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I JUST READ THAT Stephen Strasburg, the Washington Nationals' terrific rookie pitcher, likely will have surgery on his elbow. It's called Tommy John surgery after the long-ago pitcher who first had it.

It's funny, but I probably hear the name Tommy John more than any player in the history of baseball. Another name that comes up is Lou Gehrig (for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease). A woman I knew for more than 40 years died this year of ALS.

There are probably other names that pop up often, but they don't come to mind right now.