Corey Koskie, the Minnesota Twins’ third baseman from 1999 through 2004, will be a featured speaker Friday (Jan. 11) at the second annual Mayo Clinic Health System Sports Medicine Symposium in Eau Claire.
The symposium is sponsored by Mayo and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Sports medicine experts from both sponsoring organizations will host afternoon seminars for local medical providers, coaches and trainers to learn the latest research on treatment options for upper extremity orthopedic injuries.
Koskie’s presentation, “The Multisport Athlete and Finding Balance,” is scheduled for 3:45–4:45 p.m. in the Mayo Clinic Health System auditorium at 1221 Whipple St. It is free and open to the public.
Koskie will focus on helping youth athletes retain a positive outlook while dealing with the demands and pressures of coaches, parents and their peers. Free parking is available in the Mayo Clinic ramp at the corner of Fulton and Whipple streets.
Koskie’s career
Koskie was drafted by the Twins in the 1994 amateur draft, and made his Major League debut with them in September of 1998. He established himself as the Twins’ third baseman the following when he hit .310 and batted in 58 runs.
After the 2004 season, he signed a three-year, $17-million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the 2006 season. In July of that year, Koskie fell backwards while trying to make a catch.
Although dazed, he stayed in the game another inning before heading for the clubhouse to see the team doctor. The physician diagnosed Koskie with a concussion but told him it would be fine in a couple of days.
“They said it was no big deal because I didn’t hit my head,” Koskie said in a 2012 interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Recovery delayed until 2009
But it took until 2009 for Koskie to recover, because baseball and its medical people had little experience with concussions. They were then thought to result only from a sudden blow to the head, rather than occurring whenever a sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head causes the brain to collide with the skull.
In 2009, Koskie went to a physical therapist who started treating him for both whiplash in his neck and the concussion symptoms. Those symptoms, which had plagued Koskie for three years, disappeared in three weeks. He joined Team Canada for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, went through spring training with the Chicago Cubs, said he did nervous self-checks after every diving catch and decided to retire from the game.
He was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Heavy youth sports involvement
Koskie is heavily involved in youth sports, and has coached his four sons on over 90 teams since 2006. In addition to baseball, Koskie played hockey and volleyball during his youth and college career.
“Hockey was my favorite sport,” he said. “Volleyball was my best sport, and I played baseball just to pass the time between the sports.”
Friday’s activities will wind up with a 7 p.m. men’s hockey game between UW-Eau Claire and St. John’s University at Hobbs Ice Arena, 915 Menomonie St. Mayo Clinic Health System is the sponsor for the game.