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Questions/Answers 2010 |
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*********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, January 03, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 001. Towel snapping With the pitching arm fully covered by your explanations, I want to wrap up this subject with this question. Does not the rest of the body have to be covered by Newton 3rd law also? In others words, every movement by the body forward has to have a opposite movement backward, front arm and stride foot included. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You are confusing Newton's Law of Reaction and force-coupling. They are two very different principles. Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion, the Law of Reaction, says; For every action force, there is an equal and oppositely-directed reaction force. Force-coupling occurs when athletes apply oppositely-directed forces on both sides of a fulcrum. In the drive through release second part of the Acceleration Phase of my baseball pitching motion, my baseball pitchers apply oppositely-directed forces on either side of their pitching elbow. That means that their pitching upper arm applies force toward second base concurrent with their pitching forearm applying force toward home plate. Their pitching elbow is their fulcrum. If readers watch the side view high-speed film of my baseball pitchers, then they will see that, as they extend their pitching elbow through release, the tip of their pitching elbow comes to a complete stop. Because my baseball pitchers apply force toward straight toward second base with their glove arm, pitching leg and glove leg, they maximize Newton's Law of Reaction. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 002. Towel snapping Well, you certainly explained the difference between Newton's third law and force-coupling, that was well received on my end. To avoid any more confusion and to set the record straight, please explain the force toward 2nd base for the glove leg and pitching leg. The reason for this request is that too many coaches misrepresent you on these 2 mechanics. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even though, in compliance with Newton's law of reaction, the glove arm also applies force toward second base, in this discussion, I will explain only how the legs provide force toward second base. In my Drop Out Wind-Up competitive baseball pitching motion, my baseball pitchers stand with their pitching foot on the pitching rubber and their glove foot one step behind the pitching rubber. 01. During the pendulum swing of their pitching arm, my baseball pitchers push off ground behind the pitching rubber with their glove foot and step straight forward toward home plate. Therefore, to start to move the center of mass of their body forward, their glove leg applies the first force toward second base. 02. During the first part of the acceleration phase, my baseball pitchers push off the pitching rubber with their pitching foot and start to drive the entire pitching arm side of their body toward home plate. Therefore, to continue to move the center of mass of their body forward, their pitching leg applies the second force toward home plate. 03. During the second part of the acceleration phase, in the same manner as when they are power walking, my baseball pitchers pull back against the ground with their glove foot toward second base. Therefore, to continue to move the center of mass of their body forward, their glove leg applies the third force toward home plate. Because 'traditional' baseball pitchers stride seventy to ninety percent of their standing height, when their glove foot lands, they apply force toward home plate with their glove leg. Therefore, before they even start applying force to the baseball toward home plate, they completely stop the forward movement of the center of mass of their body from moving toward home plate. As a result, the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion violates Newton's law of reaction. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 003. I am writing to you in regards to my wife's shoulder. I have her doing your pronated swings like you suggested. She is doing 5 lb. wrist weights, 18 reps at the moment. She went to the chiropractor today. He asked her what she was doing to strengthen her shoulder so she can be ready to play ball in the spring. She informed him that I am doing your 724-day program, and that she is doing your pronated swings. He told my wife that he is aware of your program, and has your videos as one of his patients gave to him to look at, but has not watched them all completely. He informed her that whatever you recommend for rehabilitation is the best way to go. I just thought it was kind of neat that he had your videos, and is not so close-minded as most people that have not pitched professionally for 14 years; and have not done research on it for 40 years. Something good happened with my Maxline workout. I had mentioned that I thought I was having issues with locking my upper Arm with the Screwball. I started really concentrating on inwardly rotating my pitching upper arm. I noticed some results after two maxline workouts especially with my Lead Ball throws, as I was able to throw it more forcefully. I didn't notice it as much with my baseball throws, but it did enable to me to get the correct spin axis on my screwball, and it felt great to really rip through the top seam of the ball. On one of the throws, I felt my Latissimus Dorsi stretch to stop my pitching arm. This is when I realized I had done it correctly. Now, that I know what it feels like it will get easier and easier to replicate over and over. I have some random questions: 1. How come if a pitcher severely strains a muscle in the oblique area or and other muscle for that matter it can be rehabilitated pretty easily, but when a pitcher strains a rotator cuff, or tears a rotator cuff it will not heal on it's own like other muscles? 2. If had you not injured your shoulder trying to stop a standing closet from falling, do you think you would still be doing your pitching program and pitching in leagues today? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. The Oblique Internus Abdominis muscle attaches to the rib cage with muscle fibers, not a tendon. The 'rotator cuff' includes the tendinous attachments of the Subscapularis, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus and Teres Minor muscles. Because the connective tissue that make up tendons do not have as much blood supply as muscle fibers, they do not repair quickly. 02. As I recall, the last game that I pitched was in the semi-finals of the over-forty tournament in St. Petersburg, FL against a team from Puerto Rico that averaged over ten runs per game. I cannot recall whether I shut them out or not, but I know that they could not handle my Maxline Pronation Curve and Maxline Fastball Sinker. Therefore, had I not torn the anterior capsule and probably the gleno-humeral ligaments of my pitching shoulder, I would hope that I would still be pitching. Even though my release velocity had severely decreased, unexpected movement still enabled me to take the power out of their swings. Remember, the velocity of the fastball is not as important as the velocity and movement differences between the fastball and the non-fastballs pitches we throw. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 004. Rotation over-rated? The Karate Kick is one of the most powerful forces that man or woman can use to not only defend themselves, but to kill someone with a perfectly placed kick. In applying the Karate kick, the kicker does not rotate his or her body. So, isn't rotation over-rated in today's pitching instructions? And, isn't the phrase, "explode those hips" and other phrases like, "pelvic loading" and "scapula loading", used by todays instructors as catch phrases to sell their inadequate instructions at rediculous prices, just to make money off of uneducated people? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As ballet dancers, ice skaters, gymnasts and other skilled performers demonstrate, athletes can rotate their body very fast. To achieve their genetic maximum release velocity, baseball pitchers have to learn how to correctly rotate their hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm. To correctly rotate the hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm, baseball pitchers must: 01. Direct the rotational force directly at home plate. To benefit from their rotational force, baseball pitchers have to start the rotational action with their hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm pointing at second base. 02. Coordinate all the rotational muscles. To achieve their maximum release velocity, baseball pitchers have to use all the rotational muscles simultaneously. 03. 'Lock' the pitching upper arm with the shoulders. To move their pitching upper arm forward, baseball pitchers have to use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle. 04. Continue the rotational force through release. To gain all that the rotational force has to give, baseball pitchers have to rotate their hips, shoulders and pitching arm through release. Unfortunately, the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion incorrectly rotates the hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm. 'Traditional' baseball pitchers: 01. Reverse rotate their hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm well beyond second base. Therefore, they direct their rotational force toward the pitching arm side of their body. 02. Rotate their hips forward before they rotate their shoulders forward before they rotate their pitching upper arm forward. Therefore, they cannot achieve their maximum rotational force. 03. Do not 'lock' their pitching upper arm with their shoulders. To move their pitching upper arm forward, they use their Pectoralis Major muscle. 04. Rotate their hips and shoulders forward for one-third and one-half of the length of the driveline, respectively. Therefore, during the critical last one-half of their driveline, they have to bend forward at their waist. My baseball pitchers use their rotational force properly. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 005. How to Safely Throw Curveballs I am 20 years old and play baseball. I am a pitcher and I have always wanted to learn how to throw a curveball correctly, but also safely. I saw you on MLB Network's Diamond Demos on TV and I was really interested. I went to your website and I was looking at it. I thought that the training program that you have for pitchers looked like something that I would want to do. If you have any advice on how to throw a curveball safely but correctly, I would love to hear what advice you could share with me so I could learn how to throw a curveball. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Football Training Program section of my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video, I explain how to perform the lid and appropriately-sized football drills that teach the skills of throwing my Maxline Pronation Curve. You can either watch my video on my website without charge or you can purchase your own copy of my video. To learn how to order your copy, you need to click on the Baseball Pitching Instructional Video icon on my Home Page and scroll to the bottom of the file, where I provide the mailing address to which you should send your request. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 006. Pitching Mechanics I am 12 years old and I just saw you on MLB Network's Diamond Demos. I went to your website to find more information about your throwing mechanics. I wanted to know if your throwing mechanics would work for outfield and infield as well as pitching. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you substitute my One Step Crow-Hop body action for my Drop Out Wind-Up body action, the throwing arm techniques that I teach to throw my Maxline and Torque Fastballs work very well for position players. To learn my throwing arm techniques, you can either watch my video on my website without charge or you can purchase your own copy of my video. To learn how to order your copy, you need to click on the Baseball Pitching Instructional Video icon on my Home Page and scroll to the bottom of the file, where I provide the mailing address to which you should send your request. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 007. Questions on pitching form I saw you on the MLB Network earlier today talking about preventing arm injuries and the different tools you implement to maximize staying healthy. Because I am constantly looking to improve, I had to get up and compare your motion with the motion I use. So, i went to your website and did a little more research. The first major improvement I cannot wait to employ into my routine was taking the strain off of the Teres Minor muscle. But, in doing so in your videos, it seems to me that you are losing the ability to finish with a strong follow-through. The pitchers' ability to field his own position to me is one of the most important aspects of being on the mound. I like that you are taking strain off the Teres Minor, but I just do not see how you can do that and keep a "traditional" follow-through. You are definitely right about bending over and creating strain on the lower back, but it does bring you naturally into a defensive follow-through position. Unless I completely missed something, I was just wondering how you get your pitchers in a defensively ready position after they release the baseball. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please permit me to explain the four phases of the baseball pitching motion: 01. The Preparation Phase. During the Preparation Phase, baseball pitchers move the baseball out of their glove to a 'Ready' position from which they start to drive the baseball toward home plate. The Preparation Phase ends when baseball pitchers start to move their pitching elbow toward home plate. 02. The Acceleration Phase. During the Acceleration Phase, baseball pitchers apply force to their pitches toward home plate. 'Traditional' baseball pitching motion coaches teach their baseball pitchers to use their Pectoralis Major muscle to pull their pitching arm back to the pitching arm side of their body, toward home plate and across the front of the body. I teach my baseball pitchers to use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle to extend and inwardly rotate their pitching upper arm to drive their pitching upper arm straight toward home plate. 03. The Deceleration Phase. During the Deceleration Phase, baseball pitchers apply force to stop the forward movement of their pitching arm. 'Traditional' baseball pitching motion coaches call this the Follow-Through Phase. Whatever the name, the action of the pitching arm does absolutely nothing that means anything to the released baseball. Therefore, the idea that baseball pitchers need a 'strong follow-through' has no validity. Nevertheless, either with the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion or my baseball pitching motion, the pitching arm stops at the same distance toward home plate. During the Deceleration Phase, after 'traditional' baseball pitchers release their pitches, their pitching arm continues across the front of their body. During the Deceleration Phase, after my baseball pitchers release their pitches, their pitching arm continues to move straight toward home plate. The difference is that, to decelerate their pitching arms, 'traditional' baseball pitchers use the weak and tiny Teres Minor muscle and my baseball pitchers use the extremely powerful and large Latissimus Dorsi muscle. 04. The Recover Phase. During the Recovery Phase, baseball pitchers return their glove and pitching arms to where they can respond to batted baseballs. 'Traditional' baseball pitching motion coaches teach their baseball pitchers to have their pitching foot land the same distance from home plate as their glove foot. To do this, 'traditional' baseball pitchers have to stop the rotation of their hips and shoulders at about one-half way through the length of their driveline. Therefore, they are able to use only their pitching arm to apply force through the last half of their driveline. I teach my baseball pitchers to have their pitching foot land with their pitching foot in line with their glove foot toward home plate. I teach my baseball pitchers to rotate the entire pitching arm side of their body forward through release. Therefore, my baseball pitchers use their body and pitching arm to drive the entire length of their driveline. 01. The most important requirement of the position in which baseball pitchers end their pitching motion is the ability to prevent line drives from hitting them in the head. By standing facing home plate, except to facing toward second base, 'traditional' baseball pitchers are in the worst possible position from which to protect their head. However, by standing sideways to home plate, except for laying down behind the pitching mound, my baseball pitchers are in the best possible position from which to protect their head. 02. The second most important requirement of the position in which baseball pitchers end their pitching motion is the ability to field bunts. By standing facing home plate, because baseball batters square to bunt during the Accelerations Phase, 'traditional' baseball pitchers are in the worst possible position from which to move their body forward. However, by standing sideways to home plate, because baseball batters square to bunt during the Acceleration Phase, my baseball pitchers have the best possible body action from which to move their body forward. 03. The third most important requirement of the position in which baseball pitchers end their pitching motion is the ability to field ground balls hit to their glove arm side. By standing facing home plate, 'traditional' baseball pitchers are in the mediocre position from which to field ground balls to their glove arm side. However, by standing sideways to home plate facing the glove arm side of their body, my baseball pitchers are in the best possible position from which to field ground balls to their glove arm side. 04. The third most important requirement of the position in which baseball pitchers end their pitching motion is the ability to field ground balls hit to their pitching arm side. By standing facing home plate, 'traditional' baseball pitchers are in the mediocre position from which to field ground balls to their glove arm side. However, by standing sideways to home plate, by facing the glove arm side of their body, my baseball pitchers are in the worse possible position from which to field ground balls to their pitching arm side. But, that is why we have pitching arm side middle infielders. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 008. Pitching Questions I was wondering if you can answer the following questions: 1) I am constantly wondering if there is any age limited to hard a person can throw when he or she stops developing? 2) I remember when I was 18 or 19 years of age, I used to have the ability throw at 90 mph (90 miles per hour), but when I stopped playing for awhile and working out for awhile. However, I now realized at the age of 25 that I am throwing around mid 60's to early 70's mph. Therefore, I am wondering if it still possibly to throw at 90 or more later in life? 3) Are there other ways of making the minor leagues other than going to college in the United States? 4) What are the various exercises that could help me achieve this goal? 5) How long does it take for a person on average to see results? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Until about thirty to thirty-five years old, baseball pitchers should favorably respond to appropriate baseball pitching interval-training programs. 02. If you threw ninety miles per hour at nineteen years old, provided that you have not developed some infirmity that would prevent your body from responding to training, then you should be able to throw ninety miles per hour at twenty-five years old. 03. The best way for baseball pitchers to display their pitching skills is to successfully pitch college baseball. Unless baseball pitchers can throw in the mid-90s, tryouts are only money-makers for scouts. 04. In my Baseball Pitcher Interval-Training Programs file, I provide the training programs that I designed for baseball pitchers of all ages. For twenty-five year old baseball pitchers, I recommend my 724-Day Adult Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. 05. How quickly baseball pitchers recognize the benefits of completing my 724-Day program depends on how quickly they learn how to correctly perform the drills that I use to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion, whether they precisely follow the program and the intensity and intelligence with which they work every day. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 009. Pitching. I am forty years old and a former ten year minor league pitcher, six with the Los Angeles Dodgers. I retired in 2001. Currently, I am a student at Arizona State majoring in applied biological sciences, Wildlife management and restoration ecology. I also teach pitching to several Phoenix area kids. On of my students' dads asked me yesterday if I had seen Mike Marshall's pitching theory. I saw no and, last night and today, I have read your website. There are several interesting things about your theory I relate with. Some of your theories I actually toyed with during my careet on the side but never took them into the game. While in Albuquerque in 1997, Rudy Seanez discussed the curveball with me, which was very similar to how you talk about throwing it. After watching your videos, it all came back to me that this was what Rudy was using and throwing like. There are several things I can write about, but don't want to send you an extremely long email. When you have time, I would really like an opportunity to speak with you. I am very interested! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would very much enjoy answering every question that you have. However, because I want everybody to benefit from your professional baseball experiences, because I do not have time to talk on the telephone and because I have impaired hearing, even though it migh take several emails, I prefer to communicate via email. On January 16 and 17, 2009, I presented my material to the Arizona High School Baseball Coaches Association in the auditorium and baseball field at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, AZ. It is too bad that we could not have talked then. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 010. Pitching Questions 1) I reside in the Pacific Standard Time zone. Therefore, I am constantly trying to figure out what time is appropriate to contact you by telephone? 2) Where can I get a copy of the "724 Day Adult program?" 3) What are the various components that come with this program? 4) Does your program focus on the explosive technique that help a pitcher to move much more quickly and effectively? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. I prefer to communicate via email. 02. In the Baseball Pitcher Interval-Training Programs file on the home page of my website, I provide my 724-Day program for everybody to download. 03. In my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video, I explain how to perform the drills that I use to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion and everything else that you need to learn and do. 04. Absolutely. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 011. Colin I saw the '09 video of Colin (didn't get to watch the other guys yet) and he looks really comfortable throwing the ball. Most striking to me is the complete lack of follow-through. He throws, pronates and STOPS. Just the way it should be. That is by far the best example I've seen. I hope he is well-rewarded in the New Year for his hard work. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Colin had benefits that others did not have. In the summer before he started training with me, Colin got to watch Jeff Sparks complete his Thirty Pound Wrist Weight and Fifteen Pound Iron Ball Recoil Interval-Training Program. Then, he received the coaching knowledge that I gained from over forty years of research and ten years of working with baseball pitchers for a minimum of 280 consecutive days. As a result, Colin did not come in with a personal agenda. Instead, he worked as hard as he could to do everything that I told him to do. It was not easy and it did not happen over-night. Colin started in August 2007 and, yesterday, on January 03, 2010, I took video and high-speed film of the most skilled baseball pitcher to graduate from my Baseball Pitching Research/Training Center. He can throw every pitch with excellent technique. By the way, Jeff Sparks 2008 DVD is the perfect example of how to engage the Latissimus Dorsi muscle. In the Maximum Pitching Forearm Acceleration Position, also known as my 'Slingshot' position, he has the back of his pitching upper arm facing directly toward home plate. You need to ignore my voice-over. I was playing with those that believe they know something about the baseball pitching motion. Their responses confirmed my suspicions. When I have time, in accordance with the actual important moments in the baseball pitching motion, I will redo their DVDs and provide the correct voice-overs for Jeff's and Mike's DVDs and I will do the same for the other DVDs that I have on-line. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 012. Pitching Questions 1) According to your "724 Day Adult Baseball Pitching Interval Training Program", I am constantly wondering what you mean by the following: BB, WW, FB, and IB. 2) Are some of these exercises displayed in your pitching videos, which is located understand the heading "Baseball Pitching Instructional Video" that's on the home page? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. BB stands for baseball. WW stands for wrist weights. FB stands for football. IB stands for iron ball. 02. In my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video, notably in my Wrist Weight Training Program section, I explain and demonstrate the drills that I used to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion in 2006. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, January 10, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 013. Bat Weight You recommend that hitters NOT swing baseball bats heavier than their game bats. Almost everyone swings a weighted bat in preparation to hit. I would love to know the reason. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Overload Principle only works when the drill precisely replicates the competitive action. To swing weighted bats does not precisely replicate the competitive action. Weighted bats do not train the muscles that accelerate the baseball bat. Instead, weighted bats train the muscles that hold the bat up. Baseball batting is an 'Underload' activity. Therefore, to increase the velocity with which baseball batters accelerate their bat, baseball batters should use lighter striking implements, such as broom and shovel handles. I have never read the Dr. Mike Marshall's Baseball Batting Mechanics report that a reader compiled from answers that I had given to baseball batting questions. Nevertheless, I believe that somewhere in that report, I explained the drills that I used to teach my baseball batting technique and provided my baseball batting interval-training program. In it, I should have explained where, depending on their age and strength, baseball batters should start with broom handles and whiffle balls or shovel handles and tennis balls. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 014. Upper Humeral Cystic Degeneration I am a pro baseball player who is currently pitching in independent baseball. I am 28 years old. This past summer, I ran into some arm problems which I have never had or heard of before. I have what is called Upper Humeral Cystic Degeneration. I developed tendonitis this summer in my right (throwing) shoulder and it got to the point where throwing was virtually impossible. I took 2 weeks off to rehab and strengthen and everything seemed fine. I resumed pitching in games and, after about 5 innings, I was sidelined again with immense pain. I have received an MRI which showed my problem and am currently waiting to see an Orthopedic Surgeon for his advice. I have received opinions from doctors who have told me that my humeral head has been stretched or has grown. Pending more expert advice, I am not sure what course of action I should be taking with regards to surgery or any other form of rehab. Any advice or recommendations from you would very beneficial to me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Injuries to the front of the pitching shoulder result from baseball pitchers taking their pitching arm well beyond second base laterally behind their body. To prevent this injury, baseball pitchers have to pendulum swing their pitching arm straight backward toward second base and use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle to drive the back of their pitching upper arm straight toward home plate. I recommend that you do my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 015. Closed your Baseball Pitching Research/Training Center I understand you took down the last of your Baseball Pitching Research/Training Center today. That is hard to believe. The irony is that today is Sir Isaac Newton's birthday. Thank you for all you do. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A glad day. After devoting forty plus years to learning how to teach and train baseball pitchers and eliminate all pitching injuries, now, I can get on with the rest of my life. I will continue to upgrade the materials on my website and speak where asked to speak, but otherwise, I plan to think only of what Erica and I want to do. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 016. Running Program and Update on Throwing I would like to start some kind of running program to build some stamina in my cardiovascular system. I have had meniscus removed from both knees, roughly 25%-35% in each knee about 4 years ago. My orthopedic surgeon told me that I am bound to get an early onset of arthritis due to the missing meniscus. I have been tentative about starting a running program as I am not sure the constant pounding of the knees is a good idea. I have read that you still run daily. Have you had any type of surgery to your knees? If so, would you recommend to someone to start running if they were missing cartilage in their knees? What type of system should one use to start a running program? On another note: I have mentioned in the past that I felt my torque fastball was more powerful, but I may have to take that back. Ever since you mentioned inwardly rotating the pitching upper arm more forcefully for your maxline pitches, it has made a world of difference. After increasing my lead ball throws to 84 reps daily, I have to admit that my Maxline fastball is definitely more powerful than my torque fastball. Thanks for the advice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In terms of cardiovascular benefit, walking is as effective as jogging. However, with either activity, the training must be daily, must start with minimal repetitions and intensity and gradually increase every six days. I would not call the activity of my cardiovascular program, running. I land on the heel of my feet and roll across the entire length of my foot and I run at little more than walking speed. However, it is the best that I can do and I will continue to do the best that I can do every day until I take my last upright breath. Turning my pitching foot to parallel with the pitching rubber and dropping the inside of my pitching knee downward destroyed my pitching knee. After twenty years of pain, I have my knee replaced last year. That is why I teach my baseball pitchers to point their pitching foot directly at home plate and 'walk' forward off the pitching rubber. That not only is a more powerful way to apply force with the pitching leg, but it also is the way that we should use our knees. The Maxline driveline is straight. The Torque driveline is not. With the Maxline driveline, baseball pitchers powerfully inward rotate their pitching upper arm. With the Torque driveline, baseball pitchers do not powerfully inwardly rotate their pitching upper arm. The reason you mistakenly believed that the Torque driveline is more powerful than the Maxline driveline is because it felt more like how you used to apply force to baseballs. This was a case of 'if it feels strong, it is wrong.' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 017. Pitching Questions I have another couple of questions that you could answer for me; therefore, they are the following: 1) How can one maintain strengthen within their bones when they are 25 years old or over? 2) How can one thicken their bones mass when they are 25 years old or over? 3) Does carbonated drinks cause thinning of the bones throughout the entire body other your teeth? 4) How effective is vitamin D for the body? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. To stimulate osteoblasts to lay down bone matrix, we must stress bones with daily activity. 02. To increase bone mass, twenty-five year olds must appropriately increase the stress that they apply to their bones. 03. I don't know what carbonated drinks would have in them that would influence osteoblasts to not lay down bone matrix. Nevertheless, I don't believe that carbonated drinks are the best way to rehydrate our body. 04. Nutrition is not my field of study, but I have read where the appropriate amount of vitamins are beneficial. Therefore, I take a vitamin table daily. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 018. Bat Weight Thanks for the answer and yes, in the special batting report, the drills and tools, you explain underloading. However, I was wondering about batters swinging weighted bats in preparation for an "at bat". The kids on my team regularly swung an extremely heavy "lead" bat just before getting in the batter's box. They said it made their regular bat feel "quicker". I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to just swing their regular bat. How did your team's prepare to hit during a game? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To make their regular bats feel quicker, I recommend that, before each At Bat, they swing their lighter training striking implement. Because, to prepare for every game, they completed the same Baseball Batting Interval-Training drills that I used to teach them the skills of my baseball batting technique, before each At Bat, most used the lighter training striking implement and their game bat. However, others preferred the metal donut that they slid over their game bats. Therefore, I guess that I let them do whatever they wanted to do. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 019. Couple of questions I'm the fellow who asked your advice a couple of month's ago about my wife's strained back and about the long term effects of running on my knees. I appreciate your taking the time to respond, and I'm happy to report both her back and my knees never felt better. I have a couple of new questions; 1. Is there a danger in running on a surface, say a track or a treadmill, that is not perfectly level? I have this situation in my home where my treadmill is wedged in a corner where the floor grades into some amount of 'slope' as it meets the wall. This 'slope' is not apparent to the naked eye, but it's definitely there. As a result, while standing stationary on the treadmill one of my feet will be a bit lower than the other. 2. Is there a scientifically determined optimum amount of sleep one should get, or is the amount required subjective to the individual? 3. Is there any danger inherent in the normal course of activities in the game of basketball? Possibly the aspects of jumping, cutting, running and dribbling while crouching, swift changes of direction and the like? 4. Have you read Anthem by Ann Raynd? I'm amazed by how similar your life story and your viewpoint on your work, as well as your outlook on their mixed reception by those you are trying to help are to those of the protagonist Howard Roark. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. If the slope of the treadmill is from end to end, not side to side, then you will adjust without problems. You may have to reposition your treadmill. 02. People that sleep from four and one-half to six hours per night live longer. Whether that amount of sleep works for everybody is not clear. 03. The skills of basketball do not require athletes to use their body in ways that destroy their joints. However, collisions between players, stepping on a foot, landing inappropriately and so on can cause injuries. 04. I have no idea who Ann Raynd is. My life is far too challenging and busy to read fiction. I prefer movies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 020. Towel snapping This is excellent info. In short, you are saying that reverse rotational is the route of all evil in the traditional pitching motion. I understand now. However, most people, including all amateur and most pro instructors, do not understand what reverse rotation is. They think that going back is the answer. However, they are really not going back with the rotation, they are really going backward. aren't they? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baseball pitchers should pendulum swing their pitching arm straight backward toward second base. When they do so, they will also passively aim their pitching upper arm, their acromial line (shoulders) and acetabular line (hips) straight backward toward second base. From this starting position, baseball pitchers should simultaneously rotate their pitching hip, pitching shoulder and pitching upper arm forward to point at home plate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 021. 120-Day program I noticed that you recently updated the 120 day high school pitchers workout. I have so far done the 24 days of the wrong foot slingshot drill and the 24 days of the loaded wrong foot drill. I printed out the workout sheet when I started and it stated to now start the wrong foot pendulum swing drill. However, on the more recent one it shows to perform the two slingshot drills for 30 days each and then start the second base pick off drill. Since I have not done 30 days of the two slingshot drills should I just continue on the workout sheet I started with or should I incorporate the new drill in also? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is my revised 120-Day High School Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Wrong Foot; Slingshot drill: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 001| 10 lb. WW (12 reps): 06 lb. IB (12 reps): FB/Lid (12 reps): BB (12 reps) Day 007| 10 lb. WW (24 reps): 06 lb. IB (24 reps): FB/Lid (24 reps): BB (24 reps) Day 013| 10 lb. WW (36 reps): 06 lb. IB (36 reps): FB/Lid (24 reps): BB (36 reps) Day 019| 10 lb. WW (48 reps): 06 lb. IB (48 reps): FB/Lid (24 reps): BB (48 reps) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 031| Change to Wrong Foot; Loaded Slingshot drill: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 061| Change to Half Reverse Pivot; Pendulum Swing drill: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 091| Change to Drop Out Wind-Up; Pendulum Swing drill: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 121| Start pitching to catchers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You will notice that, to teach my Slingshot and Loaded Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions, I use my Wrong Foot body action. However, to learn my Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions, I use my new Half Reverse Pivot body action. However, because I need to do my voice-over and am having some technical problems, I have not posted video of my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. Therefore, until you know how to do my Half Reverse Pivot body action, you should do what my preceding 120-Day program said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 022. E-mail interview for The Bench Thank you once again for taking time to answer questions from our members. Please feel free to answer or not answer any of these questions. Once the interview is posted on our site; I will send you the link for your records. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- premium1981 asks: How do you feel your career would of changed if you had played in today's game? Do you feel like you would have done better, worse, or about the same? ------------------------------------------------- If I knew what I know now, then I have no doubt that I would have done far better. However, if I had the same game now as I did then, I believe that I would have done about the same. My game was deception. I threw fastballs, sinkers and screwballs with ten mile per hour difference in velocity that moved to the pitching arm side of home plate. Therefore, I had success against glove arm side pull hitters. Therefore, I pitched as though I were a left-handed pitcher. However, because I was right-handed and threw a quality slider, I did well against the other three types of baseball batters. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- mrmopar asks: 1. You are one of the most difficult living autographs in MLB today, yet you are quite approachable through your website, even taking time to personally answer questions. What lead you to create this personal policy of not signing autographs for the fans? 2. How did you come to sign a very limited number of cards for Upper Deck's? Sweet Spot card series, your only certified autograph issued to date, to my knowledge (many of which have faded terribly, FYI)? 3. Will we possibly ever see a change to the no autograph policy either for a fee or free? 4. Do you believe your record of 106 games will be matched or eclipsed in your lifetime? ------------------------------------------------- 01. I have no interest in being part of the memorabilia industry. However, because I earned a doctoral degree in Exercise Physiology with specialties in Kinesiology and Motor Skill Acquisition, I greatly enjoy helping those that want advice on baseball pitching. Nevertheless, to accommodate autograph seekers, I made a deal with Bill Corcoran (813)972-8175, a local memorabilia guy, for him to respond to autograph requests. 02. The deal with Upper Deck was my first attempt to meet the needs of autograph seekers. I do not understand what makes a certified autograph versus what is not certified, but, if autograph seekers get my autograph from Bill Corcoran, it is my autograph. 03. When Bill receives sufficient numbers of autograph requests, he brings them to me and I sign them. Over the past five years, I have signed about seven hundred and fifty autographs. 