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 ...
They’ve always been a lot of injuries.
Now they pay so much they care about it.
It was a sham to see Strasburg retire the other day, $35 m x 7 years, I believe never pitched inning
well, both a sham and a shame
All I can say is How about those Tigers!
Tied for second place with KC and the they have a 3 game series starting tomorrow.👍
I mentioned ‘68— Mickey Lolich , 3 wins in the series and a grand slam ( I think game 7).
Technique...a lot of arm throwers these days versus the Seaver’s of yesteryear who really used their legs.
Speaking of ‘68, Bob Gibson started 34 games and pitched 28 complete games. For 2023, in all of MLB, there were only 34 complete games.
Pitch clock?
Tommy John surgery has become routine for pitchers, and training methods have seemingly reached the human limits. Even veteran pitchers can improve their fastballs by several mph with latest techniques. Plenty of players willing to risk it, given the millions an even average pitcher can expect.
Sorry, Northrup hit the slam, Lolich had a homer , though, the only one he hit in his career
Gibson vs. Soto.
Who would win?
Some pitchers never recover.
“Spahn and Sain and pray for rain” - in 1948 Warren Spahn pitched 17 complete games, and Johnny Sain led the league with 28 complete games!
If I recall correctly, only a handful of pitchers have had any complete games at all up to this point in the season.
Jim Kaat would probably get 2 pitches off in 30 seconds
Training for velocity has led muscle strength to out run the strength of tendons and ligaments to support them. That’s why so many are now needing Tommy John surgery, to repair torn up ligaments.
I had read just 3 complete the other day
Thirteen year career, 8 of them at the top of his game. More money than he could spend.
Koufax had maybe 6-7 great years, great as they were.
I went to a Kansas City A’s kids’ day in 1957, I believe a guy named Harry kraft was either GM or the manager, I remember well, he said, “boys don’t try to throw a curve until you’re 16. “
Sandy Koufax went out as #1, no doubt, and Drysdale right behind ( 58 consecutive scoreless innings in ‘68 and 6 straight shutouts). Koufax was getting steroid injections in his elbow. He probably wouldn’t have retired if he could have gotten a $300 m contract, do you think?
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