C.J. Nitkowski had nothing to lose in spring 2011. The rotator cuff in his left shoulder that he'd relied on during his decade as a major league pitcher was in tatters. He was 38 and his fastball traveled a Little League-worthy 50 mph.
Surgery and the ensuing lengthy rehab would have killed his career. So Nitkowski paid $3,000 to have stem cells extracted from his waist, separated then injected back into his shoulder.
''I look at it as a last shot,'' Nitkowski said.
The ensuing ''boost'' he felt helped him sign a minor-league deal with the New York Mets in 2012.