is 12 months out of the year, travel ball, playing on two teams at the same time, throwing curveballs when you’re young so you can get them out at the plate,” Andrews said. “Going to showcases when you really should be calling it a show-out case, because that’s where they get hurt.

“The big two things, though, are velocity and fatigue, and that’s what we’re dealing with.”

But while the specialization issue is always on the forefront of Andrews and his institute’s radar, there’s plenty more on his schedule for this summer, be it on the water or on the gridiron.

“The big thing we’ve got going on in Pensacola is we’re having a sailboat race for these young kids at the Pensacola Yacht Club,” Andrews said. “A national championship, national tournament going on here.

“There’s always something going on in Pensacola out here in the water and we’re getting ready for football season as you well know.”

Blue Wahoos 2, Tennessee 0: The Blue Wahoos defeated the Smokies for the second straight game, with lefty pitcher Seth Varner making his debut for Pensacola and picking up the win on Friday night. Varner pitched five shutout innings with no walks and five strikeouts, while Alejandro Chacin came on to pitch two scoreless innings for the save while striking out six.

Pensacola went up 1-0 in the fourth after a leadoff double from Nick Longhi, who scored on a single by Brian O’Grady combined with a throwing error. O’Grady came home on an RBI double from Taylor Sparks for the 2-0 lead.

The teams returned to action Saturday night, and the start of Sunday’s game was moved up to 1:05 p.m. because of weather concerns.

Eric J. Wallace can be reached at ejwallace@pnj.com or 850-525-5087