Injuries Have Hurt Prospects' Development

I've been reading a few old books, mostly interviews of great pitchers as I am putting together historic rosters for a PS3 game called MLB 14:The Show and so I am researching all the pitch types - what did Addie Joss through? What did Herb Score & Sam McDowell throw? How about Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax? Bill James & Roby Neyer's Guide to Pitchers has been incredible helpful - an interesting book/read if you want to know who had the best particular pitch over historical periods and all-time. 

All that to say, my research and study has led to many interviews where pitchers pretty much said they had 'this pitch' or 'that pitch' and the like...'from God' or 'the baseball Gods' or 'I was just meant to pitch'. And it would seem to fall in line with the number of injuries. Some just are blessed with the physical body to be a pitcher - arguably the hardest action on any professional athlete. 

The other thing I noticed was that most pitchers didn't throw a curveball or their screwballs or any thing with heavy wrist action but maybe 5-15 pitches a game. It was mostly a 'hop ball' (rising FB) or a 'heavy fastball' (sinker) or a what we know today as a cut fastball as well as lots of changeups to palmballs. We also saw a LOT of knuckleball pitchers. The curveballs, sliders, screwballs, etc were mostly used 'only as needed' type of scenarios - up until Sandy Koufax and Bert Blyleven types. JR Richard and others would throw slider, slider, slider, fastball, slider, slider, fastball, slider, slider....done at age 30. 

Then the 80's we see Roger Craig and others put a greater emphasis on splitters and forkballs and sliders and so forth. There were mostly rotator cuff injuries before, but not, the elbow injuries are becoming more and more prominent (more so than shoulder injuries even). 

That said - baseball is becoming a pitcher's game. How many arms will teams need though? Will a MLB team need 20-25 pitchers per year to get through a season, as injuries would take their toll each year with the idea of having to have pitchers with great sliders, curves, etc. (heavy wrist action pitches)

The trick, I guess, would be if we run out of arms - e.g. not enough pitchers to meet that 20-25 pitchers per club needed?

Versus having a team of 12-16 pitchers who have command, offspeed, cutters, fastballs, and another non heavy wrist action types of pitchers?

Does the former (heavy wrist action pitchers) have enough supply and provide lower ERA (or opponent run production) than the latter? Most likely. So it's probably not good for individual pitchers, but would still be advantageous as it gets a better result in the box score. 

I've been reading a few old books, mostly interviews of great pitchers as I am putting together historic rosters for a PS3 game called MLB 14:The Show and so I am researching all the pitch types - what did Addie Joss through? What did Herb Score & Sam McDowell throw? How about Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax? Bill James & Roby Neyer's Guide to Pitchers has been incredible helpful - an interesting book/read if you want to know who had the best particular pitch over historical periods and all-time. 

 

All that to say, my research and study has led to many interviews where pitchers pretty much said they had 'this pitch' or 'that pitch' and the like...'from God' or 'the baseball Gods' or 'I was just meant to pitch'. And it would seem to fall in line with the number of injuries. Some just are blessed with the physical body to be a pitcher - arguably the hardest action on any professional athlete. 

 

The other thing I noticed was that most pitchers didn't throw a curveball or their screwballs or any thing with heavy wrist action but maybe 5-15 pitches a game. It was mostly a 'hop ball' (rising FB) or a 'heavy fastball' (sinker) or a what we know today as a cut fastball as well as lots of changeups to palmballs. We also saw a LOT of knuckleball pitchers. The curveballs, sliders, screwballs, etc were mostly used 'only as needed' type of scenarios - up until Sandy Koufax and Bert Blyleven types. JR Richard and others would throw slider, slider, slider, fastball, slider, slider, fastball, slider, slider....done at age 30. 

 

Then the 80's we see Roger Craig and others put a greater emphasis on splitters and forkballs and sliders and so forth. There were mostly rotator cuff injuries before, but not, the elbow injuries are becoming more and more prominent (more so than shoulder injuries even). 

 

That said - baseball is becoming a pitcher's game. How many arms will teams need though? Will a MLB team need 20-25 pitchers per year to get through a season, as injuries would take their toll each year with the idea of having to have pitchers with great sliders, curves, etc. (heavy wrist action pitches)

 

The trick, I guess, would be if we run out of arms - e.g. not enough pitchers to meet that 20-25 pitchers per club needed?

 

Versus having a team of 12-16 pitchers who have command, offspeed, cutters, fastballs, and another non heavy wrist action types of pitchers?

