Berardino: Gibson changes delivery to keep shoulder healthy

[Seth Stohs]

http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/20/minnesota-twins-kyle-gibson-changes-delivery-to-keep-shoulder-healthy/

 

Mike Berardino talked to RHP Kyle Gibson about his new warm-up technique and his altered delivery. After missing 6 weeks of last season with a shoulder injury, Gibson has been focused on his shoulder health this offseason. 

 

 

Wearing an oversized, oven-mitt type apparatus on his right hand, Gibson has been spotted pantomiming his pitching delivery in the bullpen and in the practice cages. Inside the trademarked Durathro mitt is a 7-ounce ball — 2 ounces heavier than a regulation baseball — that he releases from his hand to retrain his throwing shoulder to better handle what happens after the pitch is made.

 

 

Here is some video:

 

 

 

The story is fairly extensive and quite detailed, but very interesting... here's one bit:

 

 

 

“He almost lost me at a couple points because he’s got such forward thinking,” Gibson said. “He said, ‘Getting out front and extension, that’s just a myth.’ I was like, ‘Hold on. This is a foundation of what I do.’ “

Over the course of their initial consultation, Sullivan convinced Gibson that too much extension after the ball has been released “is only putting your shoulder at more risk.” They immediately began working to retool Gibson’s delivery.

“It’s like a golf swing,” Gibson said. “Once you hit, you’re not adding anything (by extending); the ball is gone. This way, your shoulder has more time to slow down. I feel a huge difference.”

 

[HitInAPinch]

From the article:

 

"A licensed physical therapist who bills himself as “The Arm Pain Assassin,” Sullivan is affiliated with Ron Wolforth’s Texas Baseball Ranch, which new Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey visited multiple times during his days in the Cleveland Indians front office.  According to Wolforth, the program has helped nearly 270 pitchers push their peak velocities to 90 mph for the first time."

 

Makes me kinda wonder what he could have done with Alex Meyer.

[Bob Sacamento]

Sullivan also runs the Florida Baseball Ranch here in South Florida (about 2 hours north of Ft. Myers), smart guy who definitely knows his stuff.  I've met quite of few of his disciples, PTs and players, over the years.  From a medical standpoint, he's backed up by literature as the Durathro helps with deceleration of the arm think of it as the brakes for the shoulder (that being 3 of your 4 rotator cuff muscles - supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor as well as your biceps and rhomboids, traps, as well as some of the lower back).  The deceleration process is also where the majority of pitching injuries come from.

 

As a Chiropractor who works with soft tissue injuries on a daily basis granted it's mostly Frozen Shoulders, Tennis (Pickleball) Elbow, and Golfer's Elbow.  If you didn't read anything of the article this is the biggest key:

 

 

 

Instead, the goal is to teach Gibson’s arm to pronate properly at the end of his delivery. That, in turn, should keep the humerus from rubbing on the shoulder’s connective tissues.

 

HUGE FAN OF THIS!!

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

That is all good in the sense of keeping a guy healthy, but honestly....I'd rather a guy perform better, with more injury risk, than to change things to be healthy and not as effective. Just in general that is. Maybe this is something that can accomplish both, but in general...let guys keep their original mechanics if they work on the mound or plate. Let them throw more sliders, cutters, etc if they work for them. 

[GP830]

I also wonder how this relates to Falvey's famed "weighted ball training" we've heard about.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

That is all good in the sense of keeping a guy healthy, but honestly....I'd rather a guy perform better, with more injury risk, than to change things to be healthy and not as effective. Just in general that is. Maybe this is something that can accomplish both, but in general...let guys keep their original mechanics if they work on the mound or plate. Let them throw more sliders, cutters, etc if they work for them.

as a fan, agreed, as a guy who's suffered with shoulder, elbow, and finger pain for years, not so sure.

 

I look back at all the stupid abuse I put my right arm through and wish I hadn't done it. Now granted I never made money throwing a baseball let alone 2.9 mil, but if I had to do it all over again, I'd change things. I would imagine Gibby feels as much or more discomfort than I do and says "when I'm old I'll learn to feed myself left handed" and "who needs to tie shoes, I'll wear slip-ons"

[HitInAPinch]

 

That is all good in the sense of keeping a guy healthy, but honestly....I'd rather a guy perform better, with more injury risk, than to change things to be healthy and not as effective. Just in general that is. Maybe this is something that can accomplish both, but in general...let guys keep their original mechanics if they work on the mound or plate. Let them throw more sliders, cutters, etc if they work for them. 

I guess I don't understand.  Why would the 2 things [changing things to be healthy and being effective] be mutually exclusive?