04. Were I to train professional baseball pitchers, they would not only be able to pitch in more than 106 games, but they would also be able to start more than forty games a year and never suffer pitching arm injuries. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- chieftazmisty asks: 1. Who was the hardest batter to get out in your opinion when closing a game? ------------------------------------------------- 01. I suppose that you want a specific name. Although, when I absolutely had to get him out, I did, Joe Morgan was a very difficult batter to keep off base. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- metrotheme asks: 1. Do you have anymore pitchers that are in the minor leagues and how have pitching coaches responded to them? 2. Is it true that you are shutting down operations? ------------------------------------------------- 01. Over the ten years that I have coached baseball pitchers for a minimum of 280 consecutive days, I would estimate that a dozen should have become quality major league baseball pitchers. However, the ignorance and mean-spiritedness of 'traditional' baseball pitchers refused to allow them to succeed. At present, I have a couple of guys pitching college baseball for my former assistant baseball coach from when I coached at Henderson State University. Both pitchers have the skills required to succeed at the highest level. 02. Actually, last year, I stopped accepting new students. In a few days, I will be 67 years old. My wife and I want to spend time doing what we want to do. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fatboycards asks: 1. What pitcher into today's game would be most comparable to you? ------------------------------------------------- 01. I don't believe that any of today's relief pitchers can pitch 179 and 208 closing innings in successive years. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loyalty32 asks: Thank you for taking the time to field some questions from members of The Bench! 1. Since you played in Montreal for 4 seasons, could you please explain some of the differences in the way you and other players were covered by the media here in the states? ------------------------------------------------- 01. At the time, I did not notice any differences. However, in retrospect, I suppose that there were fewer media people. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- entersandman asks: First off, thanks for taking the time to answer questions. 1. Which team did you enjoy playing for the most and why? ------------------------------------------------- 01. I enjoyed my time in Montreal and Minnesota the most. Why? Because Gene Mauch was the manager. While I also enjoyed Walter Alston and Los Angeles, I did not enjoy living in Los Angeles as much as living in Montreal and Minnesota. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- criollos asks: 1. Do you think that, in general, is it good or bad for baseball and for the pitchers themselves the way their pitch count and the days in between appearances are being monitored by their teams? ------------------------------------------------- 01. Because the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion is inherently injurious, I understand why teams have that pitch counts and extra days rest. However, as pitching injuries continue to increase, it is apparent that their solution does not work. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- johnmulemiles asks: 1. If you could play for any MLB team today, which one would it be? ------------------------------------------------- 01. I love day games. Chicago Cubs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- hpubb asks: You came into the 5th game in the 6th inning of the 1974 World Series, and mowed down the top part of the A's order. Three up and three down. When the A's came to bat in the 7th, Joe Rudi was leading off. As I recall you threw very few, if any warm up pitches before that inning. It was like you were daring him to hit your inside heater. It's been 35 years since I saw that game, but I believe that's what you threw him, and he hit it out for a solo home run to give the A's the lead, and what turned out to be the game winner, and the end of the Series. It was the only mistake I saw you make the whole season. 1. What was going through your mind when Rudi walked up to the plate, and if you had the chance to go back in time and do it over again, what would you throw him? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Joe Rudi was what I call, a pitching arm side spray hitter. That means that he could hit my glove arm side pitch (slider) to the opposite field and had done so in a preceding game. Therefore, after the preceding game, I decided that I needed to speed up his bat with a fastball that moved inside off the plate, which I did. However, as I learned later, because I did not throw extra warm-up pitches after a delay due to a problem in left field, he decided that I was going to throw an inside fastball. Actually, the delay in left field had nothing to do with my pitch selection. In any case, he looked for a fastball inside, I threw a fastball inside off the plate. He opened his stance and hit it out of the ball park. In the five games that I closed in that World Series, that was the only run I gave up. Because, when I entered the sixth inning of the game, the scored was tied and we did not score any runs in our three innings thereafter, we lost. If I had it to do over, then I would have learned how to throw my Maxline Pronation Curve and thrown it to him. Therefore, if he looked for a fastball inside, he would not hit my Maxline Pronation Curve, and I still would have backed him off home plate. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- loftheb asks: 1. Are you or were you ever a baseball card collector? 2. Do you collect or have any memorabilia from your playing days? 3. What was it like when you saw yourself on a baseball card for the first time? 4. When did you know that being a professional baseball player would be your career path? 5. Did you play other sports in High School or College? 6. If not a pro baseball player, what would you have been and why? 7. What is your most memorable or best pro baseball moment? 8. What was the one pitch you would like to have back? (least memorable moment) 9. Was there any significance to your jersey number? 10. If you could play any other position besides pitcher, what would it be and why? 11. Was there a batter who you had "his number" so to speak? 12. How fast was your fastball? 13. What was your favorite baseball stadium to play in and why? 14. Did you have any pre or during game superstitions or rituals? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. I have never collected baseball cards. 02. I do not have any memorabilia from my playing days. 03. When I saw my first baseball card, I thought that it signified that I was a major league baseball player. 04. When the Philadelphia Phillies offered me twenty thousand dollars to sign with them. With that money, I paid my way through college. 05. I played high school football, basketball and baseball. However, because I signed a professional contract before I started college, I never played any college sports. 06. I am what I would have been. I earned my doctoral degree in Exercise Physiology and am a University Professor. 07. I enjoyed every moment that I stood on a pitching mound. 08. Because I kept track of every pitch I threw in major league games and carefully analyzed that data. I have no regret about any pitch that I threw. 09. When I joined the Detroit Tigers, they gave me the number of the guy I replaced. 10. I played shortstop for my first four years of professional baseball. Had I not had a bad back from a car accident I was in when I was eleven years old, I would have been a major league shortstop. 11. I believed that when I had to get any batter out, I could. 12. When I pitched, they did not show fastball velocities on the scoreboard. Therefore, I have no source from which to tell you how fast I threw. 13. I have no favorite baseball stadium. I liked pitching in all major league baseball parks. 14. Before every game, I studied my individual batter sheets that showed every pitch I had thrown to each batter. Then, I decided what pitch sequence I would use against each of them in that game. Thanks for the questions. This was fun. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 023. Video not playing Your wrist weight section of your pitching video does not come up. All the other sections appear to be working. Wrist Weight Training Program ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you. I will forward your email to the guy that puts my videos on-line. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 024. Three brief questions I am finished with the 24 day cycle of 10 lb wrist weight and 6 lb iron ball. Questions: 1) What is the best way to add weight and keep adding weight (in 5 lb increments) to the existing duct-taped 10 lb weights and avoid lop-sidedness and dysfunction. 2) What is the effect (positive/negative) of continuing to throw the 6 lb iron ball (for another month) until one can afford the 8 lb ball. 3) What effects do the wrist weight/iron ball training have on pitchers who use the "traditional motion" (i.e. You in the 70's) as well as pitchers who throw side-arm or from lower slots? Thank You and Awesome body of work! No one else has ever done what you have. Nobody. Ever. Period. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. When my guys add five pounds to their ten pound wrist weights, I have them wrap the five pound wrist weight around the little finger side of the wrist weight. That way, when they pronate their releases, the wrist weight will continue the momentum of the pronation action. 02. I use the twenty-four days while my baseball pitchers start their wrist weight training cycle to get their pitching arm accustomed to throwing the increased weight of their iron ball. If you cannot throw the eight pound iron ball, then, when it comes time to increase the repetitions, your pitching arm will not be ready. Therefore, until you throw the new iron ball for twenty-four days without increasing the repetitions, I recommend that your wait to start the iron ball training cycle. At cost, I will send you an eight pound lead ball. 03. Unless baseball pitchers perform the drills that I use to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion, they will not be able to do my wrist weight and iron ball training program. With their first high-intensity 'Late Pitching Forearm Turnover,' they may rupture their Ulnar Collateral Ligament. On the plus side, if they start at very low intensity, then they will learn just how dangerous the 'traditional' force application technique is. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 025. Wrist Weight Training Program Video not playing The video is still on Google and it does work. BUT, it is not working from the link as it should. This is very strange. Your other links are working and I am sure your web html is correct. That only leaves some issue with Google player or a setting on the adminstrative panel for the video. About a month ago, I found that people were downloading your videos and placing them on other sites. So, I changed the settings on the videos to allow play only. On this particular video, I had a setting wrong that prevented a call from a website. I changed that this morning. However, it is still having problems. It may just take a little time to become active. I will continue to investigate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wow. And I am supposed to learn how to do this. Everything you wrote is way above my pay grade. I appreciate everything you do. You make my website better than I ever expected it to be. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 026. Wrist Weight Training Program Video not playing It working now! Thank goodness! Sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Had a reader not told me that the Wrist Weight Training Program video was not working, I would never have known. But then, I did not know that viewers could download my videos. I and my readers appreciate your help. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 027. E-mail interview for The Bench Thanks for your time and willingness to answer our questions. I have included the link to the posted interview so you can follow it for your records. The Bench Interview ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you read my posting of the interview on my 2010 Question/Answer file, you will notice that I edited some of my answers. The extra read-through before I post it on my website always makes me want to do one more edit. I enjoyed talking with your readers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 028. Thanks for the interview I am a member of the trading card site (thebenchtrading.com) in which you did the interview with and I just wanted to personally thank you for your time to answer those questions. It was greatly insightful and informative. I have collected autographs of past and present baseball players as I feel it puts me a little closer to the game. Living in MS, I don't have the access to baseball as I would like other than watching it on TV. I now have over 5,000 autographs of many great players. I can understand your stand on the topic as well as it is definitely your choice to do any type of autograph signing that you do. As you are the last Cy Young Winner's autograph I need to have every winner since the award was first given, I am considering contacting Mr. Corcoran. I had never contacted you before about it as I heard you just didn't like signing autographs. I now do not totally get that feeling. Anyway, I didn't mean to go on so long, just wanted to say thanks again for the interview and, as a person also in the medical profession, I totally agree with your research on the injuries current pitchers are causing to themselves. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for taking the time to email me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 029. About my children First, I appreciate you taking the time to read my email. I just have a couple of quick questions for you. I have two very small children, both boys, ages 1.5 years and 2.5 years of age. I have been reading online and doing some research about teaching them to throw with both arms. I am curious if you have any experience with this and if you think it is a good idea or a bad idea? I know there is at least one pitcher in the minors right now that has done this and is having great success. I want to teach my boys the game at an early age and do things correctly so they don't have to deal with injuries and poor mechanics as they grow older. I am not the type of person to push my kids in any particular direction However, I would like for them to learn things correctly so if they choose to persue baseball further, they will have the proper tools to do so. I live in a very rural area where there are not many opportunities as far as baseball coaching goes. I know you are not currently accepting new students and plan to retire soon, but I hope you will consider helping point me in the correct direction so I can help my boys. I am more concerned with them learning proper mechanics and avoiding long term injuries than anything else at this point and with that in mind I am not sure that it would be best to teach them to trow with both arms. I am almost positive that my oldest son is going to be a lefty as he has already taken to trying to learn to play guitar and he always plays it right handed for a few minutes then flips it over and plays it left handed. He writes and draws with both hands and when I play around with him and we throw the ball I always encourage him to throw with both arms. However, he seems to be favoring the lefty more than righty. Anyway, thank you for your time. I consider you to be the best source for this sort of information and wanted to try to contact you directly. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At one and one-half and two and one-half years old, you have plenty of time to become the best baseball pitching coach that your son's will ever need. To learn how to pitch with both arms divides the time that youngsters have to practice with each arm in half. Therefore, they become half as good with both arms as they could have been with their dominant arm. On my website, drmikemarshall.com, without charge, I have provided my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video and other video files for visitors to watch, my Coaching Baseball Pitchers book, Question/Answer files and other text files of visitors to read and my Baseball Pitchers Training Programs for visitors to copy and complete. They need to learn how to perform the drills that I use to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion. Therefore, you need start by teaching them: 01. My Wrong Foot body action; Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drill. 02. My Wrong Foot body action; Loaded Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drill. 03. My Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. 04. My Drop Out Wind-Up body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. Then, when they are nine years olds, I recommend that once a year until they are is biologically sixteen years old, they complete my 60-Day Youth Baseball Pitchers Motor Skill Acquisition Program. At sixteen biological years old, I recommend that once a year until they are biologically nineteen years old, they complete my 120-Day High School Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. At nineteen biological years old, I recommend that they complete my 724-Day Adult Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. Thereafter, for as long as they want to continue to pitch competitively, I recommend that, every off-season, they repeat my 72-Day Thirty Pound Adult Baseball Pitchers Wrist Weight Recoil Interval-Training Program and my 72-Day Fifteen Pound Adult Baseball Pitchers Iron Ball Recoil Interval-Training Program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 030. Weighing the effects of Tommy John surgery on fantasy pitchers SI.com August 20, 2009 One of the biggest disappointments of the fantasy year has been the mediocre pitching of Minnesota's Francisco Liriano. In 2006, he was the heir apparent to Johan Santana and in contention for both the AL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards. But elbow pain landed him on the DL and later that year he had Tommy John surgery. He returned in '08 and went 6-4, but his strikeouts were down while his WHIP and ERA were up. This season, he's been even worse with a 5-12 record and an ERA of 5.80. Could his '09 numbers have anything to do with trying to come back from the surgery too quickly? -------------------------------------------------- When baseball pitchers rupture their Ulnar Collateral Ligament and do not understand why, it is easy to understand why they are reluctant to throw as hard as they did before. -------------------------------------------------- Every year pitchers go under the knife to have their Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) replaced, which starts the clock on the rehab process to regain velocity and form. The original rehab time to return to pre-surgery pitching efficiency after this procedure is 18 months. But in recent years a team's desire to get its multi-million dollar investment back on the mound combined with the athlete's natural need to compete have driven the rehab time down to 12 months. This shortened rehab schedule has produced mixed results. -------------------------------------------------- Orthopedic surgeons drill holes through the Humerus and Ulna bones and thread the tendons of the replacement 'ligament' through these holes. In the same way and same time period that broken bones heal, bone tissue grows tightly around these replacement tendons. Therefore, at nine weeks after the surgery, the replacement 'ligaments' are ready to withstand an appropriately-designed rehabilitation program. Unfortunately, the orthopedic surgeons do not understand Exercise Physiology. Therefore, they do not understand how to design rehabilitation programs. First and foremost, because orthopedic surgeons have no idea what specific stress in the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion causes baseball pitcher to rupture their Ulnar Collateral Ligament, they do not understand how baseball pitchers need to adjust their pitching motion to remove this injurious stress. As a result, as soon as their patients start applying force exactly as they did that caused the rupture, they start microscopically tearing their replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligament. -------------------------------------------------- This article will look at the results of certain pitchers who have come back from the surgery. Based on what is discussed below, here's the protocol you should follow when evaluating any pitcher that has the procedure done: 1. Start watching for updates about their rehab efforts about 11 months from the date of their surgery. 2. Barring a setback, expect the pitcher to return at the one-year anniversary. But also expect the pitcher to be less effective then his pre-surgery numbers indicate. 3. While not foolproof, have more faith in the return to form of starters that are allowed to work out of the bullpen that first season back. 4. While the pitcher will be healthier than at the time of the injury, do not expect him to exceed the talent he showed before the injury. 5. Again, not foolproof, but in a best case scenario, beware a fall off after six or seven seasons of post TJS play. Tommy John surgery UCL surgery involves replacement of a damaged elbow ligament using one from another part of the body -- typically the hand, wrist, forearm or hamstring -- which is then wrapped in a figure-eight pattern through holes drilled in the arm's humerus and ulna bones. The procedure is more commonly known as Tommy John surgery after the Dodgers' starter who received the procedure in 1974 and came back to have a prolific career into the '89 season. -------------------------------------------------- Typically, to use a the replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligament, orthopedic surgeons remove the tendon of the Palmaris Longus muscle from the pitching forearm. However, because the Palmaris Longus muscle contributes to wrist flexion, an important force in baseball pitching, orthopedic surgeons should remove the tendon of the Palmaris Longus muscle from the non-pitching forearm. Nevertheless, orthopedic surgeons are smart enough to not take remove any part of the four muscles that contribute to the 'Hamstring's muscle group. Instead, they take part of the Pes Anserinus, which, because three muscles contribute to a shared attachment, means 'goose's foot.' -------------------------------------------------- Prior to John's successful comeback, a torn UCL meant a pitcher's career path was headed towards coaching or broadcasting. However, after returning during the '76 season, John was able to add 2544.2 IP to the 2165.2 he had already thrown, and logged more than half of his 288 career wins after his surgery. Even by today's standards pitching an additional 14 post-surgery seasons was a remarkable feat, and John's results are the medical equivalent of Cy Young's 511 career wins: It's foolish to even discuss whether someone will come close to matching it. -------------------------------------------------- Tommy John was able to return to pitching well because I showed him how to remove the unnecessary stress that ruptures Ulnar Collateral Ligament and gave him a simple rehabilitation program. While I prefer that all baseball pitchers remove the injurious flaw that causes their Ulnar Collateral Ligament from rupturing, I can show all Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement pitchers how to, not only regain the use of their pitching arm, but also to improve their release velocity, release consistency and the quality of their pitches. -------------------------------------------------- Dr. Frank Jobe, the surgeon who performed John's surgery, was a former Dodgers team physician and argues that Sandy Koufax could have extended his career with it (he claims Koufax's career-ending arthritis was caused by a stretched UCL). Regardless, the surgery has become routine -- taking about one hour to complete -- and is available to pitchers at any level that tear their UCLs. Dr. James Andrews, among the handful of top TJS surgeons in the country, claims the surgery sees a success rate of 85%, up from 60% about 15 years ago. -------------------------------------------------- Lenghened or ruptured Ulnar Collateral Ligaments do not cause arthritis. Arthritis is a genetically-inherited disease that has nothing to do with baseball pitching. My mother never threw a baseball and she has arthritis. -------------------------------------------------- The myth of post-TJS performance improvement Pitchers have reported a post-surgery increase in velocity. Former closer Billy Koch claimed to have hit 108 mph on a radar gun after rehabbing. Others, like Kerry Wood, agree that they too have seen higher velocity numbers thanks to the surgery. However, this is likely a case of pro hoc, ergo propter hoc ("after this, because of this"), the argument that blames rain on a just-washed car. The surgery and the higher velocity are related, but not directly. And not all pitchers experience this increase. Doctors postulate there are other reasons a pitcher might see increased velocity post-surgery. The pitcher likely pitched with a torn UCL prior to the surgery, so he had not been pitching at peak performance. Replacing the UCL allowed the pitcher to get back to where he would have been before the ligament damage, but not necessarily to a point of improvement. Also, the rehab process works to build up the shoulder and elbow, which means the pitcher is probably in the best shape of his life, concentrating on health, nutrition and fitness for a full year. And sometimes, the pitcher matures physically during the resting period. Any one of these reasons -- or any combination -- could lead to increased velocity. -------------------------------------------------- When they are adolescents,youth baseball pitchers learn the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion. Therefore, with every competitive pitch that they throw, they tear the connective tissue fiber that make up their Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Therefore, when they become adult baseball pitchers, they are pitching with lengthen and weakened Ulnar Collateral Ligaments. However, after their Ulnar Collateral Ligament surgery, during the early stages of again tearing the connective tissue fibers of their replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligament, they have a tight, strong pitching elbow that transfers the force that they generate to the baseball. As a result, they achieve higher release velocities. Unfortunately, because they are still doing the injurious flaw that ruptured their Ulnar Collateral Ligament, they will again gradually lose their release velocity and again rupture their new Ulnar Collateral Ligament. -------------------------------------------------- The downside to TJS success stories Koch (yes, him again) once said, "[My arm] felt so good when I came back, I said I recommended it to everybody ... regardless what your ligament looks like." Sure he was being facetious, but since we're talking about potential multi-million dollar careers, many didn't take his comments that way. There has been talk of prophylactic TJS on healthy ligaments, but that would run south of anybody's interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath. What is more disturbing is the increase in surgeries among younger pitchers. Dr. James Andrews estimates that 20% of his TJS patients are major leaguers, another 20-25% are minor leaguers, and the remaining 55-60% are college or high school athletes. The late Nick Adenhart had the procedure done when he was 18 and former MLB pitcher Dewon Brazelton got it when he was 15. Doctors have quoted lower success rates in high school pitchers mainly because the commitment to rehab is likely harder for the youngster who may decide the work is not worth it, as opposed to the major leaguer who knows the seven or eight-figure cost of not returning to form. -------------------------------------------------- Replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligaments do not develop blood supply. Without blood supply, the replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligament cannot repair tears. Therefore, replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligamenst rupture faster than born-with Ulnar Collateral Ligaments. Teenages that have Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgeries never developed their born-with Ulnar Collateral Ligament sufficiently to increase the attachment strength to the bones that they needed to successfully rehabilitate their pitching elbow. -------------------------------------------------- TJS rehabilitation The initial rehabilitation time between Tommy John's UCL surgery and his return to the majors was 18 months, or basically the end of the '74 season to the beginning of the '76 season (technically, from 9/25/74 to 4/16/76). In his first season back John -- a sinker curveball pitcher -- made 31 starts (207.0 IP) with a 3.09 ERA and pitched six complete games. While his 10-10 record was mediocre by his standards, his underlying statistics were not far off his pre-surgery numbers and he was voted the NL's Comeback Player of the Year. -------------------------------------------------- Because, during the Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgery, Dr. Frank Jobe crimped Tommy John's Ulnar Nerve, Tommy John lost the ability to use the muscles that his Ulnar Nerve stimulated. Therefore, to enable Tommy John to contract these muscles, Dr. Jobe had to do another surgery. However, myolinated motor nerves require several months to regenerate to sixty percent of their previous capability. Those several months gave Tommy John the time that he needed to adjust his pitching motion. -------------------------------------------------- Since John's UCL surgery, post-TJS rehabilitation has become better defined. The arm is initially immobilized for a week then put in an adjustable brace. The patient is engaged in range-of-motion exercises working up toward swinging a golf club by the 12th week. By the 16th week the pitcher starts throwing on flat ground and then throws from a mound at six months. By the end of 12 months the pitcher has thrown breaking balls and can pitch batting practice. It is at this point the pitcher may return to competitive pitching. However, that's just from a muscular and joint point of view. The pitcher still has to mentally trust the arm (something some say Liriano is yet to do) and get back his mechanics, and it often takes another season before he can be considered back to full effectiveness. -------------------------------------------------- What does swinging a golf have to do with pitching baseballs? Nothing. This is the typical non-specific rehabilitation program that does absolutely nothing to properly prepare baseball pitchers for the appropriate stresses required to pitch at the highest levels. -------------------------------------------------- Differences in physiology, surgery effectiveness, and environment can affect the length of the rehab. Also, the pitcher has to make sure to work on his shoulder while rehabbing his elbow, or risk a DL stint with shoulder problems because they allowed the muscles to weaken during times of limited arm movement. -------------------------------------------------- Nonsense. As human beings, all baseball pitchers respond to training with the same physiological adjustments that appropriately-designed rehabilitation programs stimulate. -------------------------------------------------- The Morris-Smoltz bullpen model for post-TJS MLB return With the established time to return to effectiveness being 18 months but the time that a pitcher can return to competition being 12 months, the more patient teams have used the compromise of having the starting pitcher return by way of the bullpen. The plusses are obvious as the pitcher, who may not still be back to physical and mental game shape by the end of the 12 months, need not be stretched back to pitch 100 pitches in an outing. Also, giving him one-inning outings allows him to get the feel of his pitches back with less damage to the team, and the manager can be more selective on when the pitcher enters a game. Perhaps an argument in favor of going to the bullpen is the high-profile closers and relievers that have been able to perform well at the major-league level post-TJS. Danys Baez, Rod Beck, Manny Delcarmen, Octavio Dotel, Frank Francisco, Eric Gagne, Tom Gordon, Hong-Chih Kuo (twice), Jose Mesa, Rafael Soriano and Bob Wickman were all able to pitch competitively after receiving TJS. And just to set the record straight, Mariano Rivera did have TJS, but once the doctors opened up his elbow they found the UCL was fine and only needed to be moved. Therefore, technically Rivera had the surgery, but did not have the procedure done to his arm. -------------------------------------------------- The important sentence in the preceding two paragraphs is: "Mariano Rivera did have TJS, but once the doctors opened up his elbow they found the UCL was fine and only needed to be moved." Orthopedic surgeons cannot 'move' the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. However, the fact that they interpreted MRI results to mean that Mr. Rivera had ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament is the important statement. These guys are more like witch doctors than scientists. If they cannot correctly diagnose injuries, then why does anybody listen to what they have to say about rehabilitation or the causes of pitching injuries? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, January 17, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. I know. Today is Wednesday, January 13, 2010, not Sunday, January 17, 2010. After I post my questions and answers Sunday mornings, the first thing that I do is put in the date for the following Sunday. However, I will not be home this Sunday. Instead, tommorow morning, before I can even read questions readers ask me, I will be on an airplane to Pittsburgh, PA to present my materials to the Pennsylvania High School Baseball Coaches Association. I will not return home until after noon on Monday, January 18, 2010. Therefore, I will not post this week's questions and answers and newspaper article critiques until Tuesday or later. However, do not let my absence prevent you from sending questions. I will get to them. Below, I have posted the only question that I received thus far this week that I should share with everybody. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 031. Beginning your program First, thank you for taking the time to read my email. I am a 20 year old college pitcher. I have never heard of you until recently. But, I have read several articles about you and your findings. I believe what you are doing is amazing and, if no one has said it lately, let me say thank you for all you have done for the game over the years in terms of research, dedication, time spent, and promoting what you have learned. And, you have all of your information free. My main question is: where, how, and what would I do to start your program? I see the programs you have, but I am not quite sure how to organize it, what the drills look like, how many sets and repetitions to do for what exercise on what day, and so on. If you would add some clarification on what the best possible route to take, that would be extremely helpful. The mechanics you have developed, from what I have read so far at least, do exactly what I have been looking for in my search to become the best possible pitcher I can be. I want to use pitching mechanics that fully enable me to use all of my body without putting stress on my arm. I have had problems with my Ulnar Nerve. The athletic trainer at my school, physical therapists I work with, and others have no ideas that have helped me. At the current moment, I have been analyzing the mechanics of Tim Lincecum, Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt, and others. My biggest concern is that I believe I can get more out of myself and want to become the very best baseball player I can be. I am willing to start from scratch, have an open mind from what I have been taught before, and most of all work my butt off. Using "traditional mechanics" (which I taught myself not being a pitcher until I was a sophomore), I throw about 85-88 m.p.h. with a curveball and decent changeup. I am 5'9", in good shape on the P90X program, and have the desire to do anything that will set me apart and take me as far as I can with the talent and ability God has blessed me with. I believe that your techniques and program can do that. These are my current mechanics as of a few weeks ago: My Video I understand you have specific equipment that is needed in order do the exercises that are in your program. I was wondering if it is possible to make it by myself or possibly find somewhere that is relatively cheap since I don't have much extra cash? If not that is all right, I will find a way to get it done if that is what I have to do, just was curious if there were any other options. Again, thank you for reading my email and I apologize for its' length. I have numerous questions I have been thinking about and want nothing more than to get the wheels rolling to this season and improve on every one after. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January is too late to start my 120-Day High School Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. Nevertheless, between my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video and the DVDs that I have in my Analysis of my Baseball Pitchers files, especially Jeff Sparks 2008 (turn the volume off and watch what he does), you should learn how to do the drills that I use to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion. You need to immediately stop watching Lincecum, Clemens, Oswalt and any other 'traditional' baseball pitchers. Every year, the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion destroys thousands of pitchers. I hope to shortly put my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill online. When I do, you need to do that drill. However, you also need to learn how to do my Wrong Foot body action; Slingshot and Loaded Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drills. I also hope to shortly put new versions of all the other DVDs online. . When I do, to be able to learn who performs which parts of my pitching motion better than the rest, you need to watch every one. Colin Carmody 2009 will be another good one to watch. Lastly, when I get what I need to do voice-overs on all these videos, you will learn the importance of each phase of the baseball pitching motion. Then, you will be the best pitching coach you can have. I watched your video. Unfortunately, it shows only the side view. Therefore, I cannot see how far laterally you take your pitching arm behind your body. However, while I prefer that you do not turn your pitching foot to parallel with the pitching rubber, lift your glove leg off the ground, stride more than the length of a power walking stride that forces you to bend forward at your waist, you did not do badly with getting your pitching arm up to driveline height. Still, you should take the baseball out of your glove with the palm of your pitching hand facing upward, vertically pendulum swing your pitching arm downward, backward and upward to driveline height to arrive at the same time that your glove foot lands. To prevent Ulnar Nerve irritation, the first move you should make with your pitching arm after it reaches driveline height, is to raise your pitching upper arm to vertically beside your head and turn the back of your pitching upper arm to face toward home plate. That will eliminate the 'Grabbing' and 'Looping' that irritates your Ulnar Nerve. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, January 31, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. I apologize for the missed couple of weeks. Unfortunately, some misguided computer programs wizards decided to put my computer out of commission. As a result, I have not been able to work on my 2010 Question/Answer file. It may take me a couple of weeks to catch up, but I will eventually get everything in. I appreciate your patience and the questions that you send me. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 032. Pendulum Swing I just finished my second day of drill #3; Wrong Foot Body Action, Pendulum Swing Glove and Pitching Arm Actions Drill. Only about 598 days left in your 724-day throwing program!!! I have some questions. Observations and Concerns I was thinking about the pendulum swing. I played tennis in college and the rhythm of the glove arm in the pendulum swing feels a lot like my motion when I used to serve in tennis. 1. Is the Tennis Serve Pendulum Swing suppose to resemble your Pendulum Swing? 2. My pitching hand and upper arm get to driveline height too early. I guess that is better than too late as I will avoid injury to my front shoulder. Is this normal when first starting this drill? 3. I am tentative about moving the body forward and laying my arm back and keeping it behind, especially with the increase in the Iron Ball. I feel like I have locked the upper-arm because I raise the elbow, but I am scared to hurt the front of my shoulder again. Is this typical of your baseball pitchers? 4. I feel like I am able to throw with more force from the "Loaded Slingshot" than the Pendulum Swing. Does the pendulum swing contribute to the driveline force towards home plate? Or is its main purpose to protect pitcher's UCLs and front of the shoulder? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. The tennis serving arm action and the baseball pitching pitching arm action should be identical. 02. To move your pitching arm to driveline height before your glove foot lands means that you will start your acceleration phase with a zero velocity. However, you are correct that moving your pitching arm to driveline height too early is better than too late. 03. If you have 'locked' your pitching upper arm with your shoulders, then you have engaged your Latissimis Dorsi muscle, such that you will have more than enough strength to withstand the inertial drag of your iron ball. With my Wrong Foot body action; 'Pendulum Swing' glove and pitching arm actions drill, you pendulum swing your pitching arm vertically downward, backward and upward to driveline height into my 'Loaded Slingshot' or 'Ready' position from which you immediately assume my 'Slingshot' position. With my Wrong Foot body action; 'Slingshot' glove and pitching arm actions drill, you should have your pitching upper arm vertically beside your head and your pitching forearm horizontally extending back toward second base with the little finger side of your pitching forearm facing upward. Then, before you step forward with your pitching foot, you should reach straight backward as far as you can. This trains the Latissimus Dorsi muscle and increases the range of motion over which you apply force to your pitches. You will reinjure the front of your pitching shoulder only if, instead of using your Latissimus Dorsi muscle, you continue to use your Pectoralis Major muscle. The difference is whether you have turned the back of your pitching upper arm to face toward home plate or not. For a visual reference of the proper position for the pitching upper arm, you should turn the sound off and watch the front view high-speed film for how Jeff Sparks 2008 positions his pitching upper arm. You will see that he has the back of his pitching upper arm facing toward home plate. 