Conor Jackson had "valley fever"?

I try and stay up on things. I really do. I think I know my share of stuff. I can hold my own.

Usually.

I just read that Conor Jackson* of the Diamondbacks missed the last 5 months of last season due to his contracting "valley fever"** which (I had to look this up because I do not live near a valley) is an illness caused by breathing fungi in desert soils in the Southwest.

I have never heard of "valley fever" before.

Valley fever. Hmmph.

You know, I have to believe that this constitutes a serious competitive disadvantage for the Diamondbacks simply by virtue of their geography. Can you say, "not fair"?

How do you avoid valley fever? You have to breathe, you know.

How did the Diamondbacks overcome valley fever to win the World Series in 2001?

Is that why Randy Johnson wanted out (twice)?

Is that why their stadium is domed? Or is just too darned hot.

Now that I think about it, the Phoenix Coyotes have never really been very good. They draw like 6000-7000 people a game. Even Wayne Gretzky couldn't make it work there.

You know why, don't you?

*The bat above kind of looks photoshopped (look at the barrel). Why would you need to do this? Players walk around with these things all the time.

**If I am the brilliant scientist that discovered this illness, I am pissed. Look, if you discover a disease, you at least want the thing to be named after you. This one looks like it was run through a committee or something and out came "valley fever". Pitiful.