As Harold Baines entered his eighth season on the White Sox coaching staff and his fifth as base coach, he found that his ongoing knee problems were not subsiding. He turned to Dr. Richard Berger, a world-renowned expert in outpatient knee and hip replacement for help. Following his consultation with Dr.Berger, Baines found a knee replacement was his best option for a future coaching career with the Chicago White Sox.

Harold Baines rejoined the Chicago White Sox organization in 2004 as a coach under the leadership of new White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen. Baines had originally joined the White Sox team in 1977 and became a regular outfielder in 1980, however in 1986 a string of knee problems brought an end to his fielding career and he transitioned to a designated hitting position. In spite of his continued knee pain, he went on to complete a successful designated hitting career, retiring in 2001. He played 22 seasons in the major leagues, batting .289 with 384 home runs and 1,628 RBI in 2,830 games.

At the young age of 51, he found that the knee pain had become intolerable. Baines went from a high performance professional athlete to finding difficulty in walking down the first base line. After much research for a qualified physician, Baines scheduled an appointment with Dr. Richard Berger. Dr. Berger pioneered the minimally invasive technique for hip and knee replacement. His approach works by making small incisions and moving the large muscles surrounding the joint rather than the open technique in which the muscles are cut which requires a much longer recovery time.

Baines went into surgery on the morning of June 18, 2010, and went home that afternoon. "It was gratifying to help Harold, who has brought such joy to millions, but then was suffering with pain just walking," said Dr. Berger. Following his surgery, Baines completed rehab with White Sox head team trainer Herm Schneider. His expectations were high, but he met his postoperative goal by getting back on the field in February 2011 for White Sox Spring Training. "Harold recovered so quickly partially due to his excellent conditioning and partially due to the new kind of knee replacement that is performed without cutting any muscles or tendons," explained Dr. Berger.

The White Sox returned to Chicago for their home opener on April 7, where Sox fans were happy to see Coach Harold Baines back at first base.

About Harold Baines

Harold Baines' career with Major League Baseball spans 24 years. He became the seventh White Sox great to be immortalized with a bronze sculpture at U.S. Cellular Field on July 20, 2008. His uniform No. 3 was retired by the White Sox in 1989, making him the only active player to receive the honor. In 2008, he participated in a panel discussion as part of the Double Duty Classic, a forum and All-Star game featuring African-American high school players. He also took part in the Jackie Robinson Day celebration and Negro Leagues Tribute at U.S. Cellular Field in 2006.