Why do these sorts of things always seem to happen to Kevin Mench?
Apparently, Mench's sprained toe is the result of him wearing the wrong sized shoes:
The Texas Rangers right fielder has missed five games this season because of a sprain in the second toe of his right foot. He's had two cortisone injections into the toe, the latter coming Saturday. A Plano, Texas, foot specialist determined the sprain was caused by Mench's shoes being a half-size too small.
"He said he'd never seen turf toe in the second toe," Mench said before batting practice Thursday. "He said, 'Your shoes are a half-size too small.'"
The doctor dipped Mench's feet in blue ink and then had him imprint them onto paper. The result: Mench should have been wearing size 12½ instead of 12.
"Man, I'd been wearing 12s since I was 15 years old," Mench said. "That's the last time I had my feet measured -- you know, when I went to the shoe store with my parents.
"I guess feet can grow after that," he said.
So Mench gave away all of his size 12s -- street shoes and spikes alike. Now he said he has no discomfort while walking or running. He said the only time he feels pain is when he stretches his foot, as if to scratch it.
Mench needs to go to Larry's to buy his shoes. That's the only place I buy shoes (and about the only place that carries my size), but they measure my foot every time.