OT Should Teams Be Responsible

[LastingsMilledge85]

I just finished reading the article about Jordan Zimmermann missing the rest of this season and most likely all of the 2010 season because of blowing out his elbow, and will undergo Tommy John surgery. This is at least the second young pitcher this season that will miss this season and the majority of next season, the other being Edinson Volquez. It gets to a point where this is becoming more and more common and someone needs to be responsible for this. Many years ago this wasn't a common injury. In 2006 when Josh Johnson blew out his elbow, and needed Tommy John, the Marlins blamed manager of the year, Joe Girradi. Thus, he was fired at the end of the season for that plus many other reasons. What I'm saying is that someone needs to be blamed for these injuries to these young pitchers because this can effect someone's career like J.D. Martin did, after he had to rehab for years to make his ML debut. Your thoughts are appreciated thanks.

[staindsox]

I think pitchers aren't throwing enough anymore. Only a handful of starters throw over 200 innings a season and young guys suffer deadarm around August. It might sound like a contradiction, but if they built up their arms by logging more innings, I don't think we would see these kind of injuries as often. I understand the temptation to move up talented pitching from the minors, but I think a team would be better served by having guys log lots of innings in the minors first.

Chris

[suicide_squeeze]

I just finished reading the article about Jordan Zimmermann missing the rest of this season and most likely all of the 2010 season because of blowing out his elbow, and will undergo Tommy John surgery. This is at least the second young pitcher this season that will miss this season and the majority of next season, the other being Edinson Volquez. It gets to a point where this is becoming more and more common and someone needs to be responsible for this. Many years ago this wasn't a common injury. In 2006 when Josh Johnson blew out his elbow, and needed Tommy John, the Marlins blamed manager of the year, Joe Girradi. Thus, he was fired at the end of the season for that plus many other reasons. What I'm saying is that someone needs to be blamed for these injuries to these young pitchers because this can effect someone's career like J.D. Martin did, after he had to rehab for years to make his ML debut. Your thoughts are appreciated thanks.

Welcome to the world of the highly competitive Major Leagues.

Unless there is severe misconduct and blatant misuse of a pitcher by the managers and pitching coaches.....I simply don't see how anyone could be found responsible for this type of "event". Overuse is a relative term, and could be redifined from player to player. Their genetic make-up is also something that comes into play.....so to determine "fault" would be a very difficult thing.

In fact, these days I would say pitchers are used in a fashion far less taxing than the "good old days". How many times have you seen a pitcher pulled after 7 innings because of "pitch count" when he has a shut-out going? I see it often.....and quite frankly, it pissed me off. (If your team had Jonathan Broxton as your closer, you'd understand, as he proceeds to blow yet another stellar start by a pitcher not allowed to go the distance....:mad: ).

You will be hard-pressed to find blame in these circumstances because of the practice utilized by almost all of the major league managers these days........at least six innings and often ONLY 6 innings, a set up guy or several for an inning or two, followed by a close for 1 inning. That's the norm these days. And I can't remember the last time I heard of a pitcher being "overused" to the point he was injured......Tired out?....possibly suffering from a "tired arm"?.....Sure. But overused to the point of blowing out his arm?

Good luck proving that.

[rj_lucas]

Blame is pointless -- these men are adults who willingly take the ball in exchange for a salary.

If you want to point the finger, point it at the win-at-all-cost fathers and Little League coaches who have these guys throwing curve balls when they're 12-years old.

Their arms are borderline shot by the time they reach the Majors -- it's just a matter of time before they experience a full-scale blow out.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[Mauer7]

There can be no blame put on any team. Once he signs that contract, he is the teams property to do as they wish. Don't like it? Don't sign the contact. Plain and simple.

[David]

With young pitchers a problem can be is that they are too strong muscle-wise for their tendonds et al. They may have the muscles and power and throwing force of a 25 year old, but they still have the tendons and other parts of a 16 year old. Thus, the weaker tendons can break and tear. This might be a way that steroids and HGH can cause injury: Your bulging muscles are year 2009 super strength, but other parts, like your hamstrings and ACLs, are the same as on a 1960s player.

[LastingsMilledge85]

It has to be something with the team or training I don't know. Take Rice University for example, they wreck careers. So many pitchers that come out of Rice end up injury prone. Recently, the Rays released one of their top draft picks a few years back, and yes he was another Rice pitcher with tons of injuries after being drafted.

[Soonerfan65]

Blame is pointless -- these men are adults who willingly take the ball in exchange for a salary.

If you want to point the finger, point it at the win-at-all-cost fathers and Little League coaches who have these guys throwing curve balls when they're 12-years old.

Their arms are borderline shot by the time they reach the Majors -- it's just a matter of time before they experience a full-scale blow out.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com


I've seen kids throwing curveballs at 10 years old

[chakes89]

Volquez had/has horrible mechanics

He was a ticking time bomb in regards to an arm injury

[LastingsMilledge85]

And then next year the Reds will lose Cueto or Bailey, it seems like all young arms are doomed luckily for both they have been throwing plenty of innings consistently in past seasons.

[cjclong]

If it was just innings pitched and pitches thrown then the pitchers 30 years ago would not have had long careers. Pitchers like Warren Spahn, Bob Gibson, Catfish Hunter , Don Drysdale and so many others went out and started every 4th day instead of every 5th day as they do today and expected to pitch the full 9 innings instead of 6 or 7 and all had long careers. A lot of pitches thrown by a pitcher with good mechanics are much less likely to hurt his arm than many fewer pitches thrown by a pitcher with bad mechanics.

[xpress34]

Welcome to the world of the highly competitive Major Leagues.

How many times have you seen a pitcher pulled after 7 innings because of "pitch count" when he has a shut-out going? I see it often.....and quite frankly, it pissed me off. (If your team had Jonathan Broxton as your closer, you'd understand, as he proceeds to blow yet another stellar start by a pitcher not allowed to go the distance....:mad: ).

Suicide -

Your comment is not wasted on me (being from Denver and a Rockies fan) as it has been a big topic of discussion here regarding your Dodgers and the Phillies.

At the start of the season as both those teams separated themselves from the pack in a big way, a discussion had already started here about how long they could last relying so heavily on their bullpens so early while only allowing their starters to go 4 or 5 innings... 6 if they were lucky. The Rockies on the other hand have been fortunate in the fact that most of their Starters have consistently gone 6 or more innings and has kept the bullpen fairly healthy coming down the stretch.

I also agree with your comment about being pissed off - Ubaldo Jimenez just the other night had a shutout through 8 ad the Rox were winning 8-0 and Jim Tracy didn't let him finish the game because of pitch count.

And your point is also not lost on me because as a life long Nolan Ryan fan, I get really pissed when I hear guys talk about how much better Clemens or Glavine or Maddux was than Nolan and my arguement has frequently been made that Nolan consistently through his career - even in the early days of Middle/Long Relievers and Closers went 8 innings or more all the time. Clemens, Maddux and Glavine BARELY made their 5 innings for the last 5 years or so of their careers.

Anyway, I digress - not wanting to hijack this thread in another direction.

Just my .02

- Chris