 

Does the former (heavy wrist action pitchers) have enough supply and provide lower ERA (or opponent run production) than the latter? Most likely. So it's probably not good for individual pitchers, but would still be advantageous as it gets a better result in the box score. 

I don't know if this relates exactly to your study, but it seems that while elbow injuries are up that shoulder injuries are down. I don't think this is an accident. Training measures and usage patterns are moving in this way, as it is generally considered easier (though obviously not automatic) to recover from an elbow vs. a shoulder.

Terry Ryan is a genius! He'll fix it, even if it takes very long. We have to give him all the time in the world he needs.

I was actually looking for this article the day Buxton was shut down. My mind was aggregating the injuries. 

I was then comparing the other top systems: Cubs, Pirates, Astros. 

Cubs - have fared the best in avoiding the injury bug. Twins have had it the worst though. Then the Pirates, highlighted by Taillon's TJ and top 2013 pick Austin Meadows injuries. 

A quick glance over can be found by going to MLB's top 20 prospects per team. 

Twins:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=min

Cubs:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=chc

Astros:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=hou

Pirates:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2014/#list=pit

I've been reading a few old books, mostly interviews of great pitchers as I am putting together historic rosters for a PS3 game called MLB 14:The Show and so I am researching all the pitch types - what did Addie Joss through? What did Herb Score & Sam McDowell throw? How about Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax? Bill James & Roby Neyer's Guide to Pitchers has been incredible helpful - an interesting book/read if you want to know who had the best particular pitch over historical periods and all-time. 

 

All that to say, my research and study has led to many interviews where pitchers pretty much said they had 'this pitch' or 'that pitch' and the like...'from God' or 'the baseball Gods' or 'I was just meant to pitch'. And it would seem to fall in line with the number of injuries. Some just are blessed with the physical body to be a pitcher - arguably the hardest action on any professional athlete. 

 

The other thing I noticed was that most pitchers didn't throw a curveball or their screwballs or any thing with heavy wrist action but maybe 5-15 pitches a game. It was mostly a 'hop ball' (rising FB) or a 'heavy fastball' (sinker) or a what we know today as a cut fastball as well as lots of changeups to palmballs. We also saw a LOT of knuckleball pitchers. The curveballs, sliders, screwballs, etc were mostly used 'only as needed' type of scenarios - up until Sandy Koufax and Bert Blyleven types. JR Richard and others would throw slider, slider, slider, fastball, slider, slider, fastball, slider, slider....done at age 30. 

 

Then the 80's we see Roger Craig and others put a greater emphasis on splitters and forkballs and sliders and so forth. There were mostly rotator cuff injuries before, but not, the elbow injuries are becoming more and more prominent (more so than shoulder injuries even). 

 

That said - baseball is becoming a pitcher's game. How many arms will teams need though? Will a MLB team need 20-25 pitchers per year to get through a season, as injuries would take their toll each year with the idea of having to have pitchers with great sliders, curves, etc. (heavy wrist action pitches)

 

The trick, I guess, would be if we run out of arms - e.g. not enough pitchers to meet that 20-25 pitchers per club needed?

 

Versus having a team of 12-16 pitchers who have command, offspeed, cutters, fastballs, and another non heavy wrist action types of pitchers?

 

Does the former (heavy wrist action pitchers) have enough supply and provide lower ERA (or opponent run production) than the latter? Most likely. So it's probably not good for individual pitchers, but would still be advantageous as it gets a better result in the box score. 

Buster Olney wrote this article (sorry, it's Insider) that kind of goes along the same lines as the thought I had based on my research so far. In having 'specialty' pitchers who well, are amazing, but fade out faster - he mentions Johnny Venters, a lights out left-hander for the Braves - who was arguably overused. He's asking for MLB to make rules to limit the use and warmup of relief pitchers. They'll come and go often and quickly - only a few physical marvels, Mariano Rivera, etc will survive most likely. They'll be the equivalent of the NFL running back, which has the shortest career length of all players.

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/buster-olney/post?id=7904

But pitching has really affected this game. Strikeouts are at all all-time high, batting averages are getting back to pre-mound change/Bob Gibson levels (1969 it changed).

I definitely don't want the steroid use back - but would like to see Batting averages back up. I suppose Sabermetrics has also influenced hitters to go for the 2B/HR/SO result as it has more value/less risk than choking up with 2 strikes and making contact (single not as valuable) and the risk of a double play.

Then there's shifts.