04. With the 'Pendulum Swing' glove and pitching arm actions, you should enter your acceleration phase with a positive velocity. That you feel stronger with the 'Loaded Slingshot' glove and pitching arm actions indicates that, when you pendulum swing your pitching arm, you are not entering your acceleration phase with a positive velocity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 033. Ayn Rand I hope you have a safe and productive trip to the great city of Pittsburgh. In Q#19 of this week's letters, a reader asked you if you were familiar with the book Anthem written by Ayn Rand and the protagonist Howard Roark. It is a question I always meant to ask you. The author is Ayn Rand and the book in question is the Fountainhead. The protagonist is Howard Roark and, if your readers want to get a sense of the kind of man you are, they should read that book. Ms. Rand's philosophy is known as Objectivism, something that might appeal to you. I am quite confident Ms. Rand would greatly admire your life's work. We certainly miss her voice on the world stage today. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I will have to take your word. I am too busy trying to eliminate pitching injuries to read for pleasure. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 034. certification I have looked at your website and read most of what you have listed. However, I did not see a link as to where one might be able to become a "Certified Dr. Marshall instructor." Is there such a link? If not, how does one go about becoming one? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For lack of interest, a few years ago, I discontinued my Certification Clinics. However, were my readers to express interest, I would gladly how one-day seminars on how to teach and train my baseball pitching motion. That is what I do when I present my materials at High School Baseball Coaches Clinics. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 035. Range of Motion In Question #1279 of your 2009 letters you write: "The purpose of my Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions is to increase the Latissimus Dorsi muscle's range of motion." My question concerns the term Range of Motion from a kinesiological perspective. I always thought that ROM was defined by the action of joints, not muscles. Since muscles are finite length tissue, I assume you are talking about the ability of the Latissimus Dorsi to lengthen and contract with your above statement. I would have guessed that your statement would have said the Slingshot glove and pitching arm action is designed to increase the range of motion in the shoulder joint. I know the drill is designed to use the Latissimus Dorsi but I thought it was simply to make the muscles stronger. Therefore, do muscles have a range of motion and not joints or do the both have a range of motion?, ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ability of the muscles to withstand plioanglos stress increases the range of motion over which they can apply force. Although wrongly applied, that is the basis for Plyometrics. In my Wrong Foot body action; 'Slingshot' glove and pitching arm actions drill, where baseball pitchers have their pitching upper arm vertically beside their head and their pitching forearm laying horizontally behind pointing toward second base with the little finger side of their pitching forearm, wrist and hand facing upward, to increase the range of motion of their Latissimus Dorsi muscle, baseball pitchers should lean backward and reach backward as far at they can just before they step forward with their pitching arm side foot. As they strengthen their Latissimus Dorsi muscle, they will increase the range of motion over which their Latissimus Dorsi muscle applies force. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 036. Chris O'Leary. I would like to keep my point simple. I have watched many of Chris O'Leary's videos and arguments in regards to Pitching/Mechanics of pitching. Although he may not have all of the alleged credentials you have, I would like to suggest that that does not mean he does not have some very correct and legitimate points. Conversely, because you have many educational credentials, you may not know exactly what you are talking about. My father never played professional baseball and you know what he worked for many years in THE BIG LEAGUES AS A PITCHING COACH. Now, would you care to discredit my father considering he doesn't have certain "CREDENTIALS"????? Sometimes, people can take the pieces of paper they have, i.e., CREDENTIALS with 50 cents down to the corner store and get a snickers bar. I'm sure we can agree on that! Now, like most people they like to receive money for their "EXPERTISE" just as you do and Mr. O'Leary does, I don't see that as a problem. I myself am proud to say I have done many a lesson for people, pro bono, unlike others who could most likely afford to do the same, but choose to be greedy. I think your comments about Mr. O'Leary were a bit on the offensive side and were probably a bit out of line. It seems to me he is a bit on the younger side and like many are still trying to figure things out. I'm sure considering since you are much older you probably have it all figured out. I don't think he ever claimed to be an expert, but it seems to me that you on the other hand seem to quite high on your horse and your head might be a bit in the clouds. Now, if you have ever been around big league coaches or players, they too never claim to be experts. That is why they are coaches. I have indeed been around such individuals for a long time and they, including myself, are always striving for more understanding. Understanding that know one, probably will ever have all the answers except God and Mr. Marshall. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You wrote, "I have been involved in professional baseball for a very long time, do not have any of the educational credentials you have, but would love to debate the issue of pitching and injuries." In addition to providing my Coaching Baseball Pitchers book and Baseball Pitching Instructional Video on my website without charge, I have answered thousands of questions without charge. Just as I have done for many years for Mr. O'Leary, I would be glad to answer your questions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 037. More questions I am experiencing a dull ache in the back of my glove-arm shoulder. It began aching a couple days into WW Drill #3 with the pendulum swings. It feels like a rotator-cuff issue. 1. Have your pitchers ever experienced it? 2. Could it be a result of swinging the glove-arm wrong? 3. In any of your drills does is there come a time when we should actively reverse rotate our shoulders? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. The purpose of training is to apply slightly more stress to bones, ligament, tendons and muscles than they are presently fit to withstand. That stimulates them to make a physiological adjustment. Dull aches indicate that they are making physiological adjustments. If you are performing my drills correctly, then you are stressing the correct muscles. When you pull your glove arm straight backward, you use the Teres Major and Latissimus Dorsi muscles. You need to make sure that, when you pull your wrist weight back, you lay it on top of your glove shoulder. 02. If you pull the wrist weight back below your glove shoulder, then you can irritate the front of your glove shoulder. 03. When baseball pitchers pendulum swing their pitching arm straight backward toward second base, they should passively allow their hips and shoulders to point toward second base. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 038. Pittsburgh Presentation How did everythiing go in Pittsburgh? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everything went well in Pittsburgh. With more videos to show that teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion, it is easier for the coaches to ignore the big words that I use. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 039. fatigue I have a question about a fatigue problem I am having. It has happened several times during your program and I have experienced it over the last year during ballgames. At times I get so fatigued in your workout program I have to sit down because my body is so exhausted. Then after about a minute I continue and have to sit back down after about 6 reps of iron ball throws. It's strange because it happened on Sunday and I have had 2 workouts since and haven't experienced it since. It comes and goes. I have always felt that this fatigue was onset by nerves because I always felt it in a game. I get light-headed and I HAVE to sit. But, since it is happening during my workouts, I am starting to wonder if there's something wrong with my body. 1. Have you ever heard of anything like this? 2. Can you recommend any materials on this matter? 3. Could not proprly warming up cause this? 4. I also noticed it's more apt to happen if I do my WW portion of your workout and I take a small break and then continue on to my IB throws it will happen. I don't understand why, it's very dehabilitating and it has only happened during my IB throws; but will continue on through my FB & BB throws. This can't be normal. It's a very weird feeling....any suggestions? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Getting light-headed indicates that your brain is not getting enough blood. When they train, it is very important that athletes have a 'relaxation instant' between muscle contractions. You might be holding your breath. You need to breathe. The scientific term is the 'Valsalva Effect.' 02. Other than what I wrote about the Valsalva Effect in my Coaching Baseball Pitchers book, I do not know of any other materials. 03. No. 04. Before you throw the iron ball, take a deep breath. Then, to keep your thorax solid, hold your breath only during the acceleration phase. After you release the iron ball, exhale. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 040. A few questions I hope that your recent trip to Pittsburg was enlightening to the high school coaches that attended your presentation. I think your regulars would appreciate a brief synopsis of your trip, with comments about how you were received, questions that you were asked, and any other items that you think would be of interest. I have a few questions and comments that I would appreciate your thoughts on. 1. I was going to start my 15 year old son on the 120 day HS Pitcher’s Workout late last year. Unfortunately, he had a stress fracture in his right (pitching) foot about the time we were going to start the program. He got his boot off a few weeks ago and has recently been cleared by the doctor to resume athletic activity. We now do not have enough time to complete the full program prior to the baseball season. What do you suggest as a course of action? Start the program and complete as much as possible? Because the program cannot be completed in its entirety, work on specific drills only? 2. About a year ago, I read an article online about how a batter should focus his eyes while a pitcher is in his wind up so that he may better ‘see’ the ball. (I cannot re-find the article) The idea was to ‘soft focus’ on the pitcher’s belt buckle, and slowly move your vision up his body as he winds up so that the eyes are more intently focused at the point of release. This way, the eyes are more relaxed and able to focus more clearly when needed. It makes sense to me. Did you practice something similar to this in your playing days, and/or did you teach something like this during your college coaching days? 3. Although he couldn’t fully participate, my son attended the off-season pitching workouts that his coach started having twice a week. I found it encouraging that the coach was talking to the pitchers (according to my son) about using the triceps muscle and trying to limit side to side arm movement. Unfortunately, he is still teaching the pitchers to show the ball to the centerfielder. I believe he either is hearing of your principles/phrases through other coaches and parroting what he hears, or is trying to incorporate some of your pitching philosophy with the traditional motion. It is somewhat encouraging. I want to speak with the coach, but my son is asking me not to for fear it will land him on the bench. He promises he will pendulum swing and not show the centerfielder the ball. I’ll wait for now. 4. When I wrote to you after last baseball season, I forgot to mention something sort of funny. With the Marshall arm motion and release, his coach said he looked like a pitching machine, so they started calling him Iron Mike (a type of pitching machine). I thought the name fit perfectly for obvious reasons. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the Pennsylvania High School Baseball Coaches Association Clinic, they gave me five forty-five minute session in which to present my materials. While I am sure that those that attended my sessions felt that I crammed a lot of information into each forty-five minute session, I felt far less rushed than I usually do. >br> 01. Whatever time you and your son can do my 120-Day High School Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program is better than not doing anything. 02. To pick up the baseball as quickly as possible, baseball batters should watch the pitching hand and baseball throughout the pitching motion. 03. Teaching some of what I teach is better than teaching nothing of what I teach. 04. The Iron Mike pitching machine has no side-to-side movement. That is good. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 041. Tom House You might be interested to know that Tom House has recognized that his towel drill was flawed. He has "fixed" the drill by moving the weight of the towel from 2 oz to 5-7oz. This to replicate the decelerator demands of the weight of the baseball. I have a feeling you will still say his drill come up short. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What kind of towel weighs two ounces? Bending forward at the waist is a flaw. Pulling the pitching upper arm forward and across the front of the body is a flaw. The heavier towel does increase the stress on the decelerator muscles. But, five to seven ounces will not stimulate a physiological response. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 042. I met Orel in Vegas and he said go for it! I have enjoyed your site and all your research through the years. What do you think of finding your talent later in life? I've always been very athletic and felt I had a strong arm, but was targeted more for basketball and football because of my height 6'4". Nevertheless, I had a deep passion for the game of baseball and I regret not thinking more about playing as a youth. I'm not a kid (29), but I want to give it one shot to see if I do have the velocity I envision with the proper tutalidge and effort. After 6 years being an Army medic, and now earning a comfortable living playing poker, I can afford to dedicate this year to see If I can develope into something special. Mr. Hershieser sat down at a poker game off the strip at the Red Rock in Vegas and we got to talking and he inspired me to at least try it. I guess my question to you is what direction should I go in to pursue this dream of mine. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for taking the time to email me. On my website, drmikemarshall.com, without charge, I have provided my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video and other video files for visitors to watch, my Coaching Baseball Pitchers book, Question/Answer files and other text files of visitors to read and my Baseball Pitchers Training Programs for visitors to copy and complete. As a twenty-nine year old, I recommend you complete my 724-Day Adult Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. Thereafter, for as long as they want to continue to pitch competitively, I recommend that, every off-season, they repeat my 72-Day Thirty Pound Adult Baseball Pitchers Wrist Weight Recoil Interval-Training Program and my 72-Day Fifteen Pound Adult Baseball Pitchers Iron Ball Recoil Interval-Training Program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 043. towel snapping If the elbow is the fulcrum of the thowing arm, then is the knee the fulcrum of the pivot foot which starts the ground reaction force up thru the body? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. The equal and opposite action of the body comes from the glove leg applying force toward second base. This is Sir Isaac Newton's law of reaction, not force-coupling. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 044. Velocity On average, how many mph did your students gain? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Because I have a radar gun and display, I know what release velocity the baseball pitchers with whom I work have when they arrive. However, because I do not attend games in which they pitch after they leave, I do not record the release velocities that they achieve after pitching competitively for several months. Nevertheless, from personal conversation with most of my baseball pitchers, they all significantly increase their release velocities. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 045. towel snapping In a discussion with one of your critics about pronating, his reply was everybody pronates. Therefore, it's my conclusion that he disagrees with you when you tell your pitchers when to pronate, force-couple and use the pitching elbow as a fulcrum. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Everybody does not pronate the releases of their pitches. After baseball pitchers release their pitches, the Radius bone of their pitching forearm moves closer to the Ulna bone of their pitching forearm. That does not mean that they are actively contracting their Pronator Teres muscle. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 046. ELBOW Six months ago, I partially tore my pronator teres from my medial epicondyle. I followed your advice and I was back to full strength in a remarkably short period of time. Within 4 months I was throwing harder than ever, often over 90 (if stop watch times for a measured flight distance of 57.5' can be trusted). This month, Jan 2010, forearm and medial epicondyle pain returned, although I can still throw well. The discomfort dissipates after a good warm up, but I learned to heed the warnings. I reduced the intensity of WW, IB and baseball throwing, but continue to train every day. My driveline is solid. I am not bouncing or crossing the acromial line. I enter acceleration with positive velocity. As with the tear 6 months ago, the current pain appeared concomitant to an obvious increase in velocity. So, given otherwise safe mechanics, I tend to believe that I am in the midst of another physiological adjustment. The pain is mostly bottom forearm and medial epicondyle, but there is also a little pain on the bottom of the elbow. This latter pain seems related to the triceps connection, but I'm not sure. The pain is the greatest with baseball throwing. It is less with WW & IB and it seems that this may be because of lower release velocities and a slower finger flexor and pronation snap. But again, I'm not sure. Am I doing the right things and do you have any further advice? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It sounds as though you are correctly diagnosing your discomfort. The difficulty that I see in what you are doing is that you seem to continually be in training mode. You should spend most of your time in maintenance mode. The body is amazing, but it cannot withstand the stress of continually having to physiologically adjusting to more and more stress. Maintenance programs should not be stressful or take much time. My maintenance program took about twenty minutes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 047. Advice regarding my son's elbow I just found your website and I think it is fantastic! My son is a 16 years old pitcher. His pitching elbow hurts when he throws. I'd like to get your opinion on how I should proceed with correcting whatever is causing the pain. Here is a brief history of his baseball experience and his elbow condition. 1. My son played baseball every spring and fall season for at least 8 years. Last spring, he pitched on his high school's junior Varsity baseball team. 2. He is a good pitcher, and most of his coaches have had him pitch during the seasons he's played. My wife and I are very cognizant of the extra susceptibility that young pitchers are to elbow and arm injuries. When our son played little league, major league, Babe Ruth league, or travel baseball, we never allowed him to throw any more than 60 pitches per game, and no more than 6 innings per week. We never allowed him to throw curve balls, sliders, sinkers, etc. He only threw fastballs, change-ups and a knuckleball. He received all of his pitching instruction by professionals. 3. My son began throwing a curve ball last spring, at the age of 15, when he made his JV high school baseball team as a high school freshman. He was taught how to throw a curve ball by his high school pitching coach. 4. Although my son was a pitcher on his high school JV baseball team, he didn't pitch much. For the entire JV season, I don't think he pitched more than ten innings in total. 5. My son has never had any injuries, nor has he ever complained of any pain in his arms or anywhere else. 6. Last September (2009), Michael and I were having a catch in our back yard, and he complained that his right elbow was hurting him. We stopped throwing. He told me that the pain that he experiences upon throwing had actually started during the summer, around July. He attended a pitching camp at his high school in July, which is conducted by his high school baseball teams' coaching staff. I don't recall Michael ever complaining that his elbow hurt while he attended the camp, nor can he state definitively that his arm began to hurt while he was participated at the camp. 7. My son didn't throw very much, if at all, after the July pitching camp ended. Nor has he played any baseball since June of 2009. In late October, he and I went into our backyard to have a gentle catch, and again his elbow began to hurt so we stopped. 8. The specific location of the pain in his right elbow is localized in a spot about 1 to 1.5 inches up from the tip of his right elbow in the direction of his hand. 9. I immediately made an appointment to see an orthopedic physician. X-rays of his right elbow revealed that the growth-plate at the very tip of his right elbow (I forgot the technical name of this growth-plate) is not fused. His orthopedic physician isn't sure as to whether the growth plate had fused at one time and somehow became unfused, or never fused at all. All of the other growth-plates in his right elbow have fused properly. 10. MRI results confirmed the above findings. In addition, the radiologist who interpreted the MRI results concluded that the MCL ligament in his right elbow is torn. All other ligaments in his right elbow appear to be normal. 11. The radiologist's conclusions notwithstanding, the orthopedic physician gave my son a series of simple tests (e.g., made him do push-ups, made him bend his arm in certain ways, etc.), and concluded that Michael does not have any torn ligaments. (In his words: "The radiologist claims that you have a torn MCL, but you don't act like you do, nor do you respond as if you do to some basic physical tests.") 12. The orthopedic physician recommended a six week course of physical therapy, which my son underwent and did very well with it. 13. After six weeks of physical therapy, the physical therapist recommended that my son throw (not pitch) gently, after stretching, loosening-up his arm. He threw about 25 gentle throws from about 45 feet, after which he complained that his elbow hurt. 14. We took him back to his orthopedic physician, who again re-examined Michael's elbow, and subject him to a series of simple physical tests. The orthopedic physician is of the opinion that the source of my son's elbow pain is more of neurological origin than anatomical origin. He suspects that it may be due to some scar tissue pressing against the nerve that runs up that portion of the arm. He gave my son a "cortisone" shot (it was triamcinolone, a specific type of "cortisone") in his right elbow. 15. A week after the "cortisone" injection, my son and I threw a little. While he says his arm feels better, it still hurts him to some extent following some gentle throwing. My wife and I (and of course my son) are very concerned about his elbow. Based on the information above, do you have any idea as to what may be causing the pain in his elbow? Do you have any recommendations as to what we should do next? Do you recommend us bringing my son to another orthopedic physician for a second opinion? If so, can you recommend someone who specializes in sports-related elbow problems? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What has happened to your son happens to almost every youth baseball pitcher that pitches as much as your son has. 01. You wrote that your son has played baseball every spring and fall season for at least 8 years. That is way too much stress on the growth plates and ligaments of the pitching elbow. 02. You wrote that you never allowed your son to throw any more than 60 pitches per game, and no more than 6 innings per week. The number of pitches he threw is not the problem. The problem is the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion that he used and the length of time that he pitched competitively. In addition to using my baseball pitching motion, I recommend that, until youth baseball pitchers are biologically sixteen years old, when the growth plates in their pitching elbow mature, they should not pitch competitively for more than two consecutive months during any calendar year. 03. You wrote that you never allowed him to throw curve balls, sliders, sinkers, etc. While the release technique for the 'traditional' curve is especially damaging to the bones in the back of the pitching elbow, every other pitch, including fastballs destroy the growth plates and ligaments of the pitching elbow equally. 04. You wrote that your son received all of his pitching instruction by professionals. 'Traditional' baseball pitching coaches teach the techniques that has destroyed hundreds of thousands of pitching arms. That you had these guys teach your son insured that he would eventually destroy his pitching arm. 05. You wrote that your son began throwing a curve ball last spring, at the age of 15. Fifteen chronological years does not mean that your son is also fifteen biological years old. However, even if he was fifteen biological years old, he would still have open growth plates for his medial epicondyle and head of his Radius bone. 06. You wrote that his high school pitching coach taught your son how to throw a curve ball. The high school pitching coach teaches the 'traditional' curve ball release technique that destroys the pitching elbow. However, even if your son was sixteen biological years old when this guy taught him how to throw the curve ball, he still would have destroyed his pitching elbow. 07. You wrote that your son has never had any injuries, nor has he ever complained of any pain in his arms or anywhere else. Pitching injuries do not happen instantaneously. They take years of improper stress on growing bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles to gradually reach the breaking point. 08. You wrote that an X-ray revealed that the growth-plate at the very tip of his right elbow (I forgot the technical name of this growth-plate) is not fused. The tip of the elbow is the olecranon process of the Ulna bone of the forearm. The olecranon process matures at biological fifteen years old. It is the olecranon process and fossa that the release technique of the 'traditional' curve ball injures. You can thank your son's high school pitching coach. He has no idea what he is doing. I know that he does not understand that the release technique that he teaches destroys the olecranon process and fossa. 09. You wrote that the orthopedic physician isn't sure as to whether the growth plate had fused at one time and somehow became unfused, or never fused at all. All of the other growth-plates in his right elbow have fused properly. Growth plates do not fuse and become unfused. However, growth plates do fracture. If the growth plates for his medial epicondyle and head of his Radius bone has fused, the your son is biologically sixteen years old. 10. You wrote that your son's orthopedic physician recommended a six week course of physical therapy that includes throwing gently, after stretching, loosening-up his arm. If he has fractured his olecranon process, then, the fracture heals, he should not throw, even gently. 11. You wrote that the orthopedic physician believes that your son's elbow pain is neurological, not anatomical, due to some scar tissue pressing against the nerve that runs up that portion of the arm. That nerve is the Ulnar Nerve that runs through a groove in the back of the medial epicondyle of his pitching elbow. However, because you have not said anything about 'tingling,' I doubt that diagnosis. 12. You wrote that the orthopedic physician gave your son a 'cortisone' shot. 'Cortisone' shots do not cure anything. Instead, the soften bone and weaken ligaments. Your son needs to learn how to properly apply force with his pitching arm. He needs to learn how to properly release his curve. On my website, drmikemarshall.com, without charge, I have provided my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video and other video files for visitors to watch, my Coaching Baseball Pitchers book, Question/Answer files and other text files of visitors to read and my Baseball Pitchers Training Programs for visitors to copy and complete. After an X-ray shows that your son's olecranon process has healed and the growth plates for his medial epicondyle and head of his Radius bones have matured (watch 05. X-rays of Youth Baseball Pitchers in my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video file), your son should complete my 120-Day High School Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. You can find that program in my Baseball Pitching Interval-Training Programs file. At nineteen biological years old, I recommend that adult baseball pitchers complete my 724-Day Adult Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. Thereafter, for as long as they want to continue to pitch competitively, I recommend that, every off-season, they repeat my 72-Day Thirty Pound Adult Baseball Pitchers Wrist Weight Recoil Interval-Training Program and my 72-Day Fifteen Pound Adult Baseball Pitchers Iron Ball Recoil Interval-Training Program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 048. towel snapping In order for the front knee to apply issac newton force toward 2nd base, the knee of the pivot foot must be bent to provide the forward force to accomplish newton Law? Most pitchers do not come back to 2nd base with the front knee. They continue the force forward following the lead of the pivot foot knee. Is that correct? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the same way that we move forward while walking, baseball pitchers need to use the glove foot to first pull their body forward, then, when the center of mass of their body moves in front of their glove foot, they need to push backward with their glove foot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 049. certification/reply Thank you. If there comes a point in time that you revitalize your clinics, please keep my name on your list. If I am able to convince a group of baseball enthusiasts in the mid-Michigan area to consider inviting you to one of their conferences, I will contact you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For me to present my materials to interested parties here in beautiful Zephyrhills, FL, I would need a reasonable number of participants. Perhaps, interested parties should ask me to add their names to an Interested Parties List. However, I am also willing to present my materials to groups, not for profit, but not at my expense. The only thing that I ask is that I have sufficient time, which, to me, would mean at least five forty-five minute sessions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 050. softball I was a student of manual therapy. I was wondering if you have any quick insight about what I should look for in a fast pitch softball player with anterior shoulder pain. We have done a lot to strengthen posterior shoulder groups and reverse throwing motion. It appears to be biceps origin or possibly subscap insertion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two critical concepts in training athletes are 'Specificity of Training' and the 'Overload Principle.' Therefore, to train fast-pitch softball pitchers, we need to: 01. Determine how to properly apply force to the softball. 02. Teach the fast-pitch softball pitchers the proper way to apply force to the softball. 03. Design acceleration and deceleration training programs that stress the involved bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles in precisely the same force application technique. 04. Judiciously increase the stress that the fast-pitch softball pitchers receive. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 051. Little League Pilot Program I would like your opinion on this press release from Little League. It seems that they are moving somewhat to your suggestion of grouping kids not just by chronological age, and taking into account their physical development. ------------------------------------------------- Pilot Program Little League International Introduces New Pilot Program By Communications Division SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PA January 11, 2010 Ever since Little League debuted baseball for teenagers 50 years ago, the standard infield has featured a pitching distance of 60 feet, six inches, and base paths of 90 feet "the same size as a professional baseball infield." The program grew over the years to its current status as the largest teenage baseball program in the world. A few years ago, Little League added the option of allowing 12-year-old players to in the Junior League Division for Regular Season and Tournament Play. Now, in an effort to further ease the transition from the standard Little League field size (46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot base paths), Little League is offering a pilot program for league age 12- and 13-year-olds. The pilot program will be conducted on fields that feature a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths. The pilot program will be available to all Little League programs worldwide for the 2010 season. We have seen more requests for the intermediate-size field recently, Patrick Wilson, Little League Vice President of Operations, said. We are constantly looking for ways to provide more flexibility and to respond to the needs our local leagues. For those leagues with the ability to create a new field for this program, or to modify an existing field, we hope this will be another way to provide an enjoyable experience for the families in their community. Additionally, base runners will be permitted to lead off in the 50-70 Pilot Program (requiring pitchers to hold runners on base), runners may attempt stealing at any time, and head-first sliding is permitted. In the Little League division, runners cannot leave the base until the ball reaches the batter, and sliding must be feet-first unless the runner is retreating to a base. Also for the 50-70 Pilot Program "unlike the Little League division" the batter becomes a runner on a dropped third strike, the bat can have a diameter of 2 5/8 inches, and the on-deck batter is permitted. Each league wishing to participate in the 50-70 Pilot Program is required to enroll with Little League International prior to initiating the program. At the conclusion of the regular season, each participating league will be required to complete a post-season survey detailing the benefits and challenges. We will take the information gathered, work with the leagues and districts, and make a decision on how to move forward in 2011, Mr. Wilson said. If the 50-70 Pilot Program proves to be successful, our plan is to offer a full range of tournament play. For 2010, there will not be a separate level in the International Tournament for the 50-70 Pilot Program. However, local leagues and districts that are participating in the program will be able to organize tournaments using a Special Games Request Form. Any player who participates in the pilot program during the regular season will be eligible to participate simultaneously in the Little League Division (for players ages 9-12) or the Junior League Division (12-14). Such a player will be eligible for selection to either age-appropriate International Tournament Team. However, a player who participates solely in the 50-70 Pilot Program also will be eligible based on his/her age for selection to a team participating in the International Tournament under guidelines established for player eligibility. Here are some additional details: 01. Leagues will be allowed to operate under inter-league play and combined teams. However, players will only be eligible for tournament in the league where they reside. 02. Leagues will be allowed to structure the 50-70 Pilot Program so that their typical season is conducted, for example, on Monday through Friday. Then on Saturday and Sunday, leagues could offer the pilot program to players who wish to participate. All pitching guidelines apply. 03. Participating leagues (and districts with participating leagues) will be permitted to organize tournaments using a Special Games Request Form for players in the 50-70 Pilot Program. Players may participate in both Special Games and the International Tournament under guidelines established in the Baseball Rulebook. Later this month, Little League International will provide leagues with the procedure for participating in the 50-70 Pilot Program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree that jumping from sixty to ninety feet between bases and forty-six to sixty feet between the pitching rubber to home plate are big increases. However, rather than chronological age, they should use biological age. 01. Up to twelve biological year olds should use sixty foot bases and forty-six pitching mounds. 02. Thirteen through fifteen biological year olds should use seventy-five foot bases and fifty-three feet pitching mounds. 03. Sixteen biological year olds should use ninety feet bases and sixty and one-half feet pitching mounds. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 052. ELBOW Thanks. I have reduced the weight and intensity of my WW & IB throwing and have reduced my reps to 24. You are correct. I had remained almost exclusively in training mode. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I assume that, until your next off-season, you will now do only my twenty-five minute maintenance program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 053. Pendulum Swing I'm glad to see you're computer is fixed. I was kind of lost for awhile with the new motion, but I was able to manage. In tennis, with my serve, I used to rock forward and then rock back on my rear leg as I started my pendulum swing. I was having a hard time with the rhythm when I first started the new drill. During one of my workouts, I did the pendulum swing and it clicked in my mind that it felt a lot like my tennis serve. So I started doing it and have been doing it ever since. The only thing I have eliminated is the rocking forward motion. I felt like it may have been a wasted motion. 1. Would you say that rocking forward is a wasted motion that does not contribute anything positive? 2. I know you are a busy man, but I was wondering if it was at all possible to get a copy of the article "overload for the quick bat"? Please let me know how much it would cost to get a copy of this if it is possible from you. I tried doing a search online and could not come up with anything. 3. How did the conference in Pennsylvania go? Were there a lot of people that attended? Also, I completely destroyed my rebound wall a couple days ago. I had a metal pitch back net that I had bought for my daughter, and I had draped and tied two rugs to. I wore out the first layer of rug and the metal frame bent and then snapped. I am going to have to come up with a new idea for a rebound wall as the one I am currently using is not feasible as I have to stop in the middle of IB throws to adjust and fix two or 3 times. I am also outgrowing my space. I can't wait until the spring as I am going to have to move outside and do my workouts at a field. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. If you do not have base runners on first or second base, then I suppose that you could rock back and forth. However, rather than learn two rhythms, I suggest that you use the same rhythm with and without base runners. 02. I have the original copy of my 'Overload for the Quick Bat' article that I wrote in 1967 around here somewhere. When I have some free time, I will look for it. 03. My presentation in Pittsburgh went well. However, as usual, the material was beyond the pay grade of the high school coaches. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 054. towel snapping Great stuff. Now, there are 2 more questions because you are dealing with a NON-scientific mind. First, as the glove foot is pulling forward, is the is the pivot foot pushing off the mound? Or, after the glove lands and pushes backward, do you push off with your pivot foot? Both of the above are brought up by my peers. So, timing has everything to do with the motion and most of my peers do not agree with me. I keep repeating the push off of the pivot foot because that's what my peers teach, PUSH OFF THE RUBBER. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. With my Drop Out Wind-Up competitive baseball pitching motion, baseball pitchers start with their pitching arm side foot on and their glove arm side foot one step behind the pitching rubber with both pointing toward home plate. 