Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse arrived at Spring Training the other day sporting some new ink. Let us guess! Some sort of baseball that’s flying so fast the cover is coming off of it? Ding! Ding! Ding! How’d we guess?! Oh yeah, every pitcher that thinks tats are a good idea get something about a ball’s cover coming off. They must be big fans of The Sandlot or something.
Lohse has a scar the length of his forearm curving from his elbow toward his wrist. He called it his “shark bite” last year. To draw attention away from the jagged fissure, Lohse enlisted the help of a tattoo artist who drew the intricate Koi fish and Zodiac tattoos that Chris Carpenter has on his leg and shoulder, respectively. Lohse gave him some ideas and this winter the artist went to work.
Ugh. Note to self: Chris Carpenter has the douchiest tattoo ever. We’re guessing the next phase of Carp’s ink is some sort of skeleton riding a Harley or maybe a Bald Eagle with something bitchin’ clutched in his talons.
Lohse said the baseball near his wrist is peeling away to reveal a globe underneath it. The purpose of the baseball shedding its hide is “to remind me there’s something else besides baseball.” The wings that sprout from the top of the baseball and run the length of his forearm to his elbow draws from a Native American inspiration for “power.” Lohse is a member of the Nomlaki tribe.
More symbolic of Lohse’s Cardinals years would have been a little baseball car with the wheels coming off, or maybe just the words “My best year was a contract year. Ca-ching!” …you could still put the “power wings” on there if you wanted. We do love though when atletes like Lohse get something to “remind them that there’s more to life than baseball.” Seems a little extreme doesn’t it? Try reading a book maybe.
via STLToday