 

Gibson has been a mediocre SP and that could be generous.  And there have been injuries.  Personally, I don't see any downside of him working with a guy who has a record of success.

[gunnarthor]

Man, reading things like "pitcher changes delivery to keep shoulder healthy" absolutely terrifies me.  

 

Hopefully this helps.

[Willihammer]

I wonder if the extreme over the top delivery is a factor with the shoulder. I always found a lower three quarters delivery was easier on mine, but anti-thetical to the "downward plane" I guess.

[laloesch]

 

Man, reading things like "pitcher changes delivery to keep shoulder healthy" absolutely terrifies me.  

 

Hopefully this helps.

 

He's already had TJ.  What's next labrum tear?  I'm tired of the excuses from the Gibson camp (not saying your saying that).  The guy has been a full time starter with this team for 3 full seasons now.  It's time to either step up or step aside.  Glad he wasn't extended because he flat out stinks.  

[Bob Sacamento]

 

I wonder if the extreme over the top delivery is a factor with the shoulder. I always found a lower three quarters delivery was easier on mine, but anti-thetical to the "downward plane" I guess.

Different shoulder, different biomechanics for everyone, what works for one might cause damage in another.  Doug Thornburn, a well known baseball writer who once worked with Tom House at the National Pitching Association, remarked that he hadn't been able to throw a baseball in years without pain due a shoulder injury.  House told him to throw sidearm/think sidearm delivery, and Thorburn was able to throw without pain for the first time in years. It all had to do with his arm slot which was overhead, and a 3/4 slot or slightly lower was painfree for Doug.

[gil4]

 

as a fan, agreed, as a guy who's suffered with shoulder, elbow, and finger pain for years, not so sure.

I look back at all the stupid abuse I put my right arm through and wish I hadn't done it. Now granted I never made money throwing a baseball let alone 2.9 mil, but if I had to do it all over again, I'd change things. I would imagine Gibby feels as much or more discomfort than I do and says "when I'm old I'll learn to feed myself left handed" and "who needs to tie shoes, I'll wear slip-ons"

I was the same way, but managed to escape mostly unscathed until about 5 years ago (age 47) I was playing long-toss with two of my sons (one in college, one in HS) and I felt a twinge.  I kept pushing through it, and my shoulder hasn't been the same since.   I can still tie shoes (as long as my back allows it) and I don't have to eat left-handed (although that might help solve the problem of my belt shrinking), and I can comb my hair (what's left of it).  It just hurts to throw, so now when I umpire I normally hand the ball to the catcher instead of throwing to the pitcher.

[Willihammer]

 

Different shoulder, different biomechanics for everyone, what works for one might cause damage in another.  Doug Thornburn, a well known baseball writer who once worked with Tom House at the National Pitching Association, remarked that he hadn't been able to throw a baseball in years without pain due a shoulder injury.  House told him to throw sidearm/think sidearm delivery, and Thorburn was able to throw without pain for the first time in years. It all had to do with his arm slot which was overhead, and a 3/4 slot or slightly lower was painfree for Doug.

That makes total sense to me. A lower arm angle was easier on my shoulder too. Gibson doesn't throw from a low angle- quite the opposite. And he's been battling shoulder trouble.

We know there is a thought that tall sinkerballers need to throw with a downward plane. I worry that GIbson is fully bought into this, thus he is working on follow through when perhaps a lower slot would solve his problem.

[d-mac]

 

I wonder if the extreme over the top delivery is a factor with the shoulder. I always found a lower three quarters delivery was easier on mine, but anti-thetical to the "downward plane" I guess.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/who-could-drop-their-arm-slot-for-more-success/#more-245234

 

Interestingly, Gibson was mentioned in this fangraphs article from last week. Gibson has always had an over-the-top delivery but raised his release point even more last year and it negatively affected the movement of his sinker. My speculation, but it could have contributed to his injuries last year. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

Is this affecting his arm angle too?  I seem to remember that he raised his angle leading to worse results last year.

[Blake]

Injury prevention, what a concept! I wonder if it will every catch on with the Twins?

[Parker Hageman]

For more background on the Texas and Florida Baseball Ranches as well as the Durathro, you definitely should read this ---> http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/13519176/how-texas-baseball-ranch-saved-scott-kazmir-started-pitching-revolution

[Boom Boom]

This can't be right. Blyleven is always preaching extension and "getting out front." I don't know what to believe anymore.

 

Best of luck to Gibson, but I have my doubts that this magic elixir will keep him healthy and/or make him an effective pitcher.

[Doomtints]

I also changed my delivery in order to save my shoulder from unnecessary strain. I simply dial 1-800-PIZZA-YUM from any touch tone phone!