02. To start my pitching motion, my baseball pitchers drop their pitching hand out of their glove and start to vertically swing their pitching arm downward and backward. 03. When their pitching arm is forty-five degrees behind their body, my baseball pitchers step forward with their glove arm side leg. 04. As their pitching arm continues to vertically pendulum swing backward and upward to driveline height, my baseball pitchers power walk forward with their glove arm side leg to land at the same time that their pitching arm reaches driveline height. 05. Once the glove arm side foot contacts the ground, to start the forward rotation of their hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm, my baseball pitchers use their pitching arm side leg to push off the pitching rubber. 06. As the center of mass of their body moves toward home plate, to apply force toward second base, my baseball pitchers use their glove arm side leg to pull their body forward. 07. At release, my baseball pitchers have their hips beyond perpendicular to the driveline and their shoulders slightly farther forward than their hips, such that the center of mass of their body is in front of their glove arm side foot. 08. After release, to continue to rotate the entire pitching arm side of their body forward through release, my baseball pitchers use their glove arm side leg to apply force toward second base. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 055. ELBOW With respect to WW & IB, maintenance means 24 reps of each, correct? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To maintain an achieved level of fitness, athletes perform one-half of the minimum (base) number of repetitions that they performed when training. They also moderate the intensity of their training, such that they perform one about one-half of the repetition at or near full intensity. 01. When performing my interval-training programs, the minimum (base) number of repetitions for my wrist weight exercises, iron ball throws and baseball throw is forty-eight. 02. Therefore, when maintaining, the number of repetitions for my wrist weight exercises, iron ball throws and baseball throws is twenty-four. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 056. Batting Training Question In the Question 13 with regard to the underload/overload principle of baseball hitting, you responded: “The Overload Principle only works when the drill precisely replicates the competitive action. To swing weighted bats does not precisely replicate the competitive action. Weighted bats do not train the muscles that accelerate the baseball bat. Instead, weighted bats train the muscles that hold the bat up.” What of training devices what add resistance to the bat while adding only negligible weight? I believe the most common are devices with fins that slip over the bat. Would a device like this provide overload resistance that replicates the competitive action? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If baseball batters used baseball bats with fins to hit during competitive baseball games, then I would use baseball bats with fins to train baseball batters to hit with baseball bats with fins. Until then, to teach baseball batters the motor unit firing sequence that accelerates the striking implement with perfect technique, I will use striking implements that weigh less than the baseball bats that they use in competition. In conjunction, I will train the involved bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles how to perfectly apply more and more force, which my 'Overload for the Quick Bat' interval-training program does. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 057. Transitioning and locking arm I am really trying to be conscious of going into the acceleration phase from the pendulum swing with a positive velocity. I am having a hard time locking the upper arm with my maxline pitches. When I would do Loaded Slingshot drill, I could do it fairly easy because I could reach back lock the shoulder by turning the pinky side of the arm to face upwards without having to time anything then fire away. With the addition of the pendulum swing it is much more tricky. With my Maxline pitches I pendulum swing, turn the pinky side of the forearm to face upwards, I try and keep the elbow up near ear-height as I am moving my body forward. Problem is that the shoulder lags and I don't think I am getting into acceleration phase with a positive velocity. In fact, I think I am grabbing as I don't keep my arm straight back towards second base. If a pitcher is grabbing, will he feel any stress on the elbow where it bends? Its nothing major, and there is no soreness after workout, this is something I use to gauge if I am grabbing. Is this a correct assumption? So, as I was doing my baseball drills, I found myself having lead quite a bit to my glove side to get my pitching arm more vertical. Does leaning to the glove side help with going into the acceleration phase with a positive velocity? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you perform my 'Loaded Slingshot' glove and pitching arm actions, it is fine to completely straighten your pitching arm. However, when you perform my 'Pendulum Swing' glove and pitching arm actions, as you near driveline height, in anticipation of raising your pitching upper arm to vertically beside your head, you should start slightly bending your pitching elbow. You should note that, until you actually start raising your pitching upper arm to vertically beside your head, you need to keep the palm of your pitching hand facing away from your body. This means that, at the same time that your raise your pitching upper arm to vertically beside your head, you re-position your pitching forearm, wrist, hand and fingers for the type of pitch that you are about to throw. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 058. Interview with Dr. Frank Jobe By Jonah Keri Special to ESPN.com September 13, 2002 In 1974, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tommy John showed up in the office of orthopedic surgeon Dr. Frank Jobe and his partner Dr. Robert Kerlan to seek help with his sore elbow. Jobe found John had torn his ulnar collateral ligament, a condition that had previously meant the end of a pitcher's career. But, after months of consultation, two surgeries and more than a year of grueling rehab later, John returned to the mound at Dodger Stadium. John would go on to win 164 more games in his career. The surgeon became one of the noted pioneers and leaders in sports medicine. Jobe spoke to us recently in an interview at his clinic in Los Angeles. (Actually, as the team doctor, Dr. Jobe attended most home Dodger games. Therefore, Tommy John did not show up at Dr. Jobe's office. Dr. Jobe met with TJ in the training room.) Baseball Prospectus: Has Tommy John surgery improved since you first did it in '74? John needed 18 months or so to come back. Is the recovery time shorter now? Dr. Frank Jobe: The reason (John's) recovery was longer was because the ulnar nerve hadn't come back. But, I don't think pitchers should come back and pitch off a mound in a game for at least one year, with tossing at four months. You've seen some people that have tried to come back at seven or eight months. They got sore and inflamed, then you have to wait a couple of months before that goes away. The techniques have improved though. It takes about an hour now. With Tommy, it took about four. (When Dr. Jobe said that TJ's Ulnar Nerve had not come back, what he failed to admit is that, when he did the Ulnar Collateral Ligament substitution surgery on TJ, he crimped the Ulnar Nerve, which caused the nerve to die from the crimp to the end where it innervated muscles of his hand. A couple of months after the surgery, TJ telephoned me and asked me about his loss of sensation in his little finger and little finger side of his ring finger. I told him that Dr. Jobe crimped his Ulnar Nerve and, if TJ ever wanted at least some sensation and motor function back, Dr. Jobe needed to uncrimp his Ulnar Nerve. Uncrimping TJ's Ulnar Nerve only returns about sixty percent of its function.) BP: When pitchers hear it's an elbow problem instead of a shoulder, there's almost become this sense of relief, given how tough it can be to repair a shoulder. What steps are being taken to fix the shoulder? FJ: The elbow is almost a hinge, which is a simple joint. The shoulder has four joints involved and 21 muscles. They need to all be in good condition and functioning in a synchronous pattern. It's easier to get the shoulder out of whack and it's harder to get all the joints and muscles rehabbed and back in top shape. If you're lucky enough to have a pitcher with one diagnosis in the shoulder, that's easier. But there are often three or four problems. If you beat up more than one structure, it's very hard to fully repair. (The shoulder has four joints? I would call only where the head of the Humerus bone joins with the Glenoid Fossa of the Scapula bone, the shoulder joint. The Acromion Process of the Scapula joins with the distal end of the Clavicle bone, but I would call that the Clavical joint, not a shoulder joint. That is only three joints. I wonder what Dr. Jobe believes is the fourth shoulder joint? In any case, with regards to baseball pitching, where the head of the Humerus bone joins with the Glenoid Fossa of the Scapula bone, is the primary joint of interest. Nevertheless, with the excessive pulling of the pitching upper arm that the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion, where the Acromion Process of the Scapula bone joins with the distal end of the Clavicle bone does receive a lot of unnecessary stress.) BP: There have been buzzwords for scary pitching injuries. When people heard the words "rotator cuff" in the past, for example. Now more and more it's "torn labrum." Does that qualify as the worst shoulder injury you can get? FJ: You can fix that if that's all that's torn. But if you've gone on to tear the labrum, you've probably torn the undersurface of the rotator cuff and stretched the capsule of ligaments. That would be three diagnoses. Can you fix all that? You can fix it. But, can they get back to the same level of pitching they were before is the question. (Like with rupturing the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, the solution is to eliminate the injurious flaw that causes the injury. For rupturing the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, baseball pitchers only need to take the baseball out of their glove with the palm of their pitching hand under the baseball. For tearing the Labrum, baseball pitchers only need to drive the baseball down their acromial line in a straight line between second base and home plate.) BP: Speaking of getting back to where you were before and getting back to elbows, we've heard from quite a few pitchers, swearing they throw harder after Tommy John surgery than they did before. Is this possible? FJ: When a pitcher comes in with elbow problems, you often see that their ligaments were already wearing out well before. Maybe four or five years ago, they could throw a 95 mile an hour fastball, but they've had that ability diminished as the ligament's been stretched. What the surgery does is restore the ligament's stability to where it was four or five years ago. A pitcher might say the operation did it, but it's just more stability in the arm contributing to better mechanics. (Dr. Jobe is correct about a lengthened Ulnar Collateral Ligament decreasing release velocity. However, that lengthening process takes place during the growth and development of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament in adolescence combined with youth baseball pitching. Also, Dr. Jobe's statement that more stability in the pitching elbow contributing to better mechanics is silly. A tighter pitching elbow enables baseball pitchers to transfer force at higher efficiency, not improve their force application techniques.) BP: Would a pitcher ever consider getting elective Tommy John surgery, just hoping to get that fastball? FJ: It wouldn't help if you didn't have it before. All the surgery does is get you back to your normal elbow. You either have the stuff or you don't. A player that reaches the majors, he's spent years in the minors improving, making his mechanics better, with his muscles getting stronger. (Actually, after youth baseball pitching lengthens the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, one way for young adult baseball pitchers to increase their release velocity would be to tighten the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. However, because the substitute Ulnar Collateral Ligament does not have blood flow that enables it to hypertrophy in response to stress, if baseball pitchers uses the injurious flaw that ruptures the Ulnar Collateral Ligament, then it will again lengthen and then rupture this time.) One thing we did see though, after we did this on Tommy. A person who's a pitcher might come in, someone who's not in the majors. And we'll ask him: Do you really want to be a pitcher? Is this your life's goal? Because it's going to take at least a year of your life to get back. Tom Candiotti came in many years ago -- he was about an A-ball pitcher then. And I said to him: Are you really going to be a pitcher? Do you think you're a prospect? And he said to me, yes I'm a prospect. So every year since then I've gotten a Christmas card from him, and every year it says: "To Dr. Jobe, I'll always be your prospect." BP: With teams having such a tough time building five-man pitching rotations, what do you think about going to four-man staffs? FJ: I like the five-man rotation. Overuse and a breakdown in mechanics -- lots of volume creates problems. (In the real world of Exercise Physiology, athletes cannot overuse their bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. However, they can misuse their bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Therefore, baseball pitchers do not overuse, they misuse.) BP: What if you limited pitch counts on pitchers? They could pitch every fourth day but have the coaches make sure each pitcher doesn't throw more than a certain number of pitches per game. FJ: Well, it would take training to do it right. Right now you have starters trained to throw maybe 110 pitches, middle relievers trained to throw maybe 60 pitches, closers trained to throw 20 pitches or so. You'd have to get starters trained to pitch more often. The way things are going with salaries and the lack of good starting pitchers though, anything's possible. Maybe not in the next year or two but it would be interesting to see. (Specificity of training means that athletes are able to perform to the limits at which they train. Therefore, Dr. Jobe's statement is true. However, Dr. Jobe fails to recognize the difference between overuse and misuse. When baseball pitchers misuse their pitching arms, without regard to the number of pitches they train to throw.) BP: Are teams using relief pitchers the right way? FJ: I think they are, because overuse is the biggest problem you can get with a pitcher. A starting pitcher that goes 110 pitches or so, he begins to lose his mechanics. He might start to hurt himself and probably become more hittable too. Having a few guys in the bullpen to take his place keeps him and the other guys in the bullpen fresh for next time. (As I said, Dr. Jobe does not understand the difference between overuse and misuse.) BP: What about high school pitchers or younger? Would you limit their pitch counts? Or have them not throw curves possibly? FJ: I don't think throwing the curve puts that much more stress on the arm. I think learning how to throw it does. That's why Little League kids get in trouble. They want to throw a curve so they spend every afternoon throwing to their dads, trying as hard as they can to get it. Then if they're good, the coach wants to win. If it's the playoffs, the same kid might pitch three days in a row. (Wow, Dr. Jobe says that throwing curves is not bad, but practicing throwing curve is. Clearly, Dr. Jobe does not understand the danger of supinating the release of curveballs to the bones of the back of the pitching elbow or the danger of grabbing and looping in conjunction with 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bouncing' the pitching forearm to the Ulnar Collateral Ligament.) BP: Is there a magic age for pitch counts? Would an 18-year-old have a different limit than someone who's 23 or 24? FJ: When they're 18, the bones are softer, the cartilage is softer, they should definitely be limited. Once they're 21 or so, they're more fully developed. When they're younger, they can't tolerate quite the same trauma. An example of what I'm talking about is if you look at the baseball draft, there are a high percentage of kids at 18 who have already had Tommy John procedures. This has really been in the last 10 years. It wasn't nearly that bad before. When the Dodgers are looking at a pitcher, I see their medical records; there were about five or six that had had it. There was one we drafted, it turned out he needed (Tommy John surgery) and in the record it said he didn't need it. (The growth plates in the pitching shoulder and wrist do not mature until baseball pitchers are biologically nineteen years old. However, I doubt that, after these growth plate mature, the bones are soft. Instead, with the stress of competitively pitching, bones increase their density, which I suppose could be to what Dr. Jobe was referring.) BP: Is there less stress for sidearm or submarine pitchers? FJ: It's a more natural motion for the arm. Remember when baseball first started, they pitched underhand. I've only seen a few (submarine pitchers) so I can't give you a scientific opinion, but it certainly appears that way. (Because, when Dr. Jobe said that it certainly appears that way, he qualified his answer, I will give him a pass on this answer. The sidearm and submarine pitching motion require baseball pitchers to pull their pitching upper arm forward. Therefore, they are considerably more injurious to the front of the pitching shoulder than the overhand baseball pitching motion.) BP: What kind of training regimens would you like to see? What do you think of the Braves' method of having their pitchers throw more than most other teams do? FJ: Throwing is good. Throwing really hard can be bad. Doing some kind of throwing can definitely help build arm strength. We didn't know this before Tommy -- when he'd throw, he could toss OK, but once he got to 75 percent effort, that's when stress transfers from the muscle to the ligament. Throw a lot, just not in a game. (Where did Dr. Jobe take his undergraduate and graduate Exercise Physiology courses? Do doctors ever admit that do not have the credentials that they need to comment on anything?) BP: What's the next breakthrough in medical technology that might help fix pitching injuries, especially shoulder injuries? Could it be something coming out of stem cell research? FJ: It could be stem cell research. It could also be the regrowth of cartilage in joints. As fast as the research there has been going, it might not be long before you can regrow cartilage to treat arthritic knees, elbows, shoulders. This could really help degenerative conditions in a way that can't be done as well now. (I do not have the credentials that I need to comment on stem cell research. However, I believe that answer to pitching injuries is to eliminate the injurious flaws that cause them. And, I have already completed that research) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 059. Breaking Down Arnsberg: What Are the Astros Getting? The Crawfish Boxes (Houston Astros Blog) November 03, 2009 In case you missed the FanShot from last Friday, the Astros hired a new pitching coach. Brad Arnsberg comes with a reputation as a young pitcher-killer, but was loved by all his staffs and seemed to be able to work some magic with 'reclamation projects.' The World Wide Web was abuzz with articles about his abundance, or lack thereof, of talent. A fine hat-tip to clack and AstroAndy for linking to them. What I wanted to do, though, is to see if it was warranted. What we're really worried about here are young pitchers, right? Guys 24 years old and younger are in the prime area for suffering from over-use. There are two different models out there currently used to predict injuries to young pitchers. Both were researched pretty thoroughly, but it's hard to tell if they're good predictors of injury potential or just good at explaining what happened in the past. When I went back to research Arnsberg, I looked at every staff he had from 2000 in Montreal to 2002 with the Marlins and through his five-year tenure in Toronto. I focused on all the pitchers he had that were 24 or younger. This is a bit of a departure from the model, since they stop at 25, but since two-thirds of his stops were of the one-year variety, I downgraded the age a year. The two methods I mentioned were Tom Verducci's theory on an increase in innings from year to year, most recently laid out here. The other was Pitching Abuse Points (PAP), first published back in 1998 by Rany Jazayerli here. I believe it's been tweaked a bit here and there since then, but it's a good starting place for the discussion. Arnsberg oversaw 28 different pitchers in their Age 24 season or younger. His biggest year for this was in 2000 in Montreal, when 10 different young pitchers got into games. The 2000 season also seemed to be a learning year for Arnsberg as to how best to utilize pitchers. Of the 10, only one threw more innings than the previous season (Javier Vasquez, +63 IP) and only one had more than 10 PAP per start (Vasquez, 16 PAP). Carl Pavano pitched seven fewer innings than in 1999, but had a PAP/Start of 4.8 and then suffered an injury the following season. The rest all had significant drops in innings pitched and none had more than 2 PAP/start. None of the relievers in his bullpen threw three straight days and only Pavano suffered an injury the following season. Knowing what we do now about Carl, it's easy to see it probably wasn't Arnsberg's fault. The next year, he surfaced was in 2002 with the Marlins. Five guys played at 24 or younger and two of the five had jumps higher than 30 innings. Both Justin Wayne and Nate Robertson pitched over 40 innings more than the previous season, but each threw the majority of their innings in the minors, not the majors. It's hard for me to pin these jumps on Arnsberg for that reason, since their workload was controlled by the minor league pitching coordinator, not the big league pitching coach. As for the other three, Josh Beckett threw 47 less innings than the previous season and averaged 2.1 PAP per start. Pretty reasonable for a 22-year old. Brad Penny had a 69 inning drop in his workload and had 0.8 PAP/start. The other guy in this group was Blaine Neal, a reliever who saw his workload go up by six innings and was used three straight days twice that season. One of those times, though was on both ends of a double-header, when he faced just one batter in the first game. No real injury trouble here, at least not by Arnsberg's work. Beckett had the blister problems, but that's not related to overuse and Penny did have arm trouble, but much later than this. On to the Toronto years, where Arnsberg saw an impressive group of young pitchers hit the big leagues. In his first season, he had five pitchers in the age range we are looking at. Two drastically increased their inning total (Dustin McGowan, +70, Chad Gaudin +74) while one starter also saw an uptick into the danger zone (Gustavo Chacin +36). The other two guys, Brandon League and Shaun Marcum had smaller increases or decreases, but only Chacin had any PAP to speak of. Chacin's total of 3.7 PAP/start is high, but not distressingly so and his innings increase was slight in comparison to McGowan's. Still, Chacin did suffer a major drop-off in performance and had an injury or two thrown in for good measure. Of course, his delivery is a bit quirky and he came out of nowhere to begin with, so it's hard to say whether Arnsberg led to this flameout. Certainly, the other guys on this list went on to have solid years after 2005, so we may just be dealing with a small sample size. In 2006, Arnsberg oversaw seven young pitchers, including newcomers Casey Janssen, Ty Taubenheim, Jeremy Accardo and Davis Romero. Accardo, Romero and Dustin McGowan all had inning increases but the rest saw their totals drop. Janssen was the only pitchers with more than 1 PAP/start and his was exactly one. Marcum saw his total drop by 35 innings and had a PAP of 0.8 while League had a slight drop in innings, but was used twice three games in a row. Taubenheim moved from a starter's role in the minors to the bullpen in the majors, which explains his 60-inning drop. None of the evidence here supports the conclusion that misuse led to any injuries. In 2007, there were only four pitchers in our age-range, including two holdovers, League and Taubenheim. Newcomers Jesse Litsch and Josh Banks both saw increases, though Litsch saw his total rise by 29 innings, just underneath the magic threshold. Litsch also had just 0.7 PAP/start, meaning he wasn't throwing a ton of pitches. League saw his total drop by 59 innings, in part due to injury (I think, though I can't find it anywhere). Taubenheim had his total rise by 15, but was not used in more than two straight games, so he didn't really get overworked. Litsch was the only pitcher considered young in 2008 and he saw his total innings drop by 11, but his PAP jumped up to 4.2 per start. More distressingly, though was how he was used down the stretch. From August 21 to September 29, Litsch started nine games and threw 61 innings and 980 pitches. He totaled 88 PAP for an average of 9.7 per start, a huge jump over the beginning of the season. He went 5-4 over this stretch and had an average game score of 62.4. Those were both reasons why he pitched so much, I'm sure. He was doing so well that the Jays wanted to keep him pitching to keep them in the race, as the team got to 12 games over .500 on Sept. 12. However, Litsch was pretty much abused during this stretch. He was used once on two days' rest, throwing 49 pitches over three innings and was used once on three days' rest in the back half of a doubleheader. Litsch threw 110 pitches over 5 1/3 innings. In 2009, Litsch was shut down in April and finally had Tommy John surgery in June. I think it's safe to say that his usage pattern at the end of 2008 may have led to this, but we can't be certain. Arnsberg's last year with Toronto saw five pitchers in our age-group, including Litsch. Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil, Mark Rzepczynski and Brad Mills made major-league debuts and all but Mills saw increases in their inning totals. None saw jumps of over 30, though they all had more PAP than in Arnsberg's past. Romero tallied 6.3 PAP/start and saw his innings jump 14, while Brett Cecil had a jump of 24 innings and 2.1 PAP/start. Rzepczynski made the jump straight from Double-A and saw an increase in 28 innings while having a PAP of 3.8 per start. What does this mean? Arnsberg gets blamed for the injuries to Marcum and McGowan, but in their formative years with the club, you can see he really didn't do much to hurt them. Only in 2008 did his usage patterns significantly change, and that also coincided with a new manager, Mr. Old School Cito Gaston. This is a classic example of a guy from a bygone era trying to throw pitchers out there like they did in the '70's and hoping it will work. In 2008, for example, Gaston used pitchers on short rest six times, while the American League average was just 3.7. In 2009, he was right in line with the league average of 3, but it still shows that he used his pitchers differently than most of the league. Arnsberg didn't like it, and clashed with his manager as was chronicled here and here. I'm not sure you can blame Arnsberg for what happened to Litsch but you definitely can't blame him for Marcum and McGowan. B.J. Ryan also can't be blamed on him, nor can A.J. Burnett, as both guys had either a history of injuries or a jump in innings before coming to Toronto. At least one place is mad Arnsberg left Toronto, while there are a couple other places that still levy criticism. I'm not sure how Arnsberg will do with Houston, but I do know he's got a pretty good track record of keeping the young guys healthy. He'll have a tough time on his hands next season, though, as Bud Norris saw a 95 inning jump in his workload, though his PAP/start was just 0.5. Yorman Bazardo was also in the danger zone with a 34 inning jump, and his performance doesn't need any regression. The only worrying part of the bullpen was Sammy Gervacio being used three straight days three different times and once for four straight games. Of course, the 24-year old only threw more than 20 pitches in a game twice, so it's not as worrisome as it appears. To review, Arnsberg coached for four different managers and only under Gaston did his track record go astray. Out of all his young pitchers, just three were inordinately abused: Chacin, Litsch and Vasquez. Now, we can see that Vasquez was just built to hold up to a higher workload, similar to Roy Halladay. Still, it doesn't excuse the abuse in the first place. Is Gaston more to blame for the last couple of seasons in Toronto? We can't REALLY tell, but after reviewing all this, I certainly feel better about the Astros' new pitching coach. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The author wrote: "There are two different models out there currently used to predict injuries to young pitchers. Both were researched pretty thoroughly, but it's hard to tell if they're good predictors of injury potential or just good at explaining what happened in the past. The answer is: The two different models have nothing to do with what causes pitching injuries. Therefore, they only explain what happened in the past to 'traditional' baseball pitchers. The best predictor of pitching injuries is how baseball pitchers apply force to their pitches. If they have injurious flaws, then they will suffer injuries. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 060. Transitioning and locking arm I really feel like I am timing my Pronation curve perfectly. I dont feel any pausing, and I dont feel like I am looping or grabbing. My torque fastball I think I may be grabbing as I am feeling some strain on the tendon that comes down from the biceps in the elbow joint. The strain does not linger, and I do not feel any soreness the next day in this area. Is this strain a sign of grabbing? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grabbing is bending the pitching elbow to ninety degrees or less before your glove foot lands. Looping is the backward, outward and forward movement of the pitching forearm as a result of grabbing. If you are using the one-hand chest pass torque pitching arm action, then I doubt that you are grabbing and looping. However, because you have to rotate the palm of the pitching hand from facing away from your body to facing downward with the back of your pitching upper arm and hand facing toward home plate, there is a very high likelihood that you are grabbing and looping. High-speed film is the only way to know for sure. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 061. Advice regarding my son's pitching elbow Thank you very much for your prompt reply. I respect your opinions and advice. And, I appreciate your candor. Via PayPal, I made a donation to the cause. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My readers and I appreciate your donation. I will use it to keep my website online and expand the videos that I have from which readers can learn how to eliminate pitching injuries, such as your son's fractured olecranon process growth plate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 062. ELBOW An orthopedic surgeon friend of mine diagnosed my elbow discomfort as a clear case of medial epiconylitis. He says it will take about 8 weeks to heal. He recommends no baseball throwing for 4 to 6 weeks and physical therapy with a 3-5 lbs weight. I explained my WW and IB regimen, and that I'm in a maintenance mode to rehab. He agrees that the sports specificity of your exercises is important to recovery, but says I am still likely doing them with too much intensity. My questions: 1. Is there such a thing as medial epicondylitis, or is tendonitis yet another misnomer or misdiagnosis? 2. Should I do the 3-5 wrist curls along with maintenance WW & IB throws? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Whenever athletes complain of muscle discomfort where the muscle attaches, orthopedic surgeons add 'itis' to the bone to which it attaches. 02. No. Why would training the muscles that bend the pitching elbow help anything? However, if you do nothing for eight weeks, then you will lose one hundred percent of the micro-anatomical advantages that you have trained for two years to gain. Instead, every day, you need to do the maintenance workout at a decreased intensity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 063. Bicep tendon I feel tenderness in my bicep tendon. It is only noticeable when I throw baseballs. 1. Is this a common training discomfort? 2. It is the area where the elbows bends and there are a bunch of tendons in there. I feel like I am pronating very powerfully, yet that is when I feel the stress on the bicep tendon which doesn't make sense to me. Does the bicep tendons contribute to the pronation snap or is it just weak and now needs time to adjust physically because my pronation snap is getting very strong? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unless you have 'Pitching Forearm Flyout,' you are not using either the Biceps Brachii or Brachialis muscles. Instead, if you are powerfully pronating your pitching forearm, then you are using your Pronator Teres muscle to bend the pitching elbow. I suspect that the training discomfort that you feel is your Pronator Teres muscle. My baseball pitchers are supposed to have Pronator Teres discomfort. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 064. Ordinarily, I would just cut and paste the linked article. But, since this also includes video, I'll just provide the URL and allow you to actually watch this testament to idiotic thinking. Thankfully, the doctors interviewed don't subscribe to this thought. Parents want kids to have Tommy John surgery ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is hard to believe the lengths of stupidity to which parents will use their children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 065. Arredondo needs Tommy John surgery ESPN.com December 11, 2009 Los Angeles Angels reliever Jose Arredondo will undergo Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the 2010 season, the team confirmed to ESPN The Magazine on Friday. The 25-year-old Arredondo, once considered the Angels' future closer, returned home to the Dominican Republic on Friday after spending the week in Southern California. He is expected to return in January to have the surgery. After posting a 1.62 ERA in 61 innings in 2008 as an integral part of the Angels' bullpen, Arredondo struggled last season in part because of elbow problems. Arredondo had a 6.00 ERA in 45 innings in 2009 and was sent down to Class AAA Salt Lake at one point. The Angels, in part because of Arredondo's emergence in 2008, allowed record-breaking closer Francisco Rodriguez to sign with the New York Mets last off-season. Arredondo's injury may also affect the Angels this offseason. The team may now be reluctant to part with a reliever in a trade and will have to find another right-handed reliever to replace Arredondo. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 2009, in 45 innings, Mr. Arredondo gave up 30 runs. That will not save many games. However, that does not mean that he ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. When did the defining ligament rupturing moment take place? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 066. I have to laugh at his nickname, "Everyday Eddie." The most appearances he has had in a year is 83. That makes him "Every Other Day Eddie." In addition, the most innings he has pitched in a season since is 73 2/3 innings when he made those 83-appearances. -------------------------------------------------- Guardado joins Nationals on minor league deal Associated Press December 26, 2009 WASHINGTON, DC: Veteran left-handed reliever Eddie Guardado and the Washington Nationals have agreed to terms on a minor league deal. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo made the announcement Saturday. Terms were not disclosed. The 39-year-old Guardado is fourth among active pitchers with 908 appearances in a 17-year career with the Rangers, Twins, Mariners and Reds. The two-time All-Star has 187 career saves—including an American League-leading 45 in 2002. Nicknamed “Everyday Eddie,” Guardado was 1-2 with a 4.46 ERA in 48 relief appearance last season with the Rangers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With 106 appearances, I guess that I was, 'Two of Three Games Mike.' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 067. Royals give Parrish a Minors deal MLB.com January 04, 2010 KANSAS CITY, MO: Pitcher John Parrish, a left-hander who was out all of 2009 because of a shoulder injury, was signed to a 2010 Minor League contract by the Royals on Monday and invited to the Major League training camp. "Our impetus for signing him was the lack of left-handed depth we have in starting and relief roles," said Scott Sharp, Royals director of Minor League operations. "We hope that he can resurrect his career." Parrish, 32, has pitched in 174 Major League games, primarily with Baltimore and mostly in relief, with a 13-13 record, one save and a 4.54 ERA. A 25th-round Draft choice in 1996, he broke in with the Orioles in 2000 with eight starts, he was 2-4, and then turned to relief. Traded to Seattle in August 2007, Parrish signed as a free agent with Toronto for the 2008 season. For the Blue Jays, he was in 13 games, including six starts, and went 1-1 with a 4.04 ERA. But Parrish spent most of '08 with Triple-A Syracuse, going 10-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 17 games. Returning to Baltimore last spring as a Minor League free agent, Parrish was unable to pitch because of a sore shoulder. Parrish underwent surgery for a torn labrum but is expected to be 100 percent for Spring Training, according to Jin Wong, Royals director of baseball administration. "He'll be tried as a starter but could make the club in any role," Wong said. Parrish becomes the 19th non-roster player invited to the Royals' Major League camp which begins on Feb. 18. The Royals recently signed another left-hander, Nelson Payano, 27, a Minor League reliever who was 15-14 in six seasons, mostly in the Atlanta organization. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unless Mr. Parrish learns how to drive down his acromial line, he will continue to suffer shoulder pain. Labrum surgery does not work. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 068. Two coming off surgery agree with Pirates Associated Press January 04, 2010 PITTSBURGH, PA: The Pirates have agreed to minor league contracts with right-hander Tyler Yates and left-handers Brian Burres and Neal Cotts. Yates pitched in 75 games with Atlanta in 2007 and 72 with the Pirates in 2008 before being limited to 15 appearances with Pittsburgh last season. He had reconstructive elbow surgery in July and was removed from the Pirates’ 40-man roster in October. Cotts, who pitched in 284 games with the White Sox and Cubs from 2003-09, also had reconstructive elbow surgery in July. Burres is 13-20 with a 6.08 ERA in 81 games with the Orioles (2006-08) and Blue Jays (2009). Yates would make $300,000 in the minors and $975,000 in the majors, while Cotts would make $120,000 and $900,000 and Burres would make $100,000 and $550,000. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is reconstructive elbow surgery? Do they mean Ulnar Collateral Ligament surgery? At least Mr. Burress has not had surgery. However, after giving up over six runs per game, for an excuse, he might also need 'reconstructive elbow surgery.' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 069. Dodgers among the teams looking at Noah Lowry Los Angeles Times January 06, 2010 The Dodgers are among the 14 teams that requested medical records for free agent pitcher Noah Lowry, according to Lowry's agent, Damon Lapa. Once considered among the top young left-handers in baseball, Lowry hasn't pitched in the majors in the last two seasons because of arm problems that first appeared in the summer of 2007. He underwent two surgeries in 2008, one in the spring on his forearm and another in the fall on his elbow. Lowry was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome last March, which led to him having a rib removed. Lapa said the latest procedure "relieved every one of his symptoms." "He's 100% healthy now," Lapa said. Lowry has been throwing for eight or nine weeks and is now pitching off a mound. He will work out for interested teams in Arizona later this month, and Lapa said his client wouldn't field any contract offers before then. Lowry, 29, has a career record of 40-31 with a 4.03 earned-run average. He led the Giants with 13 wins in 2005 and 14 in 2007. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To relieve every one of his symptoms, Mr. Lowry needed four surgeries. After over two years without pitching competitively, unless he has eliminated the injurious flaws that caused his previous symptoms, he will develop more symptoms. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 070. Promotions/Hirings by the Red Sox Boston Globe January 07, 2010 The Boston Red Sox have promoted Mike Reinold to Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Director, Medical Services under Medical Director Dr. Thomas Gill. Reinold has served as the club's Assistant Athletic Trainer for the past four seasons, adding the title of Rehab Coordinator prior to the 2008 campaign. Before joining the Red Sox, he spent six years as the Director of Rehab and Clinical Education at the American Sports Medicine Institute run by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL. Reinold earned a degree in physical therapy from Northeastern University and holds a doctorate in physical therapy from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. He is a certified Athletic Trainer and certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. On his blog, Mr. Reinold comments on health-related issues. Mike Reinhold ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During his time with the Red Sox, 'Pathomechanics' has not decreased, let alone eliminated the pitching injuries that Boston Red Sox pitchers have suffered. How does his record warrant a promotion? Mr. Reinhold invites readers to join him at the twenty-first annual ASMI Injuries in Baseball course. After twenty-one years of failure, I can hardly wait to hear their new cures. