They’ve always been a lot of injuries.
Now they pay so much they care about it.
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.👍
Technique...a lot of arm throwers these days versus the Seaver’s of yesteryear who really used their legs.
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.
“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.
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.
What about kids from the time of Little League just about pitching their arms out by the time they get out of college?
Spencer Strider suffered a debilitating mustache injury. 12 months off should be enough time for him to reassess that calamitous decision.
Him aside, the amount of torque these cats are generating is well beyond what the human body is meant to create.
Ranger Suarez pitched a complete game two starts ago. There had been roughly 200 games played at that point, and it was only the SECOND complete game thus far.
When I was a youngster, a starter as part of a four-man rotation, 20 % of games would be CGs.
I can’t think of anything else that changed - and contracts? Why wouldn’t you want to get everything you can out of your investment if you know that pitches thrown doesn’t cause injuries?
On a separate note, I am listening to the Red Sox - Indians game. Red Sox First Baseman Bobby Dalbec is batting .029 on the season. He is only in the lineup because the Sox have lost two other first basemen to injury. They have three other players who are below the Mendoza line.
BTW, Bobby D just made a great play at first base.
If they threw at 3/4 speed with some craftier pitches, they would last complete games and have 20-year careers.
A shame is watching Shohei Ohtani wreck his arm. He’s already had Tommy John surgery AND surgery to repair UCL damage in his elbow. Very sad. A classic example of a velocity pitcher who has wrecked his arm for the long haul.
Are they having more injuries now or were there more injuries 25 years ago? Start with what has changed,
Back in the 80’s, anyone who threw 90 was a fireballer. Now 90 is a soft tosser.
I think that the velocity that is achieved today is part of it, but also the amount of spin is crazy. Wonder what the injury rate was before they cracked down on grip enhancers - the spider tack added spin, now they have to torque to add spin. I suspect that Tyler Glasnow had it right.
Just saying.
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.
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.
Maybe there are more injuries because they are no longer pitching full games, just a few innings.