2014 MLB catch-all thread

[ILMOU]

The slider is not inherently a more stressful pitch. It is only more stressful when you drop down to get more slide to it as opposed to drop. If you throw it properly it's no more stressful than a fastball, the problem is many pitchers change either the elbow or shoulder angle to make it move more. This makes it a better pitch and tougher to hit but causes more stress.

Do you think it was sliders that did him in, looking at the delivery?

 

The guy with the best changeup of this generation has had his career derailed by shoulder injuries. Just wanted to point it out.

 

Yeah, no guarantees. I'm sure you've read where Sale has been encouraged to throw more changes and less sliders due to this belief, though.

 

Ben Badler ‏@BenBadler 1m

Alfredo Despaigne having a Dominican passport raises a ton of questions. Keep a close eye on this one.

 

Cryptic but interesting.

If he were only lefty...Then again, could make Tank prime trade bait.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Stan Bahnsen

[bmags]

Good article.http://grantland.com/the-triangle/jose-fernandez-elbow-injury-mlb-tommy-john-epidemic/

Edited May 13, 2014 by bmags

[southsider2k5]

Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan 3m

 

No surprise: Jose Fernandez's UCL is torn. Even scarier: More Tommy John surgeries are coming. Baseball's nightmare: http://yhoo.it/RJMQav

[bmags]

Most chilling line of that article:

Average age of the Tommy John surgery for this years injured: 24.2.

[Dick Allen]

Most chilling line of that article:

Average age of the Tommy John surgery for this years injured: 24.2.

Andrews said he used to do the surgery on 3 or 4 HS kids a year. Now he does 3 or 4 a week.

[ptatc]

Do you think it was sliders that did him in, looking at the delivery?

 

 

Yeah, no guarantees. I'm sure you've read where Sale has been encouraged to throw more changes and less sliders due to this belief, though.

 

 

If he were only lefty...Then again, could make Tank prime trade bait.

No, i don' t think it was from that pitch.

[Balta1701]

Yeah, no guarantees. I'm sure you've read where Sale has been encouraged to throw more changes and less sliders due to this belief, though.

He's also been encouraged to throw more changes and fewer sliders because of the thought that the change will be a more effective pitch against right handers than the slider was. The effectiveness of the change against righties is probably why Danks, for example, has been slightly tougher on righties than on lefties in his career despite being a lefty himself.

[witesoxfan]

Andrews said he used to do the surgery on 3 or 4 HS kids a year. Now he does 3 or 4 a week.

 

He's 72 years old and still ticking. You'd think at some point in time he has to retire, don't you?

[Soxfest]

Andrews said he used to do the surgery on 3 or 4 HS kids a year. Now he does 3 or 4 a week.

That statement is sad in itself.

[ILMOU]

No, i don' t think it was from that pitch.

Just over-throwing then? Too many pitches too young? What would be your guess?

[Harry Chappas]

Just over-throwing then? Too many pitches too young? What would be your guess?

 

All you need to look at it youth baseball and when kids begin throwing breaking pitches that are not change ups.

 

Not to mention the number of innings they throw.

 

[LittleHurt05]

Andrews said he used to do the surgery on 3 or 4 HS kids a year. Now he does 3 or 4 a week.

 

This is an interesting read about how kis are throwing faster at younger ages, and that;s really speeding up the problem.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/...jury/?eref=sihp

[ptatc]

All you need to look at it youth baseball and when kids begin throwing breaking pitches that are not change ups.

 

Not to mention the number of innings they throw.

Most change ups are not really considered breaking pitches as you are not trying to put a different spin on the ball compared to the fastball. It just the fastball with a different grip to make it go slower.

[BigHurt3515]

Andrews said he used to do the surgery on 3 or 4 HS kids a year. Now he does 3 or 4 a week.

 

Andrews must not sleep.. How does he do so many damn surgeries

[BigHurt3515]

All you need to look at it youth baseball and when kids begin throwing breaking pitches that are not change ups.

 

Not to mention the number of innings they throw.

 

It is completely stupid for youths to throw breaking balls.. The first breaking ball that should be taught is a knuckle-curve. That is the first one I was taught when I was around 14.. You don't have to snap the elbow and really does no strain.

[ptatc]

Just over-throwing then? Too many pitches too young? What would be your guess?

I think it's a combination of odd mechanics, throwing too hard too often and tissue overuse. He is just one of those guys who is going to have problems and will need rest throughout the season for a combination of reasons. I don't think the number of pitches alone is a reason but it can factor in over a period of time.

[ptatc]

It is completely stupid for youths to throw breaking balls.. The first breaking ball that should be taught is a knuckle-curve. That is the first one I was taught when I was around 14.. You don't have to snap the elbow and really does no strain.

You should never snapthe elbow. That's the ryan/house theory of how to throw it. I've never like that method of throwing the curveball. The knuckle curve is starting to gain popularity again as the spin is imparted to the ball with the finger not wrist position. However, it's more difficult to learn as not a natural motion to "flick" the finger while throwing.

[BigHurt3515]

You should never snapthe elbow. That's the ryan/house theory of how to throw it. I've never like that method of throwing the curveball. The knuckle curve is starting to gain popularity again as the spin is imparted to the ball with the finger not wrist position. However, it's more difficult to learn as not a natural motion to "flick" the finger while throwing.

 

Well obviously but a lot of these coaches don't know that and don't teach teens the right way to throw it..

[ptatc]

Well obviously but a lot of these coaches don't know that and don't teach teens the right way to throw it..

Believe it or not there are some coaches who still teach it. Especially in the south suburbs where the house/rothschild teachings were so strong.

[bmags]

I feel like I've heard things about kids throwing breaking balls too early forever. Why now the problem?

[Jake]

FWIW, I worked for about 10 years with a House disciple in the Chicago area and he didn't teach a "wrist/elbow snap" slider. For the most part, he didn't teach sliders. He'd teach circle changeup as first offspeed pitch, then curveball, and then reluctantly would teach slider as essentially a variant of the curveball (which is basically what it is).

 

He was a big fan of the knuckle curve, but I never worked with him on that. He started working with that a lot right as I was going out the door.

[ptatc]

FWIW, I worked for about 10 years with a House disciple in the Chicago area and he didn't teach a "wrist/elbow snap" slider. For the most part, he didn't teach sliders. He'd teach circle changeup as first offspeed pitch, then curveball, and then reluctantly would teach slider as essentially a variant of the curveball (which is basically what it is).

 

He was a big fan of the knuckle curve, but I never worked with him on that. He started working with that a lot right as I was going out the door.

The elbow snapI was referencing was for the curveball not the slider. You're right he did not like the slider. He preferred the curveball to change the hitter's eyes in both speed and elevation.

 

The way he used to describe the curveball was to picture pulling the string on a light bulb switch. He would have pitchers throw a football to get the same motion. The towel drill was another form of this. This put a lot of stress on the flexor carpi ulnaris and the wrist flexors.

 

The teaching of the change up first was always something I agreed with him about.

[Soxfest]

Cabrera 3 run jack 2 outs in 9th what a stud.

[Melissa1334]

Cabrera 3 run jack 2 outs in 9th what a stud.

And martinez has been great this year, batting .333, better protection than fielder lol wish the sox would have got vmart instead of dunn,oh well

[justBLAZE]

Jose Fernandez... meet Tommy John.