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 071. Yahoo Sports January 09, 2010 Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Webb cut short his normal offseason routine to return to Phoenix to continue a rehabilitation program with D-backs trainer Ken Crenshaw. Webb usually spends more time in Kentucky, where he prepares for the season by playing catch with his father, Philip, while also spending time hunting. Webb pitched only four innings last season before finally opting for shoulder surgery in early August because of nagging pain. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After four innings of his first game last year, without success, D-backs trainer Ken Crenshaw rehabilitated Mr. Webb for the entire season. Finally, after the season, Mr. Webb had surgery during which the orthopedic surgeon found nothing wrong. What has changed that would make anybody believe Mr. Crenshaw will have a different result this year? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 072. Yahoo Sports January 09, 2010 GM Dave Dombrowski comment about RHP Joel Zumaya, who has had major finger and shoulder surgeries that have contributed to him pitching less than 35 innings each of the last three seasons. "He's never going to have a 100 percent shoulder. It's just not going to happen. He had major surgery in his shoulder, and so it's not going to be 100 percent. So they have said that everything will be fine, but you still have to see it." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Until Mr. Zamaya eliminates grabbing and looping his pitching forearm and pulling his pitching upper arm, Mr. Dombrowski is correct. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 073. Yahoo Sports January 09, 2010 LHP Mark Mulder will meet with club officials in Phoenix to discuss a possible comeback attempt from a pair of rotator cuff surgeries. Once one of the top pitchers in the game, Mulder has pitched only 12 2/3 innings since 2006. New pitching coach Rick Peterson worked with Mulder in Oakland and helped with his physical rehab program last year, and he believes Mulder, 32, can make a successful comeback. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did I miss something? I thought that the Milwaukee Brewers hired Mr. Peterson. In the season before the Oakland Athletics fired Mr. Peterson, Mr. Mulder and Mr. Hudson spent time on the disabled list. Why would what Mr. Peterson believes mean anything? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 074. Yahoo Sports January 09, 2010 Despite giving up 10 home runs with a 5.80 ERA in 2009 when he pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates, on signing Matt Capps, Nationals' GM, Mike Rizzo, said: "I want him in my foxhole, because he is going to come in with it. I feel comfortable. When the bullpen gates swing open, I'm happy that No. 55 is coming out of the bullpen. That's all the evaluation I needed." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To me, it sounds as thought Mr. Capps brought gasoline to put out the fire. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 075. Daisuke Matsuzaka admits he hid injury from Red Sox The Sporting News January 10, 2010 The injury problems that have plagued Boston right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka since the 2009 World Baseball Classic might actually have predated the event, unbeknown to Red Sox officials. Matsuzaka recently told the Japanese magazine Friday that his problems all began with a leg injury he suffered while preparing to pitch for his country and evolved, because of bad mechanics, into the shoulder injury that eventually landed him on the disabled list. Dice-K admitted to the magazine that he kept the leg injury hidden from the Red Sox, according to translation of the story by The Boston Globe. He also said he tried to heal himself while remaining in the Red Sox rotation, a plan that backfired. "In hindsight," he said, "it was impossible to continue faking the whole season. It was too much mental stress." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Matsuzaka said that a leg injury caused his shoulder injury. I believe that Mr. Matsuzaka injured the front of his pitching shoulder. Front of the pitching shoulder injures result from baseball pitchers pulling their pitching upper arm forward. Therefore, a leg injury caused Mr. Matsuzaka to pull his pitching upper arm forward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 076. Davis has interest in Nationals MLB.com January 11, 2010 Free-agent pitcher Doug Davis said Sunday night he would like to play for the Nationals and help their young pitching staff, but he doesn't think he will play in Washington. Why? He was informed that the team had to address other needs such as finding a second baseman. Davis, 34, played with the D-backs this past season and went 9-14 with a 4.14 ERA. Local reporters were told at the Winter Meetings that the Nationals had interest in Davis. "I'm [willing] to go anywhere and hopefully be a difference maker for a team that needs to make a turnaround and be successful," Davis said. "On my part, of course, [there's interest]. For them, because of the signing of Jason Marquis, it kind of put them in a bind [to spend] money for starting pitching. They had to address other problems. "Possibly, when they find a second baseman, they can come back around to their starting pitching. Of course, I'm up to talking with anybody right now. Things are kind of going slow for me because I'm fifth or sixth down the line [when it comes to] starting pitching." Davis, a left-hander, has experience helping young players and that occurred in 2007. He helped the D-backs win the National League West crown by going 13-12 with a 4.25 ERA. Davis believes he can teach the young Nationals pitchers how to scout opposing teams. "I can help the young guys in a special way, how to scout the teams and show how to pitch to these guys and be successful against them," Davis said. "You also want to lead by what you do on the field, not just being successful on the field, but the way you go about your business, make sure you start every fifth day. Your team depends on you every fifth day." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Davis wants to teach the young Nationals baseball pitchers how he pitches to opposing batters. Interesting. Usually, when major league pitchers successfully get major league batters out, they keep how they do it to themselves. Why teach others how to get batters out. They may take your job. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 077. Cubs lefty Ted Lilly may miss part of season recovering from shoulder surgery The Sporting News January 12, 2010 Lefthander Ted Lilly, the Cubs’ winningest pitcher over the last three years and considered by many their rotation anchor in 2010, is recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to start a throwing program until later this month. At that pace, Lilly probably won’t be ready to pitch until a month into the season—if that soon. ”I’ve talked to him, and he seems to be doing well,” pitching coach Larry Rothschild told the Chicago Sun-Times. ”It’s shoulder surgery, which is a concern always, but they didn’t do a whole lot other than clean it up. He should be OK. We’ll see. We’re not going to know until he starts his throwing program.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr Rothchild said that the orthopedic surgeon did not do a whole lot other than clean it (pitching shoulder) up. That sounds a lot like Mr. Webb's surgery. To have surgery, Mr. Lilly must have felt pain. But, since the orthopedic surgeon did not repair anything, what caused the pain? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 078. Reds scout abroad to balance field MLB.com January 13, 2010 CINCINNATI, OH: To the casual fan, names like Aroldis Chapman, Humberto Valor, Juan Duran and Yorman Rodriguez might sound like international men of mystery. To the Reds scouting department that often scours foreign lands for players, they are viewed as a fantastic four of prized baseball talent and symbols of the improvements made in international scouting. As a small-market team with limited financial resources, the Reds have all but conceded any efforts to make major signings on the free-agent market. But in the past few years, the amateur and international signing-bonus budget has increased. And that has made the Reds as capable as the Yankees, Mets or Red Sox when competing for young talent in countries like Venezuela or the Dominican Republic. "We have very good international scouts," general manager Walt Jocketty said Monday after the Reds announced the Chapman signing. "We look at it as a way for us, in our market, to compete. We've had to step up on some of these guys. We can't go out and sign the expensive Major League free agents, so we're trying to build with the younger quality players through the Draft and international signings. That's the way we're going to have to do it." "Outside of the United States, the Dominican is the No. 1 producer of talent, followed by Venezuela," Reds senior director of scouting Chris Buckley said. "You have to scout these countries hard because there is so much talent. What happens if Cuba opens up?" The Reds aren't waiting for the Cuban embargo to be lifted. Last weekend, they successfully landed Chapman, a left-handed pitcher who defected last summer and became a free agent. The 21-year-old has a fastball in the upper 90s and has touched 100 mph on the radar gun. After a fierce bidding process against teams like the A's, Nationals, Red Sox, Angels and Marlins, the Reds came out on top by completing a $30.25 million deal over six years, with much of the money spread out over 10 years. It was a stunning move, but the bold signing emphasized the Reds' commitment to youth and using all available avenues to get talent. "I came from a program in Toronto where international scouting was big," Buckley said. "Two-fifths of our Reds rotation is from the Dominican Republic, and our closer is from the Dominican. Our catcher is from Venezuela. It's a lot like that with other teams in baseball." The Reds' relatively new player academy in the Dominican Republic helps the club be competitive in Latin America. Among the instructors is former star Mario Soto, a special assistant to the GM, who helps develop young pitchers. Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, who was signed in 2004, got his professional start at that academy in his home country. The Reds are also trying to establish footholds in the Pacific Rim. Other clubs have successfully acquired talent from Japan, Korea and Australia. Cincinnati isn't likely to spend the tens of millions of dollars required to get the veteran Japanese players who could be the next Ichiro Suzuki or Daisuke Matsuzaka. Expect them to pursue younger players who want to begin their professional careers in the United States. Buckley, along with Bill Bavasi, vice president of scouting, player development and international operations, and Tony Arias, Latin American scouting director, was planning to grab his passport again for another trip this week. The three were headed to the Dominican Republic and Venezuela to look for more talent. "We're still scouting those places very hard," Buckley said. "We're thrilled to have Aroldis, but we're on to the next project." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Jocketty said, "We can't go out and sign the expensive Major League free agents, so we're trying to build with the younger quality players through the Draft and international signings." I agree with building a winning major league baseball team starts with young quality players. However, how teams teach and train these young quality players is what will make the difference. Young quality players without structure and direction cannot become quality major league players. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 079. Smith poised for comeback in 2010: Rockies lefty shows progress at medical minicamp MLB.com January 13, 2010 DENVER, CO: Left-handed pitcher Greg Smith lived 2009 as the Rockies' forgotten man in the deal that sent outfield star Matt Holliday to the Athletics. Huston Street became the Rockies' closer. Carlos Gonzalez provided a lift to the Rockies' outfield late in the season. As for Smith, who threw 190 1/3 innings for the Athletics as a rookie in 2008, "I went through the year and every time I looked up, I saw those two letters, 'DL', beside my name. It was very tough." Two bouts with illness during Spring Training cost Smith preparation time, and in overworking to return led to shoulder inflammation, then back spasms. His 2009 amounted to 49 1/3 innings in the Minors. But, that's beginning to change. On Wednesday, Smith and several other Rockies Major and Minor Leaguers who are or have been dealing with injuries began a medical minicamp at Coors Field. But Smith, who is already into his normal off-season program, could be throwing bullpen sessions by the end of the 10-day session and should be ready when Spring Training opens next month in Tucson, AZ. "I almost forgot how it feels to be healthy," Smith said. "Every day last year, I'd go to the field and wonder, 'How am I going to feel today? What's going to hurt today? What's going to flare up next?' I was always fighting something. But now I feel good." Smith, 26, never had a problem with availability before last season. The D-backs' sixth-round pick out of LSU in the 2005 Draft, Smith was regarded highly enough that the Athletics grabbed him when they dealt Dan Haren to Arizona before the 2008 season. With the A's, Smith made 32 starts and went 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA. The record had more to do with a lack of run support, 2.88 per nine innings, the lowest for a Major League pitcher over the past 11 seasons. After the '08 campaign, Smith underwent surgery to remove "loose bodies" from his throwing elbow, but the Rockies traded for him with confidence he would be healthy enough to compete for a spot in the rotation. But, a stomach bug and shoulder inflammation derailed those hopes. "It felt like a waste," Smith said. "I sat down with [assistant general manager] Bill Geivett one day and told him how frustrating it was. It was killing me. In the end, it turned out to be invaluable information." But, it's not always easy for Smith to chalk up 2009 as one big lesson. "I don't know if I've let go of that disappointed feeling," Smith said. "I guess I have to. But before last year, I've prided myself on being able to go out there every fifth day. I guess it's a good thing that last year is fresh in my memory because I don't want it to repeat itself. I don't like that feeling where I have to sit on the bench and watch the game. "But when I started my offseason workouts, I began to say, 'OK, 2009 is behind me. It's on to 2010.'" The medical minicamp is a good way for Smith to tear 2009 off his calendar. "Last year was very tough for him, but we're optimistic," said Rockies player development director Marc Gustafson, who watched Smith go through rehab but not finish his comeback last season. "Right now, he probably has more strength than he normally would at this time." A year later than he wanted, Smith must show where he fits in the Rockies' pitching plan. Right-hander Jason Marquis has signed with the Nationals after winning 16 games last season, but the other four starters, Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel, return. Lefty Jeff Francis, who won 17 games in 2007 but pitched through pain in 2008 and missed last season because of shoulder surgery, is expected back healthy. But Smith will be trying to break into the rotation, or at least earn a spot in relief. Rockies manager Jim Tracy is intrigued by Smith's potential. "We're going to find out just as much about him probably in Spring Training as we are Jeff Francis," Tracy said. "You can't ignore the fact that he had an injury-plagued 2009, but he pitched 190-plus innings for an American League club back in 2008 and did a very, very nice job." Wherever Smith fits, he'll face a major question. With the Athletics, opponents hit into .56 ground-ball outs for every fly-ball out. This has stat analysts giving Smith a description that sounds like a reality show: Extreme Fly-ball Pitcher. Can Greg Smith find happiness letting hitters lift the ball at Coors Field? Couple his fly-ball tendencies with more than four walks per nine innings and a low strikeout rate, and there is cause for concern. However, when the Rockies scouted Smith, they noted that when his location was correct, the fly balls were not solid drives to the outfield but often weak popups that are no threat to leave any park, even one at mile-high altitude. But even before the trade, Smith was working on forcing more grounders. "Toward the end of 2008, I knew what the stats were and I started working with Curt Young, my pitching coach in Oakland, working on ways to get more sink and throwing downhill more," Smith said. "It'll be nice to get more ground balls." "So, I'm working on it. I'm a fly-ball pitcher who is trying to adapt. I'm going to try to get more ground balls, but fly-ball outs are still outs." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At Coors Field in Denver, CO in January, Mr. Smith is attending a Medical Mini-camp. I need details. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 080. Sheets to put his repaired elbow to the test: Free-agent right-hander throwing before teams on Tuesday MLB.com January 14, 2010 Free-agent starter Ben Sheets will give interested teams a chance to see how healthy his right elbow really is on Tuesday, when he holds a throwing session at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, according to ESPN.com. Sheets, who missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing surgery on the elbow, has drawn interest from six to 10 teams and said that his arm felt "fantastic," ESPN.com reported. Sheets went 86-83 with a 3.72 ERA in his first eight seasons in the big leagues, winning double-digit games seven times and finishing with an ERA under 4.00 each of his past five seasons. During his last campaign, with the Brewers in '08, he went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 31 starts while making $11 million. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Sheets had surgery on his pitching elbow. What did the surgeon do? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 081. Lidge has surgery, may miss opener: Closer undergoes arthroscopic procedure on right knee MLB.com January 14, 2010 Phillies closer Brad Lidge had what was believed to be minor arthroscopic right knee surgery on Wednesday. And though his status for Opening Day is up in the air, the procedure, his second time under the knife this off-season, isn't expected to keep him on the shelf much longer than what was anticipated after his elbow surgery in November. The surgery was more of a cleanup of loose bodies in the knee, one that was performed by team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the team announced in a news release on Thursday. Lidge is expected to begin a throwing program in 10 days, and he isn't expected to miss much of the early part of the season, if at all, the club believes. "It was not a particularly invasive procedure," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com before boarding a plane on Thursday afternoon. "We think the recovery time is two to three weeks. He should be throwing a baseball shortly. For us, it really doesn't dramatically change the start time on his clock. "We're not sure if he'll be ready by Opening Day. Again, if it's just after Opening Day, that's fine. As long as he's 100 percent healthy, that's the goal. But if he's not available by Opening Day, he'll be available soon thereafter." Speaking with MLB.com shortly after the announcement, Lidge's agent, Rex Gary, echoed Amaro's sentiments, calling the surgery "very minor" and "not a big deal." "He's feeling great," Gary said. "He's on his feet. It was very minor. They just cleaned up, arthroscopically, some loose fragments in his knee, and the real impact of this surgery is it looks like it will delay his throwing program by 10 days. That's it." As for why Lidge didn't have the surgery earlier in the offseason, Gary said, "[The knee] wasn't bothering him then." "My knee actually felt better toward the end of the season, and no major tears or anything had shown up on the MRI, so we decided just to rest it for the off-season," Lidge told CSNPhilly.com, adding that he has yet to begin throwing but could by next week. "Then it started bothering me as my off-season workouts intensified, so I called [team medical personnel] and said, 'Let's take a look at it.' I didn't want to have to grind it out through another season." For Lidge, it is his second surgery of the offseason after he had bone chips removed from his right elbow shortly after the 2009 campaign ended, and it is his third right knee surgery since the end of his '07 season with the Astros. Amaro said Lidge felt discomfort in the knee while rehabbing his elbow, which the GM said "is doing extremely well." The Phillies then gave Lidge an MRI and decided to perform what Amaro called "exploratory surgery on the knee," in which Ciccotti trimmed some cartilage and took out a loose body or two. The release described the surgery as "the removal of loose bodies and meniscal debridement." "The surgery went well, and Brad is expected to begin his throwing program in 10 days," Phillies head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said in a statement. "We're not sure if he'll be ready by Opening Day, but we don't expect that he'll be too far behind. This surgery was not directly related to any previous surgeries." Lidge, 33, blew a Major League-worst 11 saves while sporting a 7.21 ERA in '09, one year after he went 48-for-48 in save chances during the Phils' World Series championship season in '08. In his eight-year career, Lidge sports a 3.56 ERA and has converted 195 of 233 save chances. Off-season elbow and knee surgeries won't make Lidge's task of bouncing back from arguably his worst season any easier. But for now, neither side is expressing much concern. "This probably should be a speedy recovery," Lidge told CSNPhilly.com. "I'm already walking on it. I have a crutch but I'm not using it. "Opening Day remains my goal. I think there's enough time to be ready. But I want to be smart. There's no reason to rush. If I miss any time, it will probably be just a handful of days. Hopefully it would be like '08 where I missed a few days, but everything went well after that." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 2009, Mr. Lidge had an 7.21 earned run average? As a result of the pitching knee action of the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion albeit slightly modified to lessen the stress, I have a metal knee joint in my pitching knee. To those that say that non-pitching arm injuries are not important, I say, if you don't have a metal knee joint, then you have no idea what you are talking about. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, January 31, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 082. ELBOW Thanks. I just wanted to confirm what you've already taught me. I have been doing exactly the right things for the past week. The discomfort became prominent only 2.5 weeks ago, after clearly doing too much in training mode. I had also been throwing full intensity bullpens, up to 100+ pitches, almost every day for the past several months. It is remarkable that, as I advance in years to the point where I am supposed to lose velocity and endurance, according to traditional logic, I have increased in both. Of course, there are limits to everything and I approached that limit this month. After 1 week of maintenance training, the improved health is very encouraging. I expect to be ready for season start at the end of March. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your orthopedic surgeon may understand surgery, but he has no idea what happens when athletes stop practicing their competitive skills. When athletes do not practice their competitive skills (detrain), they rapidly lose the competitive fitness of those skills. Exercise Physiology researchers have found that, when athletes do not practice their competitive skills for four to eight weeks, they lose one hundred percent of the advantages they developed from their training. Conversely, when athletes practice their competitive skills throughout the year, year after year, they maintain their physiological fitness. Blood flow is critical for all types of fitness. I designed my Recoil Interval-Training programs to increase the number of capillaries that serve the muscle fiber in my baseball pitching motion motor units. Motor units are made up by a motor nerve and the muscle fibers that that motor nerve innervates. This means that cardiovascular fitness is specific to the motor units involved in an activity. For example, when we jog every day, the muscle fibers in the motor units that we use when we jog become more cardiovascularly fit for that activity. Therefore, to maintain their cardiovascular fitness for the muscle fibers in the motor units that we use to pitch baseballs, baseball pitchers must do my baseball pitching maintenance program every day. However, baseball pitching also has a motor unit contraction and relaxation sequence requirement that other athletes do not have. That means that, to throw the wide variety of high-quality pitches that baseball pitchers have to throw at maximum intensity for strikes in competition, baseball pitchers have to practice these extremely fine motor skills every day. Exercise physiology researchers have determined that when athletes practice their competitive skills at one-half the number of repetitions at intensities that escalate from one-half to the full intensity required for competition, they maintain the competitive fitness of those skills. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 083. towel snapping After I read over your your explantions of your delivery, I want to go over some points if you don't mind. These questions may sound trivial, but they are most important to me. 1. When you say, "behind the body," to me that means the arm goes behind the pitchers back, toward 1st or 3rd base, not toward 2nd base. Is that correct? 2. When you say, "power walk," to me that means they do not take a big stride. Is that correct? 3. You said "the glove arm side foot hits the ground then the pitching foot pushes off." But, in the traditional delivery, doesn't the pitching arm foot leave ground before the stride foot hits the ground? 4. You wrote, "As the center of mass of their body moves toward home plate, to apply force toward second base, my baseball pitchers use their glove arm side leg to pull their body forward." That seems very, very hard to do. Isn't it easier to do with the glove hand then the lower part of the body will follow? To me, the confusing part of any hitting or pitching instructions are the phrases, "get back," or "go back. My initial response is to go back to 2nd base. To me, "get back" means to get the ball or bat behind the body. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Yes. When I wrote, "When their pitching arm is forty-five degrees behind their body, my baseball pitchers step forward with their glove arm side leg," I meant toward second base. 02. Yes. When I wrote, "As their pitching arm continues to vertically pendulum swing backward and upward to driveline height, my baseball pitchers power walk forward with their glove arm side leg to land at the same time that their pitching arm reaches driveline height," I meant that baseball pitcher should step forward only as far as they can continue to move the center of mass of their body forward. When 'traditional' baseball pitchers stride forward seventy to ninety percent of their standing height and more, they stop the forward movement of the center of mass of their body. Because they have stopped to forward movement of the center of mass of their body before their pitching arm has started to move the baseball toward home plate, they cannot add the velocity that their pitching arm achieves to the velocity of the center of mass of their body. And, because striding that far forces baseball pitcher to bend forward at their waist, they destroy their lower back. 03. Whether with my baseball pitching motion or the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion, baseball pitchers cannot start to rotate their hips forward until after their glove foot lands. This means that, until their glove foot lands, they cannot move their pitching foot off the pitching rubber. 04. The backward pull of the glove arm initiates the forward movement of the pitching arm. Until after the hip and shoulder moves forward, the pitching arm does not start forward. Until 'traditional' baseball pitching coaches and pitchers carefully frame by frame analyze high-speed film of their baseball pitching motions, they have no idea what is going on. Your questions show that you have never analyzed high-speed film of baseball pitching. On my website, I have several high-speed film video examples of my baseball pitchers. When I find time, I will redo these videos and frame by frame evaluate these high-speed film videos and add the proper voice-overs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 084. towel snapping These points that you make are terrific. It isn't that I never analyzed high speed film. The truth is; I don't know how to anaylze them. I am guilty of the same thing all pitching and hitting instructors in the whole baseball community are. That is, I see what I believe and I don't believe what I see. This is due to my ignorance of the pitching motion since I never pitched an inning of competitive baseball. But, the instructors that know better, who are your biggest critics are guilty of pure arrogance and big egos. Until this is changes, their followers are doomed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I spend hours upgrading the videos I made for my baseball pitchers, I am concurrently developing an Evaluation Checklist for analyzing baseball pitching motions. When I post my renovated videos, I will include that checklist. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 085. Your #3 answer The point of my previous email is to find a phrase to describe the reverse pivot. What phrase would you give to the backward force provided by the front leg? Would it be "Recoil?" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When my baseball pitchers apply force toward second base with their glove arm side leg, in satifaction of Sir Isaac Newton's Law of Reaction, they are providing oppositely-directed force. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 086. Do javelin throwers use Marshall Mechanics? I do some jav throwing. In javelin, it is very important that you accelerate the hand on a very staight path. Otherwise, the javelin will not fly well and it hurts your elbow. Unlike a baseball, the javelin is aerodynamical only in one direction. That's why javelin throwers have to throw "through the tip". That's why javelin throwing coaches say 'throw straight over the top' or 'elbow high next to the ear.' Pictures of javelin throwers show that they pull very straight rotation their PAS elbow and shoulder forward and their "popping their elbow". Steve Backley Throws the Javelin Breaux Greer Javelin Photo Sequence Analysis Is this similar to Marshall Mechanics and could the use of the javelin since it requires to be thrown straight be used for baseball pitcher training? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for the link that shows photographs of Steve Backley and Breaux Greer throwing javelins. For baseball pitching purposes, I am interested in Mr. Backley's photographs 5 through 14 and Mr. Greer's Figures 13 and 14, when they release their javelins. Where baseball pitchers release their pitches straight forward, to achieve the maximum distance possible for his throw, javelin throwers release their javelins at an upward angle. Therefore, we must convert the body angle that javelin throwers use from leaning backward to standing vertically upward. First, I will analysis how Mr. Backley uses his body. 01. Photograph #6 shows that, when Mr. Backley steps forward off his throwing arm side foot, he has already moved his throwing arm into the position from which he will accelerate the javelin through release. In baseball pitching, baseball pitchers need to coordinate when their pitching arm arrives at the position from which they will accelerate their pitching arm forward with when their non-throwing arm side foot lands. 02. Photograph #10 shows that Mr. Backley appears ready for the heel of his non-throwing arm side foot to land. However, photograph #11 shows that, instead of landing on the heel of his non-throwing arm side foot, he landed with the entire dorsal surface of his non-throwing arm side foot. When humans walk, to keep the center of mass of our body moving forward, we land on the heel of our lead foot, roll across the entire dorsal surface of the dorsal surface of our lead foot, pull backward with our lead foot and drive the entire side of the trailing side of our body forward. When Mr. Backley landed on the entire dorsal surface of his non-throwing arm side foot, he stopped moving the center of mass of his body forward. 03. Photograph #14 provides the evidence that Mr. Backley stopped moving the center of mass of his body forward. Notice that, when he releases the javelin, the foot of his throwing arm side leg remains in contact with the ground where it landed. This action prevented Mr. Backley from benefiting from rotating his hips, shoulders and throwing upper arm forward through release. Now, I would like to discuss how Mr. Backley uses his throwing arm. 01. As I said earlier, "Photograph #6 shows that, when Mr. Backley steps forward off his throwing arm side foot, he has already moved his throwing arm into the position from which he will accelerate the javelin through release." With my baseball pitching motion, I call the position that Mr. Backley has his throwing arm, 'Loading the Slingshot' or 'Loaded Slingshot' for short. Mr. Backley has his throwing arm fully extended backward at the perfect height from which to drive the javelin straight forward, albeit at an upward angle. However, instead of the palm of his throwing and facing upward, I would prefer that Mr. Backley have the palm of his throwing hand facing away from his body. With the palm of his throwing hand facing upward, Mr. Backley has already outwardly rotated his throwing upper arm ninety degrees. This action decreases his ability to raise his throwing upper arm to vertically beside his head with the back of his throwing arm facing forward as you wrote that javelin throwing coaches tell them to do. 02. The movement of Mr. Backley's throwing upper arm between photographs #12 and #13 shows what I mean. Photograph #12 shows that Mr. Backley's throwing upper arm is well behind his acromial line. Photograph #13 shows that Mr. Backley's throwing upper arm remains behind his acromial line. More importantly, both photographs #12 and #13 show that Mr. Backley never fully turned the back of his throwing arm to face forward. That means that Mr. Backley used his Pectoralis Major muscle to pull his throwing arm forward. To achieve his genetic maximum release velocity, Mr. Backley and baseball pitchers need to rotate their hips, shoulders and throwing upper arm forward through release and use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle to drive their pitching upper arm forward. Figures 13 and 14 show that Mr. Greer does a much better job of rotating his hips, shoulders and throwing upper arm forward through release. Notice that, at release, where Mr. Backley had his throwing arm side upper leg at about forty-five degree behind vertical, Mr. Greer has his throwing arm side upper leg in front of vertical. Also, even though the side view makes it difficult to see clearly, it appears that Mr. Greer does turn the back of his throwing upper arm to face forward. If so, then Mr. Greer uses his Latissimus Dorsi muscle to drive his throwing upper arm forward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 087. Cleveland Indians' No. 1? Jake Westbrook; Westbrook's No. 1? A pain-free spring training Cleveland Plain Dealer January 14, 2010 CLEVELAND, OH: The Indians want Jake Westbrook to be their opening day starter April 5 in Chicago. Westbrook loves the idea, but first he has to become a pitcher again. "I'll be more than happy to take on that experience," said Westbrook in a conference call with reporters from his home in Danielsville, GA "I think I'll be ready for opening day. But for now, I just want to be one of the five starters on this team." Westbrook hasn't started a big-league game since May 28, 2008. The next month, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and hasn't tossed a pitch in an Indians uniform. Yet the state of the rotation headed into the 2010 season is such that Westbrook is manager Manny Acta's best candidate to be a No.1 starter. If he stays sound for over 40 days in the Arizona desert, it would be Westbrook's second opening day start as an Indian. Westbrook, shut down twice last season in the minors as he tried to make it back from surgery, finally saw progress in November and December pitching winter ball in Puerto Rico for Ponce. He made four starts for manager/former teammate Eduardo Perez and went 0-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 12 1/3 innings. The opposition hit .294 against Westbrook. He walked six and struck out six, but, after every start, his elbow felt better than at any point during his lengthy rehab. "Puerto Rico was awesome, a great experience," said Westbrook, 32. "My elbow felt great. It was encouraging to meet my pitch requirements and feel good the next day." Westbrook reached 80 pitches in his final start, which Acta saw in person. In spring training, Westbrook knows he's going to have to be ready to throw at least 100 pitches by the end of camp. "This injury has taught me patience, but it was frustrating," he said. "The biggest thing I want to do is be a part of this team. I want to go through everything in spring training. I haven't been able to do that for a long time." Westbrook will report to Goodyear, AZ, in mid-February, well ahead of the Feb. 21 reporting day for pitchers, catchers and injured players. He's the biggest question mark in a rotation that has a lot of things working against it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I watched Mr. Westbrook pitch in the playoffs a couple of years ago. I liked his sinker. I was surprised when I heard that he ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Usually, guys that throw sinkers pronate their pitching forearms, which means that they use their Pronator Teres muscle. While it is possible for even sinker throwers to 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce' their pitching forearm, where they do not contract their Pronator Teres muscle until after the bounce, usually, in preparation to pronate their release, they contract their Pronator Teres muscle before the bounce. When they do, the Pronator Teres muscle protects the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Of course, the far better way to protect the Ulnar Collateral Ligament is to eliminate the 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce' that eventually ruptures the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 088. Pirates' Cotts on comeback trail after surgery PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW January 15, 2010 BRADENTON, FL: Lefty reliever Neal Cotts threw long toss Thursday morning under the watchful eyes of Pirates trainers and coaches, who said his motion was smooth with good zip on the ball. "Pretty good arm action for a guy who had Tommy John surgery in early July," pitching coach Joe Kerrigan said. Cotts, who'll turn 30 in March, was with the Chicago Cubs when he had surgery. He rehabbed at the Cubs' facility in Mesa, AZ, and began throwing a few months later. "I struggled at the start," Cotts said. "But then, right after Christmas, it was like a switch just flipped on, and it all came back to me." Cotts is slated to begin throwing off a mound at the end of this month, but he is not expected to be game-ready by the start of the regular season. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After watching Mr. Cotts long toss, the Pirates' pitching coach, Joe Kerrigan said that Mr. Cotts had pretty good arm action. When baseball pitchers throw long toss, they use the crow-hop throwing rhythm. The crow-hop throwing rhythm coordinates the pitching arm and glove foot such that the pitching arm reaches driveline height at the same time that the glove foot lands. That takes stress off the front of the pitching shoulder. However, when 'traditional' baseball pitchers throw off the pitching mound, they use the 'balance position' pitching rhythm. With the 'balance position' pitching rhythm, the glove foot lands when the pitching arm is about half way through its 'Late Pitching Forearm Turnover.' 'Late Pitching Forearm Turnover' stresses the front of the pitching shoulder and leads to the 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce,' which eventually ruptures the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. I wonder whether Mr. Kerrigan has any idea about the differences between the crow-hop and balance position throwing rhythms. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 089. Hanrahan's elbow tight Pittsburgh Post-Gazette January 16, 2010 Pirate reliever Joel Hanrahan missed his scheduled pitching session yesterday because of "elbow tightness," manager John Russell said, adding that it was minor and that Hanrahan might be well enough to try again on the final day of camp today. Hanrahan pitched three bullpen sessions here, one more than most, because he arrived early. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The final day of the Pirates' camp is January 17, 2010. Mr. Hanrahn arrived early and pitched three bullpens, one more than the other pitchers. With three days between bullpens, that means that the Pirates' camp lasted no longer than two weeks. What kind of a camp is that? Who can do anything in two weeks? Did they bring these guys in only to see how they are throwing? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 090. Pirates finalize $1.35M contract with RHP Donnelly Associated Press January 18, 2010 PITTSBURGH, PA: Right-hander Brendan Donnelly finalized a $1.35 million, one-year contract with the Pirates on Monday, giving Pittsburgh another option in its veteran-thin bullpen. Once one of the majors’ top strikeout relievers as a setup man with the Angels, Donnelly has been limited to 45 games the last two seasons since reconstructive elbow surgery in August 2007. He was required to pass a physical before the Pirates completed the contract. The 38-year-old Donnelly, who can earn bonuses based on relief appearances, was 3-0 with two saves and a 1.78 ERA in 30 games with Florida last season. “Brendan Donnelly is a veteran setup type reliever who brings experience, toughness and determination to our bullpen,” general manager Neal Huntington said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Donnelly was one of the major's top strikeout set up relievers with the Angels. I wonder what the strikeout record is for a closer? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 091. Boras 'defines process' of Beltran decision: Agent suggests outfielder followed club's procedure MLB.com January 18, 2010 In response to general manager Omar Minaya recently telling New York-based media outlets his issue was not with Carlos Beltran, but with "the process" that led him to undergo a knee surgery the Mets were apparently not aware of, Beltran's heralded agent said he wanted to "define the process." Regarding the Mets' claim they did not know about Beltran's arthroscopic right-knee surgery until after the fact, Scott Boras told The Daily News that's "an internal issue [for the Mets]. Carlos Beltran was not at fault. He followed the orders of the Met doctor, who told [Beltran's doctor] to go ahead with the surgery." Beltran had his knee cleaned out by his personal physician, Dr. Richard Steadman, in Vail, CO, last Wednesday morning and is expected to be sidelined 12 weeks. Boras told the Daily News that Steadman called the Mets' physician, Dr. David Altchek, on Tuesday afternoon, and "after hearing Steadman's diagnosis, Altchek gave the OK." "If Altchek and the Mets didn't want the surgery and the Mets didn't want the surgery, Altchek had the authority and control to direct Steadman not to do it," Boras told the publication. "Omar spoke to Carlos after Dr. Altcheck made his decision, and if the Mets chose to stop what Dr. Altchek initiated, they had every opportunity to tell Carlos during that conversation or any time that evening. Altchek's decision to proceed was the correct one, as Steadman found 20-30 cartilage fragments in the knee, and now Carlos has a chance to return early in the season. "Without doing that, he may have been lost to the Mets for a substantial part of the season. Altchek did his job well. And Carlos is a dutiful employee." Minaya told several news outlets on Friday that he indeed talked to Beltran on Tuesday night and did not disagree with the surgery, but also didn't give his center fielder the go-ahead, instead telling Beltran it's "OK, as long as we follow the protocol," he recounted to The New York Times. The Mets have reportedly sent a letter to Boras, expressing their unhappiness with the way things played out in order to reserve any legal rights they may have regarding Beltran's contract. The matter has also been brought to the attention of the Major League Baseball Players Association, which said in an e-mail last week: "Based on the facts as we currently understand them, the Mets have no basis to assert that Carlos Beltran violated his contract." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Early in my career with the Montreal Expos, during spring training, the general manager told me that I had to stay in the hotel with the other players. After a moment, I told him that I preferred to live elsewhere, but I would let him know how to contact me. When I needed back surgery, I had back surgery. When I signed my contract, I only agreed to play baseball for their team, nothing else. I work with anybody, but for nobody. Beyond for whom Mr. Beltan plays baseball, that Mr. Boras or anybody else has the right to tell Mr. Beltran what he can and cannot legally do is ridiculous. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 092. MLB.com January 19, 2010 ...The Carlos Beltran controversy over his knee surgery caused many agents to ask why MLB and the union cannot agree upon an independent board of doctors that can be consulted for independent opinions? Everyone in the business understands that the Mets did not insure Beltran, so that when team physician Dr. David Altcheck and trainer Ray Ramirez signed off on Dr. Richard Steadman's decision to perform arthroscopic surgery in Vail, CO, it was clear they were afraid that their worst time-frame fears might be realized and that Beltran could be out for, and paid for, much of the 2010 season. The assumption is that COO Jeff Wilpon had to know of the decision. He decides who is signed, and for what. Three agents last week said that he runs the Mets' committee. As it turns out, Steadman removed 20 to 30 fragments of ligament that caused Beltran considerable pain, and Beltran likely will be playing much sooner than had the Mets waited or done nothing. But, Wilpon's handling of the situation and the attempt to spin it off on agent Scott Boras may widen the suspicions between the club and its best player. "The nature of the club doctor-owner relationship is in itself a conflict of the doctor-patient relationship," said one agent. "One team had a doctor pay them to be their 'team doctor' because of the publicity. We've seen the questions raised in the cases of Scott Rolen and Chris Carpenter in St. Louis." Not to mention Bay in Boston. At last season's All-Star break, the Red Sox offered Bay four years and $60 million. At first, the offer was rejected, and Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, asked for six years with a $19 million average annual value. Near the end of July, Bay changed his mind and decided that he was so happy in Boston he would stay. Urbon flew to Boston to prepare for the signing and ensuing news conference. But, when Bay underwent his pre-signing physical, Dr. Thomas Gill and the orthopedics at Massachusetts General Hospital raised several red flags. They claimed that one knee had issues and the other was bone-on-bone. The club then said that the deal as agreed upon was off and that the offer had to be two years guaranteed, with two years of vesting options based on health. According to Urbon, the club also wanted Bay to pick up a portion of the insurance costs. Urbon and Bay sought a second opinion that did not share the concerns about Bay's knee. Urbon cited the fact that Bay hadn't been on the disabled list in five years, so Bay decided to play it out. To everyone's credit, Bay never complained publicly. He hit 16 homers the last two months and led all AL outfielders in OPS. Urbon did not engage in a public firefight with the Red Sox, and Epstein refused to release their medical information because "he played his heart out for us." At the Winter Meetings, Epstein increased the offer to include a third guaranteed year and was turned down. He made a brief run at Holliday, then signed Lackey. Urbon and Bay moved on, and though it took so long for him to sign with the Mets that many felt he didn't want to play there, that notion was wrong. Bay wanted to play for the Mets, but they wanted due diligence on the knee issues, and when they were convinced he was fine, they signed him. New York's Dr. Altcheck is very well respected. Steadman had a different idea, and Beltran was at ease with it. Dr. Gill is one of the most respected orthopedics and ethical people in the world's finest medical community; he had concerns, and some other doctors, including Altcheck, did not. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With regard to baseball pitching injuries and rehabilitation, I know that orthopedic surgeons know nothing. Therefore, I would never agree to allow them to determine what I could or could not do. Therefore, the idea that Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association would agree on an Independent Board of Orthopedic Surgeons that controlled how baseball pitchers applied force to the baseball or trained is ridiculous. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 093. Giants trade righty Valdez to Blue Jays: Club sends injury-marred pitcher to Toronto for cash MLB.com January 20, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Merkin Valdez's injury-marred tenure with the Giants officially ended Wednesday, when the club traded the right-hander to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations. This ended the process that began last Thursday, when the Giants designated Valdez for assignment to clear a roster spot for first baseman Aubrey Huff. Valdez, 28, never fully realized the promise that excited the Giants when they obtained him and left-hander Damian Moss from Atlanta for right-hander Russ Ortiz on Dec. 17, 2002. He showed enough potential to be named the organization's player of the year by USA Today in '03, rated San Francisco's No. 1 prospect (ahead of Matt Cain) in '04 and selected to the World team for the All-Star Futures Game each year from 2003-05. But Valdez, who switched from starting to relieving in 2006, struggled to gain command of his pitches, when he was healthy enough to perform, that is. He endured shoulder tendinitis in 2004 and shoulder inflammation in '05 before undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in September '06. That procedure shelved him for the '07 season. Valdez made the Opening Day roster in '08 and had a 1.69 ERA in 17 appearances before a strained throwing elbow sidelined him in mid-May. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 2004, Mr. Valdez had shoulder tendonitis. In 2005, Mr. Valdez had shoulder inflammation. In 2006, Mr. Valdez ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Mr. Valdez rehabilitated through the 2007 season. In 2008, Mr. Valdez stained his pitching elbow. Too bad that this proposed Independent Board of Orthopedic Surgeons was not available to tell Mr. Valdez what he should do. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 094. Oswalt feels he'll bounce back: New workout routine has righty confident in health MLB.com January 20, 2010 Oswalt would have pitched through the back trouble had the Astros been in a pennant race, but with 181 1/3 innings and 30 starts under his belt, the club wisely decided to shut him down. A specialist recommended Oswalt cut back on his running and do more core-strengthening exercises to get prepared for 2010, and the new regimen has worked. He's working out once in the morning and the afternoon and only recently started throwing a baseball, so he'll get a better idea how his back responds during Spring Training. "I'm doing all the exercises they showed me to do as far as strengthening the lower back and doing a little bit less long cardio and a little more short stuff, like quick bursts here and there," Oswalt said. "Instead of running three or four miles, I'm trying to do a little more accelerating stuff." Oswalt, 32, went 8-6 with a 4.12 ERA last year and set a franchise record with 16 no-decisions before finishing the year on the disabled list. Oswalt has been diagnosed with a bulging disk that causes hip pain and has caused numbness in his hand. "I think people read into it a little too much it," Oswalt said. "I'll be ready when it gets time to go. This new workout stuff should help a lot." Oswalt, who joined teammates Geoff Blum and Pedro Feliz and Astros legend Craig Biggio on the Astros' Winter Caravan tour Wednesday with stops in Galveston County and NASA, said he quickly lost 12 pounds on the new workout routine. "I feel like I'm getting in shape quicker this way," Oswalt said. "I just started throwing this week. I've been lifting [weights] for couple of months now, and it seems like it's coming together well." In some ways, there's a case that last season was an aberration for Oswalt. Not only did he post career-lows in wins and ERA, he pitched two games in the World Baseball Classic in March, and made three more appearances in exhibitions, and already had a few innings under his belt when he reached Opening Day. "I only missed three starts and started five in the WBC, so that's 35 starts," Oswalt said. "I think I'll be in good shape. [The back problem] is not in the back of my head or anything like that. If I have to, I can pitch through it and hopefully for the entire season I'll be pain-free." While spending his off-season in rural Mississippi and helping the day-to-day operations with his restaurant he opened in November, Oswalt kept an eye on the Astros. He liked the addition of Brett Myers to strengthen the rotation. "I think we're going to be OK if Myers comes in and pitches good and Wandy [Rodriguez] pitches the way he did last year," Oswalt said. "The biggest thing is health. Most teams you see in the World Series, they stay healthy the whole year. That's the biggest key in the big leagues. The talent is there, but we have to put it all together and stay healthy. Adding a new manager and a pitching coach is a help for us." Oswalt has liked what he's heard so far from new manager Brad Mills and is excited about working with new pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, who spent the previous five seasons with the Blue Jays and is a veteran of six Major League seasons as a player. Arnsberg got a ringing endorsement from former Astros pitching coach and current Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey. "I think it's going to work out well," Oswalt said. "He fits our club well. We have some guys on the team that have the same background as he does. A lot of people from the side don't know what it's like to get on the field. Being out there, he can understand how hard the game is, and you learn a lot from guys who had trouble getting through the season when they're hurting." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A specialist recommended Oswalt cut back on his running and do more core-strengthening exercises... ." Mr. Oswalt has lower back pain. Striding so far that he cannot continue to move the center of mass of his body forward through release forces Mr. Oswalt to bend forward at his waist. The repetitive bending forward at his waist has destroyed the intervertebral disk between his fifth Lumbar and first Sacral vertebrae. Therefore, the damaged intervertebral disk presses against the motor nerves that exit the vertebral column between L5 and S1. When humans run, they do not bend forward at their waist. Therefore, running, even in short bursts, does nothing to correct the problem. When athletic trainers say 'core-strengthening exercises, they mean sit-ups and back arches. These exercises do nothing to correct the problem. Eventually, Mr. Oswalt will need surgery to prevent the damaged intervertebral disk from irritating the motor nerves. The only cure for Mr. Oswalt's problem is to power step forward only as far as allows Mr. Oswalt to continue to move the center of mass of his body forward through release. In 1977, to eliminate the excruciating pain from the intervertebral disk between my fifth Lumbar vertebrae and my first Sacral vertebrae from pressing on the motor nerves that exit the spinal column between those two vertebrae, I had that damaged intervertebral disk removed. I want thank those 'traditional' baseball pitching coaches that told me to stride forward seventy to ninety percent of my standing height. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 095. Sheets story high risk, high reward MLB.com January 21, 2010 Now that Ben Sheets has once again displayed that he has a pulse and can throw off a mound for a few innings without needing to be hospitalized, some club will take a chance on him. That club could get the man who once had brilliant stuff, the man who was so impressive that he started the 2008 All-Star Game for the National League. Or that club could get the guy who, because of injury, missed parts of 2005, 2006 and 2007, and all of 2009. Sheets threw earlier this week for scouts representing eight teams, and by all accounts, he threw well. He threw his fastball and topped out in the low 90s. He mixed in his curve, which was often a devastatingly effective pitch for him. He threw without hitches, without restrictions. Sheets missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing elbow surgery, and had his bid for a lucrative free agency postponed and damaged as well. But, the successful workout this week is bound to summon forth memories of how good he was on those occasions when he was healthy. And that, in turn, can increase the chances for the successful resumption of Sheets' career, both competitively and financially. Sheets is reportedly seeking a contract in the range of $7 million to $8 million for 2010. If he's healthy, that's a bargain, given the current, inflated market for pitching. If he's not, it's simply a mistake. But it is a chance that some club will be willing to take, because a healthy Sheets has typically been a remarkably good Sheets. His 86-83 record in no way demonstrates his worth, because early in his career, when he enjoyed consistent good health, he was pitching for some distinctly below-average clubs in Milwaukee. When he reached full effectiveness, that achievement was not reflected in his record. Take, for instance, the 2004 season. Sheets was a mere 12-14, but his ERA was 2.70, and he walked 32 while striking out 264. That ratio is somewhere between excellent and astounding. Sheets was an extraordinary pitcher working in relative obscurity. As the Brewers got better, Sheets' availability diminished. When he was healthy and the club was improved, the result was excellence, the kind of thing in the first half of 2008 that earned Sheets the All-Star start. But even in that season, as the Brewers qualified for the postseason for the first time in 26 years, Sheets was not available at the end. How much better would the Brewers' chances have been if they could have thrown a healthy Sheets, rather than Jeff Suppan, at the Phillies in the deciding NL Division Series game? The history of injuries is on the negative side of the ledger, and it is not inconsequential. On the plus side, Sheets is 31. He can easily be categorized as well rested. And there is the matter of his considerable ability, combined with the fact that when he was free of aches and pains, strains and sprains, he demonstrated competitive tenacity. After his throwing session this week, Sheets said, "I've been healthy before in my life, and I feel every bit as good as I have in any point of my career. That's what I judge off of. What happens tomorrow or in seven years from now, I don't know. We are all kind of a walking time bomb, and any injury can happen at any time. But at this point, right now, I feel great." That "walking time bomb" reference is probably a very accurate portrayal of how the injury situation appears to Sheets. He's working well, winning games, striking out hitters, and boom, he can't pitch anymore. But at this point, the question is how his physical status appears to his potential employers. Rumors have linked him to nearly one third of the teams in baseball, at this point including, but not limited to, the teams that viewed his workout, the Cubs, Mets, Rangers, Dodgers, Phillies, Blue Jays, Reds and Athletics. Some of these clubs have publicly stated that his asking price is too high. And if that price includes a second year with a player option, the complaint is even more understandable. But, barring a sudden relapse, some team will give Sheets a shot. There is still some question as to how much money that team will give him along with that shot, but it won't be nickels and dimes. Sheets hasn't pitched since 2008, but he hasn't had an ERA over 4.00 in a season since 2003. From 2004 to 2008, he walked 152 and struck out 785. This is where someone takes a chance, a gamble, a calculated risk, you name it. Sheets could be the difference, the starting pitcher who turns a contending team into a postseason team. Or he could be the kind of miscalculation that eventually sends a general manager searching for another way to earn a living. High risk, high reward, Ben Sheets is available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After his throwing session this week, Sheets said, "We are all kind of a walking time bomb, and any injury can happen at any time. But at this point, right now, I feel great." Mr. Sheets has no idea why he has suffered so many pitching injuries. Maybe, that proposed Independent Board of Orthopedic Surgeons can tell him. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 096. Penny a good fit for the Cardinals: Righty excited to play for the team he cheered for as a kid MLB.com January 21, 2010 ST. LOUIS, MO: It seems that it was only a matter of time before Brad Penny became a Cardinal. An Oklahoma native, Penny had long had one eye on the possibility of pitching in St. Louis. And it's fair to say that plenty of eyes within the Cardinals organization had been on the big right-hander for quite some time. Manager Tony La Russa, for one, had coveted Penny long before he finally signed a one-year contract to join the Redbirds rotation. "Whenever you don't like a guy pitching against you, when his day comes him and you think, 'Oh, boy, this is not going to be fun for us,' you think, 'It would sure be nice to have him on our team,'" La Russa said. He's been a guy that I did not think it would be a comfortable day for us. So now he's on our side." Penny likewise had always been aware of the appeal of pitching close to home. Up until this season, the entirety of his career has been spent pitching on one of the two coasts. Now he's back in the middle, and looking forward to it. "I've always wanted to play here," Penny said. "It was my favorite team growing up. My dad was always a Dodgers fan and I was a Cardinal fan. So I'm excited." Perhaps more striking is that Penny also views himself as a fit as far as pitching philosophy. Known best as a power pitcher, Penny said it won't be any problem for him to embrace pitching coach Dave Duncan's emphasis on quick outs. "I've never really been [a strikeout pitcher]," Penny said. "I was in the Minor Leagues, but as far as being in the big leagues, I've never been a real strikeout guy. I don't even know my total for a season. I've tried to pitch to contact. That's how you get deep into games." That's surely music to Duncan's ears. Pitch efficiency has rarely been a strong suit for Penny, but if he commits to quick outs, it's likely that Duncan can help him shore up that aspect of his game. Penny has averaged 16.1 pitches per inning over his career. By comparison, Adam Wainwright has averaged 15.5 for his career, and Chris Carpenter has been under 15 in each of his full seasons in St. Louis. Penny has the stuff. It's a matter of harnessing it more consistently than he has, and perhaps Duncan is the perfect man to help him do it. "I'm sure there's going to be some changes," Penny said. "I've heard great things about him, and I'm definitely going to listen to him and see if I can bring it onto the field." His new teammates are looking forward to finding out. "I met him at the All-Star Game," Carpenter said. "I know he's a real big guy, throws the ball real hard. And I know that he's a competitor. I've competed against him on the other side a bunch of times. And I also know that when he takes the baseball on any given day, you've got a chance to win. So I'm excited about throwing him out there every fifth day and watching him do his work." And in fact, Penny is looking forward to tapping some of Carpenter's knowledge. "Carpenter reminds me a lot of [Roy] Halladay in the way he pitches," Penny said. "Every pitch has a purpose. I haven't seen Wainwright as much as I have Carp, but I'm excited. I'm definitely going to learn from them." One other thing worth noting: it's not like Penny has been a slug until now. He has a 4.14 career ERA, and as recently as 2007 he posted a 3.03 mark and finished third in the Cy Young voting. If he can get better than that, the Cardinals really have something on their hands. "[I'm] trying to get a little smarter," he said. "I'm not just trying to overpower everyone anymore. I think when I was younger I was just trying to throw the ball by everyone. I think you learn everywhere you go, and you've got to take every experience you have and try to make something good out of it." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maybe, Carp will show Mr. Penney his copy of my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video. I am sure that Mr. Duncan would be pleased. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 097. Tigers reliever Zumaya looking strong in workouts The Sporting News January 25, 2010 The Detroit News reports Tigers fireballer Joel Zumaya is working hard in Florida (Lakeland, FL) to rehab the surgically repaired shoulder that has diminished his effectiveness over the last three years. And word is that Zumaya is looking a lot more like the mean machine he was as a rookie in 2006. Tigers trainer Kevin Rand told manager Jim Leyland last week that Zumaya has said his shoulder is "the best it’s felt in two years." Pitching coach Rick Knapp visited Zumaya and reported, "I like what I’ve seen recently. All the indications are that he’s healthy, that he feels good and strong, and that there’s not a weak link in his delivery." To which Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski added, "he’s been cleared (to pitch) 100 percent. If he didn’t have an injury history, you’d say he’s ready to go." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Knapp said, "... there’s not a weak link in his (Mr. Zumaya's)delivery." Does Mr. Knapp understand what injurious flaw in Mr. Zumaya's pitching motion injured his surgically-repaired pitching shoulder? If he does not, then how can he know that Mr. Zumaya does not still has that weak link in his delivery? Without charge, I will gladly take video and high-speed film of Mr. Zumaya and make a DVD like I make for my baseball pitchers. Then, Mr. Knapp could see whether Mr. Zumaya still has that weak link. I live less than thirty minutes away from Lakeland, FL. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 098. Johan's return to mound goes smoothly: Ace throws 24 pitches in bullpen session at Mets minicamp MLB.com January 26, 2010 A Mets team coming off an injury-depleted season got some much-needed good news from its ace on Tuesday morning, when Johan Santana reportedly threw a successful, and healthy, bullpen session at the club's minicamp in Port St. Lucie, FL. Santana, as reported by The New York Post, arrived at the Mets' Spring Training complex a little before 10 a.m. ET, and after some running and light tossing, threw 24 pitches over a six-minute span in the bullpen and was later seen laughing with manager Jerry Manuel and general manager Omar Minaya. It was Santana's first time on the mound since he had bone chips removed from his throwing elbow in September. The 30-year-old left-hander also mixed in some changeups, and his goal is to crank it up to 90 pitches by the end of Spring Training, the Post added. According to The New York Daily News, Santana said he can now extend fully, which the elbow prevented him from doing late last season. The Venezuela native will wait until the second week of the Mets' Grapefruit League schedule to pitch in a game, the Daily News added. "I'm feeling good," Santana told reporters in Florida on Monday. "Time will tell, but I am feeling good. We did a pretty good job with the off-season, working out and doing all the rehab, and I'm feeling good. Everything is on schedule. "I can't wait to be out in Spring Training and see where we're at to put everything together for Opening Day." In his 10th season in 2009, Santana went 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA but made just 25 starts, his lowest since being a part-time reliever with the Twins in '03, before shutting it down in late August. At the time, Santana said he would've pitched through the pain in his elbow if the Mets were in contention. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bone chips are actually pieces of hyaline cartilage that break off the ends of bones as a result of two bones banging together. If the two bones are the olecranon process and fossa, then Mr. Santana supinates the releases his breaking pitches. To eliminate this injury, Mr. Santana needs to learn how to pronate the releases of all his pitches. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 099. Jays' McGowan takes step forward: Pitcher could be in rotation mix with successful rehab MLB.com January 29, 2010 TORONTO, ON: Dustin McGowan took a step toward putting himself in the mix for a spot on the Blue Jays' pitching staff on Friday morning, throwing off a mound without suffering any setbacks. The same could not be said following a similar bullpen session during the summer. This time around, Toronto's training staff told Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos that McGowan looked great and was pain free. It was a positive development in what has been a long recovery process from right shoulder surgery for the right-hander. "We're taking it step-by-step," Anthopoulos said. "But, we're not looking too far ahead. We don't want to build any expectations or timelines or anything like that. He threw off a mound today. He didn't have any pain or any soreness. It went well and he looked good, and it's a step in the right direction." McGowan, who will turn 28 in March, was viewed as a potential future ace until a right shoulder injury sidelined him midway through the 2008 season. McGowan underwent an operation to repair fraying of the labrum in his arm that July. Last season, the pitcher also suffered a right knee injury that required surgery. If McGowan proves to be healthy and the Jays believe he is worthy of a spot on the Opening Day roster, either as a starter or a reliever, he could change the landscape of a young, inexperienced rotation that has multiple jobs up for grabs. With ace Roy Halladay now traded to the Phillies, the Blue Jays have a wide-open race for starting jobs. In order to realistically figure into that competition, McGowan has to have an outstanding spring. "There's still a long road in this process," Anthopoulos said. "He has to pass so many tests and make sure he continues to bounce back without any soreness or pain. It's just part of the process. We're not getting ahead of ourselves." McGowan had his best season as a starter in 2008, when he posted a 4.37 ERA over 19 starts, going 12-10 with a 4.08 ERA overall for Toronto. While McGowan will enter Spring Training as a big unknown for the Blue Jays, right-hander Shaun Marcum is a different story. All reports have indicated that Marcum, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow, will be ready to compete as a leading candidate for a spot in the rotation. "He's doing very, very well," Anthopoulos told fans at the Blue Jays State of the Franchise event on Thursday night. "There's no restrictions. No limitations at all. He looks great. He's going to come into camp with full guns-a-blazing. We think he's going to be ready to go to pitch, hopefully, a full season for us and have a great year." Marcum, 23-15 with a 3.85 ERA in his career as a starter for Toronto, could be in the mix for the rotation's No. 1 job. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. McGowen is recovering from Labrum surgery and Mr. Marcum is recovering from Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgery. Unfortunately, nowhere in this article could I find what they are doing to recover. Certainly, I did not read how Mr. McGowen has learned how to prevent the excessive side-to-side movement of his pitching upper arm that injured his Labrum or how Mr. Marcum has learned how to prevent the 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce' that ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Therefore, I predict that we will read about these two young men and their pitching injuries again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100. Liriano's winter work has Twins excited: Lefty looking to compete for fifth spot in rotation MLB.com January 31, 2010 MINNEAPOLIS, MN: The Twins have made additions over the winter to boost their starting lineup, but the pitcher who could perhaps have the biggest impact on their rotation is one that's already familiar to Twins fans, Francisco Liriano. Liriano is coming off his worst season with the Twins, having gone 5-13 with a 5.80 ERA in 2009, but the left-hander has bounced back this winter while pitching for Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter Leagues. He helped the club earn a postseason berth and then went 3-1 with a 0.49 ERA in seven playoff starts, while recording 47 strikeouts and five walks in 37 innings. It's the type of performance that has the Twins cautiously optimistic of what Liriano could bring to the club in 2010. "He could be our ace in the hole," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said this weekend during the club's annual fan festival, TwinsFest. "We said a few years ago that this guy is potentially a No. 1 [starter]. Everybody is always looking for No. 1 guys. I don't want to put pressure on him and say he's a No. 1 guy. But he's had No. 1 stuff and he's had No. 1 success before. You never know what's going to happen but it could be very entertaining." "I've got my confidence back," Liriano said. "This winter is the best I've felt." Liriano finished off his tremendous run in winter ball as the winning pitcher for Leones del Escogido in the Domincan Winter League championship game on Thursday night. He pitched five scoreless innings, striking out 10 while allowing one hit, to defeat Gigantes del Cibao, the club of his current Twins teammate, Alexi Casilla. "He killed me," Casilla said with a laugh when asked about Liriano's winter performance in the Dominican. "He kill everyone." The reports out of winter ball were that Liriano's velocity had gone up, with his fastball topping out at 95-96 mph on the radar gun and his slider in the high 80s. While Liriano's radar readings in the Dominican have at times been skewed, the pitcher said he's noticed a significant difference in the way he's throwing. "I'm throwing a little harder now and I've got better control," Liriano said. "I'm locating my fastball better. My slider is way better too. The first year coming back from my surgery, my arm didn't hurt at all, but I didn't have the power in it. Now I feel stronger than before." That's why this recent performance in winter ball has everyone excited, including Liriano. "[It was like], this is me," Liriano said of the way he was throwing. "That's the way I know how to pitch. Not worry about anything or any hitter. Just go out there and try to throw first pitch strikes and locate my fastball. I feel like I did in '06, I have my confidence back. My arm feels great. Physically and mentally I'm ready to go. "I think Francisco realizes this is a big year for him," Twins general manager Bill Smith said. "And this is a big year for him." Liriano will head to Spring Training in the mix for a starting job, but he'll also be an option for the bullpen if he doesn't earn the fifth spot in the rotation. His preference of course is to be a starter and so for now Liriano is focused on proving to the Twins that last season's struggles were just a fluke. "I am going to go out there and show them I'm ready," Liriano said. "And hopefully [that means] I can be in the starting rotation." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Liriano had Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgery. After any surgery, baseball pitchers struggle to believe that their repaired pitching arm will hold up. It appears that Mr. Liriano has moved past that concern. However, unless Mr. Liriano has eliminated the 'Reverse Pitchign Forearm Bounce' injurious flaw that ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament before, he will do it again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101. Rowland-Smith excited for fresh start in '10: Left-hander looking forward to learning from co-ace Lee MLB.com January 30, 2010 SEATTLE, WA: One of the first things Mariners left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith plans to do when he reports to Spring Training next month is introduce himself to Cliff Lee and begin a teacher-student relationship. "I am really looking forward to meeting him, being around him, and seeing what his work habits are," Rowland-Smith said. "I have always enjoyed watching him pitch and I can learn a lot from him. I can't wait to pick his brain. I hope he doesn't mind." Rowland-Smith, the leading candidate to join Lee and ace right-hander Felix Hernandez at the top of the Mariners' five-man starting rotation this season, looked and sounded ready to go on Saturday afternoon during FanFest at Safeco Field. "You look forward to the start of Spring Training every year," he said, "but even more so this year because there was such a positive environment last season." Rowland-Smith contributed five wins to the Mariners' 85-win season, spending most of the first half of the campaign on the outside looking in. He broke camp in the rotation, but suffered left triceps tendinitis in his first start of the regular season and was either on the disabled list or on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma until July 24. The Australian native pitched well enough down the stretch, especially at home where he had a 2.70 ERA and put him in position to warrant strong consideration for a spot in the rotation this season. "I think Rowland-Smith made huge strides last year," pitching coach Rick Adair said of the lefty who compiled a 5-4 record and 3.74 ERA in 15 starts, giving him a record of 11-7 and solid 3.62 ERA after 88 Major League appearances and 27 starts. Rowland-Smith, 27, admitted on Saturday that he became frustrated last summer when he wasn't promoted earlier. "I was frustrated," he said. "Anyone in my situation would. It was tough dealing with an injury for the first time, missing a big chunk of the season and then proving that I can pitch at the Major League level on the field. "It's easy to look back now and say it a lot more positive than negative. I learned from it." "I am taking a different approach this season," he said. "I am not going to worry about where I'm going to wind up, or how many games I'm going to win or how many innings I'm going to pitch. "I will take it one outing at a time, whether it's in April, July or September, and try to get deep into every game I pitch. That's my goal. If I can do that, the numbers will take care of themselves." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In his first start of the regular season, Mr. Rowland-Smith suffered left triceps tendinitis. To extend their pitching elbow, 'traditional' baseball pitchers do not use their Triceps Brachii muscle. Instead, they use the centripetal force of the 'Pitching Forearm Flyout' injurious flaw inherent in their 'traditional' baseball pitching motion. Therefore, Mr. Rowland-Smith did not have Triceps tentinitis. Instead, as a result of supinating the releases of his breaking pitches, Mr. Rowland-Smith was banging the two bones in the back of his pitching elbow together. Therefore, the orthopedic surgeon misdiagnosed his injury and the trainers designed an ineffective rehabilitation program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, February 14, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101. Maintence or rest I gave my son time off from everything when his fall season ended on November 1. I thought that kids were supposed to get time off, not continue with "maintenance". Therefore, he did not have sufficient time to complete the 120 day program. Since he's at 15 lb WWs, I wasn't sure if he should stay at the same weight (15 lbs etc.), at 24 reps or drop to the 10 lb WW's with the season about to start, to avoid "regression". I'm not sure if this matters, but he's about 18 months biologically advanced. So, just to be 100% clear going forward, he should: 1. continue at 15 lb WW's and 8 lb IB's, both at 24 reps (in addition to the warm-up exercises), using the drop out wind-up pendulum swings, right through until the fall season ends on November 1. 2. On November 1, start the 120-day HS program at the same 15 lb WW's and 8 lb IB's so that he can finish the program for February 1, which will give him a month to come out of regression. 3. For the month preceding the next season, increase the WW and IB weights, (starting at 12 reps?) and working up to 24 reps and continue that until it's time to start another 120-day training program in November. Questions: 1. Isn't the weight going to 20 lbs too much or does this provide the opportunity, by adding 5 lbs each year, to get really strong by the time you're a Junior in HS. 2. Should you add the suggested (line) to the following? "I invite all parents and youth pitchers to join my Research Study Club. In this way, we will monitor the growth and development of the growth plates of their pitching arms. I will also evaluate the rate of their skeletal maturation. Together, we can make certain that youth pitchers have all the pleasure of baseball without the pain and deformation of their pitching arm. I do not want biological sixteen through eighteen year old pitchers to train for pitching for more than four months per year. (However, to not lose what they've gained, they need to continue at a 24 repetition "maintenance" level until they begin the next 120-day program.) I want them to pitch no more than twice through a lineup in one game and once through a lineup in a second game per week against opposing teams. I want biological sixteen through eighteen year old pitchers to learn how to competitively use my four basic pitches: Maxline Fastball, Maxline True Screwball, Maxline Pronation Curve and Torque Fastball." In essence, there is no "time off". I had read elsewhere in your Q&A files that your pitchers were "training, maintaining or pitching," but I thought that that applied to adult pitchers, not HS pitchers. Hope what I wrote wasn't confusing. I'm just trying to nail it down. