Posted on 04/24/2024 3:06:03 PM PDT by sopo
The rate of pitcher injuries in baseball has been a topic of conversation across the sport in recent years, but debate reached a boiling point when aces Shane Bieber and Spencer Strider and budding star Eury Perez all suffered season-ending elbow injuries just weeks into the 2024 MLB season. The wave of injuries led to dueling statements from the MLBPA and MLB about the potential root cause of the injuries.
We asked our MLB experts to talk to a handful of pitchers about what they believe is behind the rise -- and what steps they would take to solve the growing problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
I posted on another thread that I’m obsessed with The Savannah Bananas and The Party Animals baseball. Great players, kid and family friendly, fun, fun, fun, for the fans.
Until last season, the greatest moment in Texas Rangers’ history.
On July 2,1963, the Giants beat the Braves 1-0 on a Willie Mays homer in the bottom of the 16th inning.
Both starters, Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn, pitched complete games. Both starters also made their next scheduled start.
Here’s a possible way to avoid these increasing arm injuries.
1. Move the mound back to the exact center of the infield.
2. Raise the height of the mound back to 1968 standards.
WHY??
1. The pitchers do throw harder as a whole compared to years past. They have developed a “6 innings is a complete game” mentality and throw as hard as possible all of the time. The extra distance they would have to throw will make them try to “pitch” more and not just throw as nearly all of them are doing now. It turns an at-bat back to a game of chess instead of the checkers it has become. The extra height of the mound will be a compensation to the pitchers. It will allow them to throw more breaking pitches and stresses control and finesse. They will have to rely on their fielders more.
2. Batters will have a fraction of a second more time to react BUT they will have to learn to put the ball in play due to the angle of the ball coming in from the higher mound. Too many are waiting to play T-Ball anymore. They want to Homer or walk. They usually whiff instead.
Fans are bored with strikeouts 33% of the time. Put the ball in play with fewer pitches per at-bat, make the fielders work, watch hitters go the other way for hits, bring some small ball back into the game.
I need to catch a game. Baseball's version of Harlem Globetrotters.
Put some more time on the damn pitch clock for starters.
Are we really in such a hurry that pitchers need to blow their arms out to speed the game up a little bit?
One big problem is, too many people who’ve never played the game at that level are setting rules for the MLB. They’re not qualified to know what’s right for the game, or for the players who’s work it is to supply it for us.
Yeah, how about them Tigers?
I believe the Tigers will sail right into the forget about it bucket again this year.
I picked the Tigers to win the division. Although the Royals have been a real surprise so far.
Think Don Sutton and Don Drysdale. They’d give ya’ 9 every game if they needed to.
Chavez Ravine?
The managers these days almost NEVER let any starters go 9.
They go by pitches now, not innings.
Knuclkeballer’s find more ways to lose than any other pitch type.
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Pitcher's Mound and Dimensions - UmpireBible - EXCERPT:
The pitcher's mound
On a regulation baseball diamond, the pitcher's mound measures 18' in diameter. The flat area atop the diamond, called the table, measures 5 feet wide by 34 inches deep. Six inches from the front edge of the table is the pitcher's plate (also called the rubber), which measures six inches deep by 24 inches wide.
The distance from the front edge of the pitcher's plate to the rear point of home plate measures 60'-6". This distance was established in 1893 and has served baseball well for 125 years.
The height of the mound, however, has changed – most recently in 1969, when it was lowered to its present height of 10 inches. From the front of the table, the mound slopes down such that it loses one inch of height for every foot nearer to home plate.
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Pitching Rubbers: It’s Hip To Be Square - EXCERPT:
If your pitching rubber is twisted off square by a mere 1/4" on an adult baseball field (60' 6" pitching distance), the centerline at home plate will jump off by 14 1/2" to the left or right, depending which way the rubber is twisted. Increase the skew in the rubber to 1/2" off square and you move that center line off of the center of home plate by an astounding 2' 6 1/4"!
A misaligned rubber will affect a pitcher’s pitching mechanics. Ask any pitching coach or trainer. How can the pitcher square to the plate in his wind up when the front edge of the pitching rubber is not even square to the plate? Because of that, they must adjust . . .
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My brief moment in the sun, long ago. My bat, right-hand. I had some tips from Norm Cash (catcher, Detroit Tigers).
Pitcher was a lefty. Speed 90 mph plus. Threw from the side.
From my view (left-right), first baseman was midway between first and where the pitcher stood at the rubber.
Pitcher threw, and the ball quickly appeared to be originating from the first baseman.
The ball then increased in altitude, followed by a decent, followed by a curvature and alignment over the center of home plate . . . as if thrown from the center of the mound.
I thought, “So this is what it is like in the majors.”
Three such pitches in a row. I did swing at the first pitch, noticing in braniac-stop-motion that before my bat got near the plate, the ball was crossing the plate.
That thought stuck in my mind. Two more swings were pointless - but I tried anyway.
I was amazed. The pitcher was a senior at Redford High, Detroit. A very good pitcher, but average for the majors, is my guess.
“decent” -> descent
I could only image how intimidating it had to be to bat against Randy Johnson, LOL as John Kruk found out.
The dances and stunts are scripted, but the games are not. I love them - both teams.
He can get a job counting all that money!
Good guy. Got the Nationals got it done in 2019.
A bold prediction.😉
The Royals have always been a thorn in the side of the Tigers.
Hope you’re right. Downtown for the NFL Draft tonight, and game 2 Saturday of the 3 game series’s with none other than the Royals.
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