[boop]

And now you have super specialized closers like Mariano Rivera, who come in for ONE inning.

I wonder why more pitchers didn't ruin their arms back in the 30s and 40s.

Pitchers sometimes pitched BOTH ends of a double-header.

How come it never occurred to managers to have closers as a rule until the '70s?

I'm guessing that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If a guy is still getting the opposing batters out, leave them in.

They might have also reasoned that the complete game guys were "wearing out" the offense, too.

They didn't have as many pinch hitters/double position swaps back then either.

Don't get me started on the DH.

Until the 70s, all pitchers had to bat, too, so you could almost guarantee an easy out.

Back to the O/T, unless a QB gets hurt, he's WAY more valuable taking every snap.

Someone like Peyton Manning makes his bones by figuring out defenses, then picking them apart.

A "relief QB" wouldn't be game ready.

[chajin]

I wonder why more pitchers didn't ruin their arms back in the 30s and 40s.

Three reasons: they didn't throw as fast, they only had two or three pitches, and the strike zone was "taller" (up to the letters)--that last one forced batters to swing more often, lessening the number of pitches per inning.