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'it' that you are trying to nail down is my vascillating behind. High School baseball pitchers should do my 120-Day program every year. They should pitch competitively for 120 days every year. Therefore, they should have 120 days without training or pitching competitively every year. The question is what they should do when they are not training or pitching competitively. The difficulty is in how he prepares for the competitive season. The better idea is to finish the 120-Day training program two months before the competitive season begins. The competitive season starts with the first game in which he pitches. However, if he does nothing for two months before the first game in which he pitches, then he will have lost all the micro-anatomical advantages that he gained from the 120-Day training program. Therefore, for those two months, he needs to maintain his fitness. Nevertheless, for two months after he competitively pitches for 120 days, I prefer that that he does not train, pitch competitively or maintain. The problem is that I know that he will lose all the micro-anatomical advantages that he gained from competitively pitching. Therefore, the question is, in the long run, is it better to maintain or abstain. While I prefer that he abstain, I do not know whether maintaining or abstaining causes the worse problem. With regard to mastering the skills, maintaining is better. However, with regard to stressing the bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles associated with baseball pitching, abstaining is better. While I prefer two months of abstaining, I have no big problem with two months of maintaining. Therefore, until several young men try both ways and we see whether either group has difficulties, I do not have an answer. Whichever he does, when he becomes biologically nineteen years old, then, for as long as he wants to continue to pitch competitive, he needs to train, maintain and/or pitch competitively every day. In conclusion, despite what I wrote that you quoted, I recommend that: If he starts pitching competitively on April 01, then, after August 01, he should not pitch competitively. From August 01 until November 01, he should not train, pitch competitively or maintain. On November 01, he should start my 120-Day training program. On February 01, he should start my maintenance program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103. Tommy John Surgery I am a graduate student in sport psychology. In one of my courses, I am supposed to research a sport science and its effectiveness. I have decided to research Tommy John surgery and its effectiveness with Major League pitchers. I saw the special on Real Sports that featured your method of pitching, and it was quite remarkable how you can teach a new way for pitchers to be effective without throwing out their arms. As you know, many pitchers get Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL and prolong their careers. I was wondering what your opinion is about Tommy John surgery and whether or not it is truly necessary or effective for pitchers, why and why not. I have a pretty good idea of what your stance is, but I would really like to hear it from you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When compared with baseball pitchers that do not rupture their Ulnar Collateral Ligaments, baseball pitchers that rupture their Ulnar Collateral Ligament and require surgery to replace their Ulnar Collateral Ligament with the tendon of the Palmaris Longus muscle in their pitching forearm or part of the Pes Anserinus in their glove arm side knee, do not prolong their careers. 01. They lose about two years having the surgery, rehabilitating from the surgery and becoming confident that they can pitch again. 02. Because the replacement tendon cannot physiologically respond to stress, the replacement tendon requires less time to rupture again. 03. Despite the misconception that 'Tommy John' surgery makes the pitching elbow stronger and enables these baseball pitchers to throw at higher release velocities than they ever could do before the surgery, within a year or two, as they tear more and more of the connective tissue that makes up the replacement tendon, their velocity decreases to non-competitive velocities. Therefore, the only solution to Ulnar Collateral Ligament ruptures is to not rupture the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Fortunately, to not rupture the Ulnar Collateral Ligament is very easy to do. All baseball pitchers have to do is eliminate the 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce' injurious flaw in their 'traditional' baseball pitching motion. To do that, all baseball pitchers have to do is: 01. With the palm of their pitching hand facing upward, take the baseball out of their glove, 02. With the palm of their pitching hand facing toward home plate, vertically pendulum swing their pitching arm downward and backward toward second base, 03. With the palm of their pitching hand still facing toward home plate, pendulum swing their pitching arm upward to forty-five degrees behind the vertical line of their body, and 04. While rotating the palm of their pitching hand from facing toward home plate to facing away from their body, pendulum swing their pitching arm up to driveline height, which is slightly above their pitching arm side ear. To also protect the front of their pitching shoulder, baseball pitchers should coordinate when their pitching arm arrives at driveline height with when their glove arm side foot lands. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 104. wrist weights Right now, with tryouts 2-3 weeks away, my son should stay at 15lb ww's and 8lb IB's. Is that correct? I'm just confirming because I don't want to make more mistakes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For two months before the first game in which your son pitches, with the increased wrist weight and iron ball weights after he completed my 120-Day training program, he should do my maintenance program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 105. Query There is a fellow posting pitching advice on the Internet who claims the muscles of the abdomen, hips, back, etc. decelerate the pitching arm. He says that is the key to preventing rotator cuff injuries. His name is Kyle Boody. Have you worked with him? He doesn't have any research, performance, academic or training credentials that I could find. I ordinarily wouldn't care, but it is somewhat disconcerting because some young player might read the advice and follow it. Have you ever heard such advice, and is it worthwhile? What is your advice to pitchers who want to prevent rotator cuff injuries? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I believe that Mr. Boody runs driveline.com. As I understand his credentials, he is a high school junior varsity baseball coach. He has sent me a number of questions. To decelerate the pitching arm, muscles have to attach to the pitching arm. No abdominal muscles attach to the pitching arm. Therefore, that statement is ridiculous. The Latissimus Dorsi muscle does attach to the iliac crest of the hip triad of bones, to the vertebral column and to the Humerus bone of the pitching upper arm. Therefore, the Latissimus Dorsi muscle could decelerate the pitching upper arm. However, 'traditional' baseball pitchers do not use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle. Therefore, because Mr. Boody does not qualify his statement as only in the Marshall baseball pitching motion, the Latissimus Dorsi muscle of the hips and back decelerate the pitching upper arm, that statement is also ridiculous. Because, only with my baseball pitching motion do baseball pitchers use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle, to prevent injuries to the rotator cuff muscles, baseball pitchers have to use my baseball pitching motion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 106. Your delivery's effectiveness I was reading some of the questions and answers from years past and a question popped into my head. Have you ever compared the effectiveness of pitchers pre- and post- learning your delivery? As in, let's say I use the "traditional" style now, I take a year off to learn your delivery, and then I go back to pitching with your delivery. I realize there are many potential intervening variables in my hypothetical that might affect effectiveness, but have you ever done a longitudinal study such as this? Let's face it; all that matters to most pitchers is their numbers on the mound, not whether their delivery might make them susceptible to injury down the road. For your delivery to become more mainstream, it's just my opinion that if the numbers proved that your delivery makes pitchers perform better, not just prevent injury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree that, because of the prejudice of the 'traditional' pitching coaches that are in charge of whether baseball pitchers get opportunities to pitch, unless they are in great pain, baseball pitchers will not change their pitching motion to mine. With regard to whether my baseball pitchers are more effective with my baseball pitching motion than with the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion with which they came to me: 01. If you watch the video and high-speed film DVDs that I have made of my baseball pitchers, then you can see that, when compared with the pitches that they threw before they came to me, they now can throw a wide variety of high-quality pitches. 02. When we compare the release velocity that they had when they arrived with the release velocities that they achieved after training with me, all my baseball pitchers that, at least, learned the pitching arm action of my baseball pitching motion increased their release velocity. When they also learned the body action of my baseball pitching motion, they further increased their release velocity. Nevertheless, without the opportunity to pitch competitively for several consecutive months, they cannot achieve their genetic maximum release velocity. For these reasons and because parents that do not want their sons to suffer the injuries that the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion causes, I have no doubt that, eventually, all baseball pitchers will use my baseball pitching motion. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 107. Toronto’s McGowan has pain-free mound session Associated Press January 29, 2010 TORONTO, ON: Blue Jays pitcher Dustin McGowan threw off a mound at Toronto’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., as he attempts to come back from shoulder and knee surgery. The 27-year-old right-hander hasn’t pitched in a game since July 8, 2008, when he left a start against Baltimore with shoulder pain. He had operations to repair a frayed labrum on July 31, 2008, and cartilage in his right knee last July 9. “Dustin threw off a mound today and looked very good,” Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said in an e-mail to the Canadian Press on Friday. “He experienced no pain, which is a very encouraging sign. This is a positive step in his recovery.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Anthopoulos said, "This is a positive step in his recovery." Until Mr. McGowen can throw with maximum intensity for several weeks without pain, positive steps mean nothing. If Mr. McGowen has not eliminated the side-to-side movement in his pitching arm action, then he will continue to destroy his pitching shoulder. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 108. Putz: Mets didn’t give me physical, told me to hide elbow injury New York Post February 01, 2010 It’s just another day for the Mets’ medical staff. J.J. Putz told CSNChicago that he did not receive a physical after the Mets acquired him in a trade with the Mariners before last season. Putz said the Mariners had discovered a bone spur in his throwing elbow during the 2008 season, and when the Mets did find out about the injury they instructed Putz to hide it from the media. “When the trade went down last year, I never really had a physical with the Mets. I had the bone spur (in the right elbow),” said Putz, who was signed by the White Sox this off-season after the Mets declined his option. “It was discovered the previous year in Seattle, and it never got checked out by any other doctors until I got to spring training, and the spring training physical is kind of a formality. It was bugging me all through April, and in May I got an injection. It just got to the point where I couldn’t pitch. I couldn’t throw strikes, my velocity was way down.” Putz was brought in to form a 1-2 punch with Francisco Rodriguez at the back of the Mets bullpen. But that never developed as Putz struggled through the early months of the season as K-Rod’s set up man. Putz came under heavy scrutiny, struggling in the role, going 1-4 with two blown saves and a 5.22 ERA. “Being hurt is never fun, especially when you go to a team like New York, where the expectation level is so high, and you’re not able to do what you know you can do,” Putz said. “(The Mets) gave up a lot to get me, so it was disappointing and frustrating. “I knew that I wasn’t right. I wasn’t healthy. The toughest part was having to face the media and tell them that you feel fine, even though you know there’s something wrong and they don’t want you telling them that you’re banged up.” Putz was one of many key Mets to get injured during last season’s disastrous 70-92 campaign. The Amazin’s seemingly mishandled injuries to star players Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran, now you can add Putz to the list. “It was a mess from the beginning,” Putz said. “The entire team was hurt. So, it was kind of like a snowball that kept going, going, going.” Putz had surgery in early June to remove the bone chips and was expected to be out 10-12 weeks, but when he tried to return in August he felt some tightness in his shoulder and the Mets told him he had blown out his elbow. “That was kind of a shock because I never felt any pain in it,” Putz said. “That it’s my career, and when you know something doesn’t feel right, and they want to take these little sidesteps to do something, and just wait and wait and wait, you got to get it taken care of instead of trying to prolong the inevitable.” Upon signing Putz, the White Sox gave him a physical. “When our doctors finally got their hands on him, he passed his physical with flying colors,” White Sox GM Kenny Williams said. “We couldn't be happier with what was communicated to us by our doctors.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Putz said, “That it’s my career, and when you know something doesn’t feel right, and they want to take these little sidesteps to do something, and just wait and wait and wait, you got to get it taken care of instead of trying to prolong the inevitable.” Whatever happen to personal responsibility? When I needed back surgery, I had back surgery. It never occurred to me to ask permission for something that affected my career. And, what is up with the Mets telling Mr. Putz that he had "blown out his elbow." Then, the White Sox telling him that he passed their physical with "flying colors." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 109. Jays' Hayhurst Set to Undergo Shoulder Surgery TSN.ca February 03, 2010 The Toronto Blue Jays, who have been adding to their bullpen might be without Dirk Hayhurst when the season starts. The club announced on Wednesday that Hayhurst will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery on his sore right shoulder. The 28-year old injured his shoulder while getting ready for the upcoming season. The right-hander appeared in 15 games with the Blue Jays in 2009, and posted a 0-0 record with a 2.78 ERA. Hayhurst's estimated return to action will not be available until following the surgery, which will take place in Cleveland. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For his sore pitching shoulder, Mr. Hayhurst will undergo exploratory anthroscopic surgery. If they tell me where Mr. Hayhurst feels pain, then I can tell him the anatomical source of his problem. Did not these orthopedic surgeons dissect a cadaver? Without looking under the skin, do they not know what is where? I took the Medical School's Anatomy class in which we dissected a cadaver. Therefore, I do not need to use arthoscopy to see what is under the skin. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110. Rehabbing Riske aims for Opening Day: Tommy John recovery to dictate bullpen competition MLB.com February 04, 2010 MILWAUKEE, WI: This week, Brewers reliever David Riske marked the eight-month anniversary of his Tommy John elbow reconstructive surgery. The procedure can require 12 months of rehabilitation, but Riske is hoping to be active for the Brewers on Opening Day. Whether he meets that goal will go a long way in determining whether others are able to compete later this month for an opening in Milwaukee's improved bullpen. "I'd say it's a long shot, but it's a possibility," Riske said Sunday at Brewers On Deck. "It just all depends on how fast it responds, and then when I can face hitters and how fast it responds after that." Riske has been rehabbing at home in Las Vegas and began throwing off a mound two weeks ago. That's a significant milestone for a pitcher coming off a Tommy John procedure. The Brewers would love to get some production from Riske this season because, so far, his three-year contract has not paid off. He is due $4.5 million in 2010, making him Milwaukee's fifth-highest paid player for the moment (Corey Hart is seeking $4.8 million in arbitration). Riske's contract calls for a $4.75 million option for 2011 or a $250,000 buyout. "We're waiting to see what we see in the spring," said Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash, who oversees the club's medical program. "He's done a good job in his rehab. We just have to see what we have. The medical team's perspective is that it would be a stretch to get there [by the April 5 season opener], but we don't know for sure yet." Dr. William Raasch examined Riske in Milwaukee over the weekend and discovered no red flags. Pitchers and catchers report to Maryvale Baseball Park on Feb. 20, and have their first formal workout on Feb. 22, though Riske is certain to begin on a throwing program separate from the others. By Opening Day, Riske will be 10 months removed from surgery. "Guys have come back in nine or 10 months before," Ash said. "Some of them were younger, and I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not. What I've learned through the years is that each individual heals and rehabs at his own pace. So we'll just have to wait and see." Riske says his troubles began during his first Spring Training with the Brewers in 2007, when then-pitching coach Mike Maddux tried to introduce a curveball to his repertoire. "I wish I would have never, ever tried to learn those breaking balls because that's really what triggered it," Riske said. "What do you do? You want to do what they want, and it gradually got worse and worse. ... My whole career, I threw 95 percent fastballs, and I've had a pretty good career up until last year. I wish I would have just said no." Riske said he objected, but tried to pitch through the pain. He posted a 5.31 ERA in 45 appearances in 2008 and was shut down after September 07. He appeared in only one game in 2008. "I miss competition," Riske said. "I've been competing with my boys at home, and that's just not the same. I want that back. I just want to go pitch without hurting." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riske says that throwing the 'traditional' curve ball that pitching coach Mike Maddux taught him caused him to rupture his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Many, many times, I have explained how supinating the release of breaking pitches injures the bone on the back of the pitching elbow. However, I have not explained nearly as often why throwing the 'traditional' supination curve also can rupture the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. In general, the 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce' causes the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Therefore, we need to know why does throwing the 'traditional' supination curve stress the Ulnar Collateral Ligament differently than the 'traditional' fastball. When baseball pitchers throw curves, even mine, they feel a need to tightly bend the pitching elbow before their glove foot lands. I call this action, 'Grabbing.' With their pitching elbow tightly bent when baseball pitchers start to drive their pitching upper arm toward home plate, before it starts toward home plate, the pitching forearm makes a backward and outward pathway. I call this action, 'Looping.' Because, during this movement, my baseball pitchers are contracting the muscles that attach to their medial epicondyle, they do not stress their Ulnar Collateral Ligament. However, because 'traditional' baseball pitchers have 'Late Pitching Forearm Turnover,' they do not contract the muscles that attach to their medial epicondyle. Therefore, with their tightly bent elbow, when they 'Grab' and 'Loop,' their 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce' unnecessarily stresses their Ulnar Collateral Ligament. However, when they throw their fastballs, they do not 'Grab' and 'Loop.' Therefore, with a longer pitching elbow angle, they do not unnecessarily stress their Ulnar Collateral Ligament as much. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 111. Mariners, Bedard close to 1-year deal Associated Press February 04, 2010 SEATTLE, WA: The Seattle Mariners and left-hander Erik Bedard are getting close to a one-year contract, pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the Mariners have not announced the deal. The contract is expected to have a base salary for a fraction of $7.75 million the 30-year-old Bedard made last season, and it would likely include incentive clauses. Seattle essentially would be making a low-risk move with Bedard. The Mariners no longer need him to be a top of the rotation pitcher after trading for former Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee to team with ace Felix Hernandez, who was recently given a $78 million deal. Bedard has said since last summer that he wanted to return to Seattle. The former Baltimore Orioles ace has been rehabilitating in his native Canada from surgery in August to repair a torn labrum in his pitching shoulder. Mariners trainer Rick Griffin has been overseeing Bedard’s recovery from afar because the team is financially responsible for it until the free agent signs with another team. Griffin said last week that Bedard felt good. He reported Bedard has been throwing and working through exercises with a physical therapist near his home in Ontario. But he added that Bedard has three-to-five months left of rehabilitation. “He’s got a ways to go,” the trainer said. The Mariners declined to offer Bedard salary arbitration this winter. Seattle paid him $14.75 million for two seasons in which he won 11 games in 30 starts. Shoulder troubles kept him from pitching past July 4 in his first season with the team in 2008. He had surgery in September, then was on the 2009 active roster for just 20 days past June 17 before his next surgery. When he has pitched for the Mariners, he has rarely lasted deep into games. The trade for him—which cost Seattle eventual All-Stars in closer George Sherrill and outfielder Adam Jones—has been seen as one-sided. The deal helped doom then-general manager Bill Bavasi, who was fired by the Mariners before the 2008 season ended. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Seattle Mariners trainer, Rick Griffin, said that Mr. Bedard has a ways to go. Where has Mr. Griffin been since July 2008, when Mr. Bedard first injured himself? This is February 2010, that is about eighteen months and he still has a ways to go. With every baseball pitcher I have trained that came to me with a pitching arm injury, after two weeks, they trained without any injury discomfort. However, to eliminate the injurious flaw takes more time. But, eighteen months is ridiculous. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 112. Phils sign Villarreal to Minors deal: Club's pact doesn't include invitation to Spring Training MLB.com February 04, 2010 The Phillies signed veteran right-hander Oscar Villarreal to a Minor League contract Thursday, his agent confirmed to MLB.com. Villarreal, who missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in April, is still recovering and isn't expected to report to Clearwater, FL, until late February. But his agent, Oscar Suarez, said he's progressing just fine. "Even if it's a week and a half later, there's really no big rush," Suarez said. "What we want to do is make sure he builds up his innings correctly and then get ready." Villarreal had a bullpen session in Tempe, AZ, on Friday in front of interested suitors, the Phillies, D-backs, Red Sox and Rockies were reportedly in attendance, and according to AOL FanHouse, the 28-year-old was hitting 89-90 mph on the radar gun. Suarez said that session went "very well." "That's why they're signing him," he added. "The Phillies aren't going to go step out and sign a guy just to play Triple-A, I don't think." Villarreal is not expected to be ready by Opening Day, and though his agent said he can probably face live hitting already, it would be best to "baby him along" as he recovers from major surgery. "It's the guy who finishes the race, not the guy who starts," Suarez said. "There's no reason to rush a guy that had surgery in April. He's quite advanced, but there's really no rush on Oscar's side, or my part, or the Phillies' part." Villarreal last pitched pitched in the Majors for the Astros in '08, going 1-3 with a 5.02 ERA in 35 relief appearances, striking out 21 and walking 17 in 37 2/3 innings. His best season came with the Braves in '06, when he finished 9-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 58 games (four starts). In six years in the big leagues, spent with the D-backs, Braves and Astros, the Mexico native is 24-15 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.75 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 258 games (five starts). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In 2008, Mr. Villarreal pitched 37 2/3 innings with a 5.02 earned run average. This was before he ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Do the Phillies believe that, after Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgery, baseball pitchers are better than they were before? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 113. Braves put faith in healing powers Yahoo! Sports February 04, 2010 It’s been a faith-based few months for the Braves, centered on their belief in the restorative powers of Tommy John surgery. Oh, and the power of forgiveness was tested as well. Tim Hudson returned after a year’s absence recovering from the ligament-replacement procedure that has resuscitated so many careers to make seven starts beginning September 01. He pitched well enough in 42 1/3 innings: 49 hits, 3.61 ERA, 30 strikeouts, 13 walks, that the Braves entered the offseason assuming Hudson would be at the front of their rotation in 2010. They did their best to trade Derek Lowe, but nobody would take on a contract that pays him $15 million each of the next three seasons. So, instead, they dealt Javier Vazquez, coming off a career year, to the Yankees for middling outfielder Melky Cabrera and pitching prospect Arodys Vizcaino. Vizcaino is barely 19, but wowed scouts with his stuff on the off-Broadway stage of low-Class A Staten Island last year. The Braves, meanwhile, offered Hudson a testament of faith in the form of a three-year, $28 million contract. “My arm hasn’t felt this good in eight years,” he said recently, and everyone will soon find out if it stays that way. Lowe, normally a jovial sort, groused publicly about being shopped around, but once Vazquez was traded the Braves and Lowe shifted into forgive-and-forget mode. Hudson and Lowe are joined by Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson and Kenshin Kawakami to form one of baseball’s best rotations. Another leap of faith led to Billy Wagner, who signed a one-year, $7 million deal to become the Braves’ closer after an impressive late-season return from Tommy John surgery. He struck out 26 in 15 2/3 innings for the Red Sox, enough to convince Braves GM Frank Wren that at 38 he can approximate the Wagner who has saved 385 games. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Hudson and Mr. Wagner have has Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgery. Nevertheless, they received $28,000,000.00 for three years and $7,000,000.00 for one year, respectively. I guess that the Braves believe that, after Ulnar Collateral Ligament replacement surgery, baseball pitchers are better than they were before. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 114. Debate rages over Lincecum's case: Arbitration hearing looms between Cy Young winner, Giants MLB.com February 04, 2010 There's a good chance Tim Lincecum found out sometime Wednesday night that the Tigers and Justin Verlander agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract, avoiding arbitration. And even though Lincecum grew up near Seattle as a Mariners fan, he could have been raised in Wichita and still be well aware that Felix Hernandez and the Mariners re-upped for five years and $78 million a few weeks ago, also avoiding arbitration. So naturally, with the Giants ace right-hander's arbitration case still looming and starting to take up more and more space in the daily headlines, the baseball world collectively asks one question: How much is Tim Lincecum really worth? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Verlander and Mr. Hernandez pendulum swing their pitching arm to driveline height. Mr. Lincecum had severe 'Reverse Pitching Forearm Bounce.' It is only a matter of time before Mr. Lincecum ruptures his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Therefore, were my former head baseball coach at the University of Tampa to ask me, I would tell him to sign Mr. Lincecum for no more than a two year contract. Nevertheles, until, as a result of more and more connective tissue tears lengthen his Ulnar Collateral Ligament and his release velocity significantly decreases, Mr. Lincecum deserves a great contract. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** On Sunday, February 21, 2010, I posted the following questions and answers. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 115. Sam Buchanan This is Sam's dad. Sam just got his first save of the year. Thanks for everything. ------------------------------------------------- Sam Buchanan University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Baseball Scorpions Come Back for 12-8 Victory and Split of Doubleheader Sun Feb 14, 2010 at 6:40 PM VICTORIA, TX: Sam Buchanan pitched three plus innings of strong relief as UTB/TSC downed University of Houston-Victoria, 12-8, Sunday at Riverside Stadium to salvage one victory in the four-game weekend series. "Sam came in and just threw strikes down the zone and good things happened," Scorpion head coach Bryan Aughney said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I appreciate the update. We both know how hard Sam has worked. He deserves this and more pitching fun and success. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 116. CONFUSED ON MAINTENANCE CYCLE You answer to Question # 102 confused me. I have not missed a day of training, switching from Training to Maintenance periods throughout the year. Should I be taking some time off completely, whereby I don't even do maintenance training? Or, is the below advice for high school pitchers and not full-grown adults? You wrote, "High School baseball pitchers should do my 120-Day program every year. They should pitch competitively for 120 days every year. Therefore, they should have 120 days without training or pitching competitively every year. The question is what they should do when they are not training or pitching competitively. The difficulty is in how he prepares for the competitive season. The better idea is to finish the 120-Day training program two months before the competitive season begins. The competitive season starts with the first game in which he pitches. However, if he does nothing for two months before the first game in which he pitches, then he will have lost all the micro-anatomical advantages that he gained from the 120-Day training program. Therefore, for those two months, he needs to maintain his fitness. Nevertheless, for two months after he competitively pitches for 120 days, I prefer that that he does not train, pitch competitively or maintain. The problem is that I know that he will lose all the micro-anatomical advantages that he gained from competitively pitching. Therefore, the question is, in the long run, is it better to maintain or abstain. While I prefer that he abstain, I do not know whether maintaining or abstaining causes the worse problem. With regard to mastering the skills, maintaining is better. However, with regard to stressing the bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles associated with baseball pitching, abstaining is better. While I prefer two months of abstaining, I have no big problem with two months of maintaining. Therefore, until several young men try both ways and we see whether either group has difficulties, I do not have an answer. Whichever he does, when he becomes biologically nineteen years old, then, for as long as he wants to continue to pitch competitive, he needs to train, maintain and/or pitch competitively every day. In conclusion, despite what I wrote that you quoted, I recommend that: If he starts pitching competitively on April 01, then, after August 01, he should not pitch competitively. From August 01 until November 01, he should not train, pitch competitively or maintain. On November 01, he should start my 120-Day training program. On February 01, he should start my maintenance program." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For you, the critical paragraph in what I wrote was: "Whichever he does, when he becomes biologically nineteen years old, then, for as long as he wants to continue to pitch competitive, he needs to train, maintain and/or pitch competitively every day." Biological sixteen through nineteen year olds still have considerable bone growth yet to complete. Therefore, I do not want to take all their bone growth resources away from them in their efforts to respond to the stress of training and pitching competitively. Therefore, I believe that, at least, two months per year for just bone growth is appropriate. I worry that they should have more. After baseball pitchers complete their bone growth, they can stimulate their osteoblasts to lay down as much bone matrix that they want. They will only increase the size of the affected bone tissue and their bone density. Therefore, you should train, maintain or pitch competitively every day for as long as you want to pitch competitively. Until, at fifty-six years old, a moronic household accident stopped me, from 1967 to 1999, I trained, maintained and pitched competitively, including starting as many as 80 games from February to November from 1983 through 1999. Truck on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117. Jays sign Gregg to one-year deal Veteran expected to battle Frasor, Downs for closer role MLB.com February 05, 2010 TORONTO, ON: The Blue Jays have made it official: Kevin Gregg is competing for the closer's job. On Friday, Toronto officially announced that it has signed the reliever to a one-year contract that includes a pair of club options, adding more depth to a crowded bullpen. Gregg will earn $2.75 million in 2010, and he has the potential to remain with the Blue Jays through 2012. Ten days after the conclusion of the World Series, Toronto will have the ability to choose between parting ways with Gregg, exercising a one-year, $4.5 million club option for 2011, or picking up a two-year club option worth $8.75 million for the 2011-12 campaigns. The options give the Blue Jays the opportunity to retain Gregg if the club lacks other closing options over the next two years. That's important considering that left-hander Scott Downs and right-hander Jason Frasor, Gregg's competitors for the ninth-inning job this spring, are both eligible for free agency next winter. "We do have a younger bullpen," Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said on Friday. "This does give us some protection a little bit, knowing that we have the potential to control a guy like a Kevin Gregg with some experience closing games, and having a guy, if we felt it was the right baseball move for us, for 2011 and also potentially for 2012." Including the two club options also increases Gregg's potential value as a bargaining chip around the non-waiver Trade Deadline on July 31. Anthopoulos is focusing on the club's long-term situation and is trying to gather as many assets as he can. Having Gregg in the fold as a potential trading chip is of value for a Toronto team that is trying to obtain young players for the future. Gregg also qualified as a Type A free agent this off-season, and there is the chance that he could be worth compensation Draft picks again down the road. That also is true of Downs or Frasor, who would likely be at least Type B free agents next off-season. If all three relievers qualify, the Jays could have a handful of compensatory picks to help build up their farm system. "Right now," Anthopoulos said, "with any free-agent signing or trade, we're trying to give as much value and flexibility to the club, and at the same time, try to protect the player and the upside of the player." What the Blue Jays lacked, in Anthopoulos' opinion, was a pitcher with an extended track record as a closer; that's where Gregg comes into play. Gregg won't be handed the closer's job, though. Anthopoulos reiterated that manager Cito Gaston will have the final say on which pitcher will open the year as the primary ninth-inning arm. "He's going to come in and we expect him to pitch late in the game," Anthopoulos said of Gregg. "But, again, that'll be up to Cito to determine. We don't have anybody that we've anointed the closer right now. Kevin Gregg has had a lot of closing experience. He's certainly not going to be handed the job, but he'll have every opportunity to compete for that role." Over the past three seasons, the 31-year-old Gregg has posted a 3.86 ERA with 84 saves in stints with the Marlins and Cubs. The right-hander has also blown 20 saves over that time period, seven with Chicago a year ago while earning $4.2 million, and he allowed 13 home runs last season, which was tied for the most yielded by a Major League reliever. Gregg did finish with 23 saves and 71 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings with the Cubs in 2009, but he lost the closer's job to Carlos Marmol in August and was shut down toward the end of September due to a crack in the cartilage in his left rib cage. In the season's final two months, Gregg allowed 18 earned runs over 20 1/3 innings, giving him a bloated 7.97 ERA over that time period. "If Kevin Gregg wins that job in Spring Training," Anthopoulos said, "that means Cito decided he was the right man for the job and he probably had the strongest camp. If he doesn't win that job and he ends up getting the eighth-inning role or the seventh-inning role, that isn't a bad thing either. That can only strengthen our 'pen." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When he pitched for the Marlins, Mr. Gregg caught my eye. He pendulum swings and takes his pitching arm straight backward toward second base. However, as the injury to the glove side of his rib cage indicates, he used his Pectoralis Major muscle to pull his pitching upper arm forward. With his pitching arm starting from directly behind his body, he should not use his Pectoralis Major muscle. Therefore, when he pitched for the Chicago Cubs, something changed. I wonder whether somebody told Mr. Gregg that he needed to throw a pull slider or curve? Something changed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 118. Cyst puts Lyon behind schedule: Reliever's throwing program impacted MLB.com February 09, 2010 HOUSTON, TX: Astros general manager Ed Wade said Tuesday relief pitcher Brandon Lyon had a small cyst in his right shoulder drained and will be a little behind schedule when he reports to camp next week. But the Astros' injury concerns don't stop there. Lyon, who signed a three-year, $15 million deal in December, had a cyst aspirated about two weeks ago, Wade said. The Astros detected a small cyst in the initial MRI before signing Lyon, and his agent called Wade last month and told him Lyon was feeling some discomfort. The Astros flew Lyon in to see team medical director Dr. David Lintner shortly after. "The follow-up MRI showed it had grown to the size of 1 1/2 grapes," Wade said. "They aspirated the fluid out of it and Brandon went home and began his regular throwing program." The cyst had been pressing on a nerve and causing temporary weakness, but Wade said Lyon has been throwing without discomfort since the cyst was drained two weeks ago. Lyon will report to Spring Training as scheduled with pitchers and catchers next week, but because of the birth of his child and the time spent in Houston treating the injury, Wade said the right-hander will be about 10 days behind in his throwing program. "It shouldn't be an appreciable amount of time," Wade said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Wade developed a one and one-half grape sized cyst in his pitching shoulder. Where? My guess is the back of his pitching shoulder; in his Teres Minor muscle. What bothers me is that Mr. Wade went home and started his regular throwing program, which means he has not changed what caused the cyst. What makes the doctor believe that Mr. Wade will only continue to irritate the injury? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 119. Webb back where he belongs; on a mound: Ace throws from bump for first time since August MLB.com February 09, 2010 PHOENIX, AZ: D-backs ace Brandon Webb threw off a mound on Tuesday for the first time since having surgery on his right shoulder in August. "[It] went good," Webb told MLB.com. "[The] ball came out well, but I was just thinking about arm slot on every throw. That's to be expected, not having thrown on the mound in so long." Webb made just one start in 2009 because of shoulder discomfort. On Aug. 3 he underwent a minor procedure known as a debridement to clean up some fraying around the labrum. "It was good to get him into the next phase of his rehabilitation," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said. "He looked comfortable. This is a positive sign as we're getting close to Spring Training. I thought he looked good." Webb began playing catch for the first time post-surgery in mid-November. He threw four times without experiencing any discomfort before shutting things down for two months. Webb had been playing catch again for weeks before getting on the mound on Tuesday. The club will be cautious with Webb this spring, possibly giving him extra days' rest between throwing sessions. The right-hander has said that if things keep progressing as they have, he does not see any reason why he would not be ready for the start of the season. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remember, after the surgery, the orthopedic surgeon said that he found nothing wrong with Mr. Webb's pitching shoulder. Mr. Webb missed an entire year with nothing wrong with his pitching shoulder. What makes anybody believe that Mr. Webb will be able to pitch this year? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 120. Angels cautious with recovering Shields: Righty 'close to 100 percent,' easing back after knee surgery MLB.com February 09, 2010 On the phone from Michigan, Scot Shields was more concerned with reaching home safely in a blizzard on Tuesday than making it to the mound in time to deliver quality innings out of the Angels' bullpen when the 2010 season opens. "Everything's fine," Shields said, referring to his recovery from left knee surgery. "I'm on schedule. I just don't know if I'm going to get off a mound as soon as everybody else. They don't want me to rush it, but as far as being ready to go when it counts, I have no concerns at all. "I'm close to 100 percent, but we're just being careful. It's still going to be hard for me not to go out there when everybody else does. You know how I am." Shields, who underwent patellar surgery on June 16, and spent the final 117 days of the 2009 season on the disabled list, met with team trainers last month and was instructed to proceed with caution in terms of throwing off the mound. Shields, who turns 35 on July 22, is embarking on the final year of his three-year contract. Blessed with a remarkably durable arm and an intense desire to compete, he is a Type A-plus personality, something the Angels' medical and training staffs always take into consideration. He'd take the ball and work 162 games if manager Mike Scioscia let him. Shields' spirits were raised by a visit to Angel Stadium four weeks ago. He threw off flat ground with several teammates and experienced no pain in the knee, providing optimism that he'll be in his customary late-inning role on April 5, when the Angels welcome the Twins to open the season. "I played catch there for two weeks," Shields said. "I was very encouraged when I was out there throwing. I got all the strength back playing catch." Shields, the Majors' most durable reliever with a total of 425 innings from 2004 through 2008, appeared in only 17 2/3 innings with a bloated 6.62 ERA before finally caving in to the pain and going on the DL on May 27. Despite favoring his landing knee, he still managed to hold hitters to a .239 batting average, slightly up from .226 lifetime. His career ERA coming into the season was 2.93 in 428 games, 14 as a starter. "I'm really looking forward to getting back on the mound and competing," he said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When 'traditional' baseball pitchers stride seventy to ninety percent of their standing height, they unnecessarily stress their glove leg knee. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 121. Questions about the screwball and training position players The pitch I am having the most problem with seems to be the screwball. But, I feel like I am making progress. However, it just doesn't seem to come out of my hand cleanly. Doing the FB drills, I get the right rotation. But, when I do the BB drills, it's a very different feeling. Should this be like that? 1. How hard should I be gripping the ball? Should I be using the middle finger the most when it comes to gripping it? The chance of me trying to pitch this upcoming season does not look like a possibility. Our team has plenty of pitching, so they say. But, I am not bothered because I would rather go through the complete training cycle and the recoil programs before attempting to pitch. Is this a good approach? With that being said, I think I will be playing mostly outfield and a little third base. So, I have some questions. 3. When you coached, did you have your outfielders do any specific drills? I know the cross-panel drill is an option, but I haven't a clue on how to do it. I was thinking of some drills I could do daily besides your program. Would the extra work be too hard on my newly formed tissues in my arm? I was thinking of maybe simulating charging a ball in the outfield and making throws to different bases. Of course, I would be doing it with full intensity. Your thoughts? 4. Which driveline should 3rd baseman's be using; Torque or Maxline? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The key to throwing the screwball is to drive the front of the tip of the middle finger through the top seem of the baseball, not the index finger side of the tip of the middle finger. 01. To throw the screwball, baseball pitchers have to grip the baseball as tightly as they can and, with their pitching thumb, push the baseball between their middle and ring fingers. 02. Until baseball pitchers have mastered all six pitches, they should not pitch competitively. Otherwise, they will delay mastering their pitches. My Half Reverse Pivot drill teaches the screwball release better than anything other drill anybody could invent. 03. I had all position players do my Half Reverse Pivot drill. 04. Third basemen use the Torque Fastball release technique. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 122. Batting I had a question about your batting technique. In your Pitching Video there is footage of you swinging a bat using a high-speed camera. Is this what you're batting technique that you teach looks like or did you use a traditional baseball swing back when you played? I read through you're special report on batting. From what I gather, the workout for your batting technique would be something along the lines of this: Broom Handle: Rear Arm swings- 24reps Front Arm swings-24reps Both Arm swings-24reps Of course, I would work the different pitch locations. After increasing repetitions every 6 days until a total of 48 is reached, I would then move up to shovel handles, and then later on to my game bat. Basically, the resistance is the swinging implement and the ball pitched correct? I could not find any info on the "overload for the Quick Bat" drills. I have read through a lot of the Q & A's, and I saw something mentioned about laying on a bench, on one's side, and using appropriate weight to snap straight up into the air replicating the swing with the front arm. Am I understanding this correctly? If not, or if I am could you clarify how much weight one should work with and where to put the weight on the arm? Sorry for all the questions. I am really interested in learning the batting technique and I think any clarifications would be enough to get me started then I will not be much of bother. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I took that high-speed film in 1965 to be able to see what I did when I swung the bat. It was from that research that I learned how to properly apply force to the baseball bat. Therefore, I would not necessarily recommend that swing. For adults, I do not use the broom stick. We start with the shovel handle and tennis balls. To position their body to do my Overload for the Quick Bat drill, baseball batters: 01. Lay on the rear arm side of their body on a bench. 02. Use their rear arm to hold the head up. 03. Cross their feet around the bench for support. 04. Reach down to the ground to grab their barbell. To position their front arm to perform my Overload for the Quick Bat drill, baseball batters should: 01. Have the upper arm of their front arm horizontal with the back of their upper arm facing upward. 02. Have the forearm of their front arm vertical. To perform one repetition of my drill, baseball batters: 01. Raise the barbell from where it is on the ground absolutely straight upward. 02. Move the upper arm of the front arm upward along that vertical line as far as possible. 03. To use the elbow joint of their front arm as the fulcrum, the instant that the upper arm reaches upward along that vertical line as far as possible, baseball batters stop the upward movement of the upper arm and start the upward movement of the forearm, wrist, hand, fingers and barbell. With the downward movement of the upper arm of the front arm, baseball batters initiate the parallel and oppositely-directed force of the force-coupling principle. 04. Simultaneously, baseball batters drive the back of their front arm hand straight upward. However, to prevent the bones on the back of their front arm from slamming together, they must keep the elbow joint of their front arm slightly bent. I recommend that adults start with ten pound barbells and increase the weight in the same manner as we do with the wrist weight exercises for baseball pitchers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123. Questions about Coaching Boys Aged 13-14 for Youth Baseball I am e-mailing to ask your advice regarding coaching boys aged 13-14 in a "Little League" sanctioned organization. I would like to be the head coach (as, I believe, this is the only way to introduce your training methods without having some pitching guru who knows so-and-so question them constantly). I am going to make a few requests from the league regarding the players, to make certain it doesn't devolve into some "coaches' son" exhibition. Please tell me what you think. 1. I want no more than 12 boys on my team - the closer to 9 the better. The only reason I would want more than, say, 10 is because of possible illness to players. Any suggestions to protect the interests of the players from the desires of the coaches? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knowledge is power. You should teach your baseball players what they need to properly throw, hit and field the baseball. To do this, baseball players need to learn why and how to do my baseball pitching drills, baseball batting drills and baseball fielding drills. After they learn why and how, with the appropriate equipment and learning opportunities, they will become whatever quality baseball player that they want to become. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 124. Out of the Ordinary Training Discomfort near Lateral Epicondyle Beginning in the middle of last week and continuing up through and including today, I have been experiencing some discomfort between my Lateral Epicondyle and my Olecranon Process of my pitching elbow. The discomfort is more prevalent shortly after completing my Maxline Curve Ball and Torque Fastball workouts, and is mildly sensitive to touch/pressure hours later. (It is non-existent during or after my True Screwball and Maxline Fastball workout.) I am guessing I somehow over-taxed one of my extensor muscles. I highly doubt I have "tennis elbow," seeing that I do not have any discomfort directly over my lateral epicondyle. I have recorded my IB throws, and it is clear that I am doing a good job of pendulum swinging my arm to driveline height and raising my pitching upper arm vertically beside my head. Sometimes, I do catch myself supinating my hand once (and sometimes before) it reaches driveline height, which causes me to wonder if this has something to do with my discomfort. (Indirectly?) In any event, this is the first time I have experienced any type of discomfort outside of typical muscle soreness in three-plus years. I have not missed a day of training since this first developed, and I do not intend to any time soon. Part of me thinks I should lower the intensity, but like I said, I feel no discomfort until after the workout, so it's tough to get any feedback during the workout to know whether or not to back off or continue at the same intensity level. Can you shed any light on my discomfort? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It sounds as though your Anconeus muscle is barking at you. Whenever muscles start to bark, it means that it cannot withstand the stress it is receiving. You said that you have trained every day for three years. At most, my adult training program lasts 724 days. After that, except for the off-season Recoil Cycle, which should not last more than 144 days, you need to go into maintenance mode. My maintenance program uses 24 wrist weight and iron ball repetitions and 36 baseball throws that start at low intensity, build to maximum intensity and taper down to low intensity in equal amounts. The idea is to keep the motor skill and just enough stress to keep the micro-anatomical benefits you gained from training. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 125. Out of the Ordinary Training Discomfort near Lateral Epicondyle I'm sorry. I should have been a bit more specific. When I said that I have been training for three years, I meant that three years ago, I stopped throwing a baseball (or any ball for that matter) with the traditional throwing motion and began learning how to throw correctly. As of right now, I am in maintenance mode, which is why I am taken aback by my recent discomfort. However, I suppose that my desire to perform my wrist weight, iron ball, and baseball throws at maximum intensity for each and every throw, instead of gradually building up and tapering down the intensity level is why my Anconeus is barking at me. Incidentally, I originally believed my Anconeus muscle was the culprit. I guess I spent a little too much time staring at my Gray's Anatomy! Actually, this incident reminded me of my roommate my freshman year in college. He, like myself, was a pitcher. He had an ongoing discomfort in near his Lateral Epicondyle, which slowly turned into no feeling at all. An MRI revealed that part of "the muscle" (He didn't say what muscle it was when filling me in with his version of the story) was gray - which the medical staff declared to be dead. They said the muscle had been "pinched" continually in the elbow joint, which according to their official diagnosis, was the result of too many forkballs. He had surgery to "correct" the problem, and continued to pitch throughout his stay in college, albeit a lesser version than when he first appeared on campus. Have you ever come across this type of an injury, or a diagnosis such as this? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. And, I doubt the diagnosis. Unless they do not get blood flow, muscles do not die. When muscles do not get blood flow, they scream very loudly. They do not go quietly. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 126. Questions about the screwball and training position players Thanks for the advice on the screwball, I will concentrate on trying to push the ball out of my hand between the two fingers with my thumb. 1. Half-Reverse pivot drill is the same as cross-panel drill correct? I will look for some material in your Q&A on how to do this. Unless you can easily explain it by email. 2. Can I do the Half-Reverse Pivot drills in addition to my usual work load? If so, should I do a minimum of 24 reps? On another note, I mailed out a money-order yesterday for a 12 LB lead ball along with a donation to help you keep things up and running. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Question/Answer #1043 of my 2009 Question/Answer file, I carefully describe how my baseball pitchers perform my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. Here is question/Answer #1043 again. ------------------------------------------------- 1043. Mike Farrenkopf and Pronation Snap 1. At what point does one start his pronation snap? 2. How is Mike Farrenkopf's progress coming along? In the video, you said he didn't have all his pitches and he seemed to be making batters look silly with the different movement. I was wondering what pitches are his best pitchers and the velocity on his maxline fast ball and torque fastballs were. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. I tell my guys that immediately after they raise their pitching upper arm to vertically beside their head, they need to maximally supinate their pitching forearm. Then, after they rotate their hips, shoulders and pitching upper arm to point at home plate, they should simultaneously extend their pitching elbow and pronate their pitching forearm through release. However, because when they throw my Maxline True Screwball, they have to have the palm of their pitching hand facing away from their body throughout their driveline, they cannot maximally supinate their pitching forearm. Therefore, with my Maxline True Screwball, Maxline Fastball Sinker and Maxline Fastballs, they cannot pronation snap their pitching forearm through release. As a result, to more spin velocity to these pitches, they have to more powerfully inwardly rotate their pitching upper arm. To do this: When they throw my Maxline True Screwball, I teach them to keep their pitching arm tightly bent throughout the driveline. When they throw my Maxline Fastball Sinker, I teach them to keep their pitching arm two-thirds bent throughout the driveline. When they throw my Maxline Fastballs, I teach them to keep their pitching arm one-third bent throughout the driveline. 02. Recently, Mike visited for about ten days. We found that, with his Maxline pitches, he had lost the ability to recognize when he drives his pitching arm down his acromial line. While he was throwing his Torque pitches well, with his Maxline pitches, he was using his Pectoralis Major muscle to pull his pitching upper arm forward. Therefore, I had him do my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. This is my new name for my Second Base Pickoff body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill, which was the new name for my cross-panel throws. With my Half Reverse Pivot body action: 01. Baseball pitchers stand with their back to their target in the starting position for my Drop Out Wind-Up body action, in which they have their hands together at their waist, their pitching foot on the pitching rubber and their glove foot one step behind the pitching rubber. They should have their acromial line perpendicular to the line to the target. 02. To initiate the drill, baseball pitchers reverse pivot on their glove foot until their acromial line is again perpendicular to the line to the target. They should land their pitching foot short of the line between where their pitching foot started and the line from that location to the target. 03. They should drop their pitching hand vertically downward beside their body and pendulum swing their pitching arm backward and upward to driveline height directly away from the target to arrive at the same time that their pitching foot lands. 04. From this 'Ready' position, they should rotate their acromial line forward to point directly at the target, pull their glove forearm straight backward and extend and inwardly rotate their pitching upper arm and pronate their pitching forearm down their acromial line. To throw my Maxline pitches, I tell my baseball pitchers to use their pitching arm as though they are shooting a jump shot in basketball. However, instead of at an upward angle of forty to forty-five degree, they should drive the baseball horizontally straight toward home plate. To throw my Torque pitches, I tell my baseball pitchers to use their pitching arm as though they are two-hand chest passing the basketball to a teammate. However, instead of using two hands from chest height, they should use only their pitching arm from driveline height. To throw Maxline and Torque pitches into the strike zone, baseball pitchers have to start their Maxline pitches at the glove side of home plate and their Torque pitches at the pitching arm side of home plate. While how baseball pitchers apply force to their pitches influences release velocity, the primary source of release velocity is percent of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Unfortunately, we do not know at what percent of fast-twitch muscle fibers baseball pitchers can throw ninety miles per hour. Therefore, all we can do is teach baseball pitches how to apply force in a straight line toward home plate with the most effective and efficient force application technique that we can design. If, to maximize the force that they can uniformly apply throughout their driveline, they also complete my interval-training programs, then they will achieve their genetically maximum release velocity. Consequently, without knowing the percent of fast-twitch muscle fibers in the muscle that baseball pitchers use to apply force to their pitches, to consider release velocity as an indication of the quality of the force application technique is without scientific meaning. Until Mike perfects my force application technique and completes my interval-training program, we will not know what genetic maximum release velocity he can achieve. -------------------------------------------------- For several months, I have promised to put video of my baseball pitchers performing my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the voltage regulator on the motherboard of my video computer went bad. Unfortunately, they no longer make that motherboard. Therefore, I have to have another video computer made. Unfortunately, it costs several thousands of dollars and takes about four weeks to get the parts and build. The good news is that I will have a state of the art video computer, at least for a few days until somebody upgrades something. However, after five or six years, I was becoming proficient with my Premiere Pro 1.5 program, the new program jumps past the 6.5 upgrade to CS4, whatever that means. To me, that means that I will need another five or six years to learn how to use that program. When I do, I promise to put the Half Reverse Pivot video online. I also need to upgrade the DVDs of my 2007-2009 baseball pitchers with voice-overs and make other DVDs of pitcher with whom I worked before 2007. Then, there is the baseball batting stuff I need to do. However, as my readers know, I do not charge for anything on my website, I have to fund my efforts out of my pocket. Therefore, if you appreciate my efforts, I appreciate your financial support. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 127. Questions About Coaching Boys Aged 13-14 for Youth Baseball I have devised the following questionnarie that I intend to give to parents to make certain I am supporting the best interests of their sons. Am I missing anything? Do you think it fulfills the goal of keeping a baseball coach "honest"? Your input would be sincerely appreciated, and thank you. ------------------------------------------------- Coach Evaluation 2010 Baseball Season Please evaluate using the scale shown. The responses will remain anonymous. 1. My son has a stronger interest in the game of baseball as a result of his experience this spring/summer. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 2. My son has had generally good interactions with the other boys on the team. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 3. My son learned some activities that he could engage in between practices that will help him develop his baseball skills. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 4. My son, on game days, seemed excited to play. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 5. My son did not complain about certain players receiving unwarranted preferential treatment. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 6. My son would like to be coached by Mr. Kerno next season. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 7. My son seemed excited about practicing. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) 8. My son understood why certain activities were conducted during practices. 1 (Not at all) 2 3 4 5 (Absolutely) Were there any instances of bullying/taunting/teasing that you felt should have been addressed? Yes/No If yes, please describe. ------------------------------------------------- P.S.: I still can't believe Jeff Sparks can pitch as well as he can, and no professional team is interested. I'd rather watch him than a major leaguer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Youth coaches of all sports should have such concern for their players. With regard to Jeff Sparks: Except for ignorance, the mean-spiritness in major league baseball is without limits. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 128. Could you help me with my local Little League president? I have been having a disagreement my local "Little League" president regarding my proposal for maximizing the involvement of each boy in the game. He contends that the two main reasons little league is failing are: 1. The lack of parental involvement and I believe that he is wrong on both accounts. I believe that "Little League" is failing because of coaches that don't respect the players. My question is: Could you provide me with a research study that might either support or refute my beliefs? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Youth sports fail for the same reason why President Kennedy's Youth Physical Fitness Program failed. Youth sport organizers classify the participants based on their chronological age, not their biological age. Therefore, they have youngsters that are biologically ten years old competing against youngsters biologically fifteen years old. The kids understand that that is not fair. Equated and delayed maturers do not get the opportunity to learn the skills, so they quit. Accelerated maturers don't feel the need to learn the skills. Shortly thereafter, the accelerated maturers stop growing, such that when they lose their physical development advantages, they also quit. When growth and development researches asked youth baseball players whether they preferred to be on the team that won the championship, but they did not play very much or be on the team that finished last, but they got to play a lot, ninety-five percent chose to be on the team that finished last, but they got to play a lot. The only answer to fairness in youth sports is to accentuate skill development, not winning and losing, even if that requires that we change the rules to fit that purpose. For example: 1. Ten players per team. 2. Every inning, players rotate positions. 3. Pitchers throw no more than two pitches to their teammates. 4. Innings end after all team members bat. 5. Games last one and one-half hours. When I was working with the Motor Performance Study lab session of the Motor Skill Acquisition class, the participants loved this game. They never bothered to keep score. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 129. 13 yr. old pitcher I saw you on MLB Network and looked up your website. I love what you are doing to help parents prevent injury in young pitchers. In my case, this information got to me a couple of years too late. My son has been playing travel baseball since he was 8 yrs. old. He pitches and plays 3rd base. Every year, starting at 9, he developed pain in his elbow toward the latter part of the season. I had X-rays done on 2 occasions and there was no injury to the growth plate and the doctors recommended rest. The problem came back again at the end of our Fall 2009 season. This time, I took him to a different orthopedic doctor and insisted on an MRI. The MRI shows he has a bone spur on his elbow. They did not recommend surgery at his age. They say the spur is not causing the pain, rather it is a result of the overuse. He went for several weeks of deep tissue massage on his elbow and now he is going weekly for rehab and strength exercises. He has never thrown curves, only fastballs and changeups. I have always had him iced after pitching. He is starting his Spring season now for his travel team and he has tryouts next week for his Middle School team. I have already told both coaches that he will not be pitching anymore. The doctors say until he finishes growing, this could continue to be a problem. Have you had any experience with kids this age having a bone spur? Do you think it will have to be removed at some point? He has an exceptionally strong arm for his age and I feel like he has a future pitching in High School and possibly college if we can get past this. I will not let him pitch the next 2 years, even if the doctors say it's okay. I regret letting him pitch through his youth. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Bone spurs develop by growing through openings in the hyaline cartilage that covers the ends of bones. 02. Openings in the hyaline cartilage that covers the ends of bones result from bones banging together. 03. The bones on the back of the pitching elbow bang together because baseball pitchers use the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion. The only solution to this problem is to stop using the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion. The problem is not overuse. The problem is misuse. Because, like a stone in your shoe, unless the bone spur is removed, it will continue to damage the hyaline cartilage of the adjoining bone, all bone spurs need to be immediately removed. Regularly thereafter, because the opening in the hyaline cartilage remains, such that the bone spur can return, doctors need to monitor these patients. The bone spur is causing the pain. Deep muscle massage not only wastes time and money, it will do nothing to prevent more damage. The rehabilitation and strength training will not help. They are wasting your time and money. I recommend that your son immediately get the bone spur removed. Then, after a few weeks, he should complete my 60-Day Youth Baseball Pitchers Motor Skill Acquisition Program. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 130. Marlins' Miller eager to take bull by horns: Club hopeful young lefty will blossom at big league level MLB.com February 10, 2010 MIAMI, FL: More than the numbers, the Marlins see the upside in Andrew Miller. For good reason, because it's glaring. At 6-foot-7, the left-hander has a high ceiling. He can blaze a fastball past a hitter in the upper 90s. And his pitches have the kind of movement that has league insiders using the word "electric" when Miller is around the strike zone. It's because of his pure natural ability that the Tigers selected Miller with the sixth overall pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft. The fact that he was so highly touted is why Florida insisted on Miller being included in the blockbuster 2007 trade that sent Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. With Miller, still just 24, the Marlins have shown tremendous patience. They believe he can blossom into a top-flight starter and a fixture in their rotation. It's just a matter of him doing it. And while the club continues to offer Miller an opportunity, it isn't making any guarantees for a rotation spot as Spring Training nears. "I've probably gotten a lot of opportunities because of flashes of my potential," Miller said during the Marlins' Caravan, which is running all week in South Florida. "It's basically up to me at some point to show I can find consistency in that potential. "I've gotten a ton of opportunities with the Tigers and a ton of opportunities with the Marlins. At some point, it's up to me to show that I've deserved it -- that I've put it to use and I'm running with it." Marlins pitchers and catchers begin working out Feb. 20 at the Roger Dean Stadium complex in Jupiter, FL. The club has made it clear that three rotation vacancies remain unfilled. The only locks are Josh Johnson, projected to start on Opening Day, and Ricky Nolasco. "Obviously, Ricky and J.J., they're going to be there," Miller said. "The rest of us, we're going to have to prove it. There's certainly not bad blood or anything. All the guys get along. Everybody is still young, but we're kind of in different stages of our career." Miller is in the mix for the other spots with Anibal Sanchez, Chris Volstad, Sean West, Rick VandenHurk and Hayden Penn. "We kind of look at it as, all the candidates, everybody has experience pitching in the big leagues," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. "They know what's expected of them. Now it's time to win a job. "We've been patient, and we understand the ups and downs of young players. It's time for them as a group to step up." In his first two seasons with Florida, Miller has dealt with some nagging injuries. He has been plagued by right knee and right ankle problems, as well as a pulled muscle in his rib cage. "Unfortunately, whether it's been injuries of just inconsistencies, it's been tough," Miller said. "I think at some point, I have to step in and run with it." Miller is well aware that his numbers are disappointing. In 2009, he was 3-5 with a 4.84 ERA. Projected to be in the rotation, Miller started 14 games and made six relief appearances. He was the fifth starter when the season opened, and early on, he felt like he was establishing a rhythm. But he wasn't able to sustain it and his statistics suffered. The Marlins optioned Miller to Triple-A New Orleans on July 20, and he encountered some more troubles. He spent time on the disabled list with an ankle injury. "I feel great right now," Miller said. "The ankle, I don't think it's going to be an issue, unless I were to sprain it again. I'm not even taping it. "That's been one of the most frustrating things for me. I know that I've been inconsistent on the mound, but how much of that has been related to all these injuries that I've had?" Because of lost time due to injuries in 2009, the Marlins sent Miller to the Arizona Fall League, where he worked on refining his delivery. Lowering his arm slot is one of the adjustments Miller has made while working with new pitching coach Randy St. Claire and Wayne Rosenthal, Florida's Minor League pitching coordinator. Along with several other pitchers, Miller already has been working out in Jupiter. "We're kind of keeping a lot of stuff we've done in the past year or so, but at the same time, I was raising my arm," Miller said. "It was going higher, and higher and higher." The danger of tinkering too much with any player is the risk of them getting away from what made them prospects in the first place. "I think that is somewhat what was happening," Miller said. "I was accomplishing some of the things I wanted to work on, but at the same time, I was kind of becoming somebody who I wasn't. "It's weighing what was working for you in the past, and why was it working, versus what can you change to fill these holes or these problems that you've had." If Miller doesn't win a rotation spot, he could get a shot in the bullpen or be optioned to Triple-A. Miller has one more option season, which gives the Marlins flexibility when they put together their Opening Day roster. "We're not ruling anything out," Beinfest said. "Again, those three spots are wide open. We'll do what's best for the team and for the player. If we feel they need to go back because they just aren't ready to contribute, then that will be the decision." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, the last sentence tells us what they plan to do with Mr.Miller. Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said, "If we feel they need to go back because they just aren't ready to contribute, then that will be the decision." But, the reason that I included this article has to do with coaching. Mr. Miller said, "I've probably gotten a lot of opportunities because of flashes of my potential. It's basically up to me at some point to show I can find consistency in that potential. I've gotten a ton of opportunities with the Tigers and a ton of opportunities with the Marlins. At some point, it's up to me to show that I've deserved it; that I've put it to use and I'm running with it. "The rest of us, we're going to have to prove it. ... we're kind of in different stages of our career." Mr. Miller has had right (glove arm side) knee and ankle problems and Oblique Internus Abdominis problem. "Unfortunately, whether it's been injuries of just inconsistencies, it's been tough," Miller said. "I think at some point, I have to step in and run with it." To refine his delivery, the Marlins sent Miller to the Arizona Fall League. New pitching coach Randy St. Claire and Wayne Rosenthal, Florida's Minor League pitching coordinator lowered his arm slot. To which Mr. Miller said, ""We're kind of keeping a lot of stuff we've done in the past year or so, but at the same time, I was raising my arm. It was going higher, and higher and higher." In response to a question about the danger of tinkering too much with any player is the risk of them getting away from what made them prospects in the first place, Mr. Miller said, "I think that is somewhat what was happening. I was accomplishing some of the things I wanted to work on, but at the same time, I was kind of becoming somebody who I wasn't. "It's weighing what was working for you in the past, and why was it working, versus what can you change to fill these holes or these problems that you've had." After reading all this, it is clear to me that Mr. Miller has no idea why he suffers glove arm side knee, ankle problems and Oblique Internus Abdominis injuries. In addition, he does not believe that what his coaches are making him do will help him. I believe that professional baseball pitchers have to figure it out on their own or through luck somehow get something right, their coaches are obstacles that they have to get around. In my career, while I had a couple of pitching coaches that I enjoyed, even they never offered me any information that positively contributed to my game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 131. Dodgers passing on right-hander Wang: Pitcher's shoulder progress a factor in club's decision MLB.com February 10, 2010 LOS ANGELES, CA: The Dodgers will pass on rehabbing starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, according to baseball sources. General manager Ned Colletti and assistant GM Logan White watched Wang throw Wednesday in Arizona, but the right-hander remains limited to flat-ground work. He has not thrown off a mound as he recovers from last summer's shoulder surgery. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who came up with 'Flat Ground Work'? What was his rationale for 'Flat Ground Work'? When they do 'Flat Ground Work,' how are baseball pitchers supposed to throw the baseball? When they do 'Flat Ground Work,' if baseball pitchers use the 'traditional' baseball pitching motion, then their glove foot will land earlier than if they were throwing off the pitcher's mound. Therefore, to coordinate when their glove arm side foot lands with where they want the pitching arm to be, baseball pitchers will have to adjust the rhythm of their pitching arm motion. Why is that a good thing? When they do finally throw off the pitcher's mound, to coordinate when their glove arm side foot lands with where they want their pitching arm to be, baseball pitchers will have to re-adjust the rhythm of their pitching arm motion. Off the top of my head, I suspect that a biomechanist that never learned what muscles contribute to baseball pitching and never dampened a jock on a major league mound came up with this nonsense and the uneducated 'traditional' baseball pitching coaches jumped on it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 132. Verlander reports Bonderman in fine form: Staff ace confident No. 4 starter taking big strides MLB.com February 10, 2010 DETROIT, MI: Justin Verlander said the throws have life on them, more than he saw last year. He talked about making adjustments, going back to the basics. He's really excited about the progress. He wasn't talking about himself. He was talking about Jeremy Bonderman. It's the kind of talk the Tigers need to translate into results if they're going to have a complete rotation, or if Bonderman is going to turn the corner in his contract year. So far, so good. "We play catch together most of the time, and he's got a lot of life on the ball," Verlander said last week. "And that's something that I hadn't seen over the last year or so. I'm really excited about where he's headed." He isn't the only one. "He feels great," Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "He feels healthy. His ball's alive and everything we've heard about him, which has been great, Justin was telling me firsthand." Verlander spends most of his off-season at his home in Lakeland, FL, so working out at the Tigers' Spring Training complex is just a short commute. For Bonderman, who lives in the opposite corner of the country in Washington state, Lakeland is the final step of his workout program. He ventured down there soon after the holidays, and the Tigers wanted him to keep throwing there rather than break for the winter caravan and TigerFest. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That is it? Mr. Verlander plays catch with Mr. Bonderman and tells the General Manager. When Mr. Verlander and Mr. Bonderman play catch, do they throw off the pitcher's mound and use their competitive pitching motion? If not, who cares? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 133. Long-term deals risky for starting pitchers: Offering hurlers five-year contracts can be iffy propostion MLB.com February 10, 2010 The soapbox for arguing against extending pitchers' long-term contracts is always crowded. Baseball "experts" caution general managers against making such commitments and, after they go ahead and do it, are equally generous with the criticism. This is again a lively debate following an off-season in which three of the longest contracts have gone to pitchers: Boston went to a five-year deal to get John Lackey off the free-agent market, and Seattle and Detroit went to the same lengths to keep, respectively, Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander off that market. Those three teams thus ignored an unwritten, but understood, rule in most front offices: No contracts longer than three years to pitchers. The inspiration for such policies is the generally-held belief that, like any perishable on the shelf, pitchers come with an expiration date and that they hit their wall in Year Four. But is that inspiration fueled by fact, or mere apprehension? Is there evidence of pitchers declining after Year Three of long-term contracts? Does their performance graph resemble the Alps, a three-year incline followed by a sharp decline? That is what we are here to examine, but not to answer. The track record is varied enough to preclude any absolutes. Draw your own conclusions. But the issue certainly is timely, and not only because the aforementioned trio kept it topical. Four pitchers who signed long-term contracts prior to the 2007 season are entering the fourth seasons of those deals: Barry Zito, Roy Oswalt, Gil Meche and Daisuke Matsuzaka. What can we expect from them, based on the lessons of the past? A couple of ground rules first: We considered only starting pitchers signed to contracts of five-plus years (a moot restriction, inasmuch as few relievers have ever received deals of that length, and none may ever again thanks to the Blue Jays' B.J. Ryan experience). And this is not about the money. No dollar signs, just possibly warning signs. We're not getting into "contract valuation" double-talk. Simply taking a snapshot of the performance risks of extended pacts for pitchers. Of course, teams underwrite those long-term deals for hurlers with plenty of zeroes, so the two concepts are inseparable. Still, we are all about taking the hill, not about going to the bank. The good news for Mariners and Tigers fans is that Hernandez (23) and Verlander (27) are young enough to fall out of any historical trends; very few pitchers landed the long deal at such a young age, although even their results have been mixed. The same goes for Red Sox lefty Jon Lester, who was 25 last season in the first year of his own five-year contract. "There's a gamble on anybody that you sign long term," Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski said when announcing Verlander's deal. "But to gamble on somebody that has premium talent, premium work ethic, has been a Tiger since Day 1, and you really know the person and know those things about him, if you're going to be aggressive and make things happen, those are the people you need to keep in your organization." The call for his Seattle counterpart, Jack Zduriencik, was even easier. "In this particular case, he's 23 years of age," Zduriencik said of Hernandez, "he's athletic as can be, he's going to get bigger and stronger and I think that ... when you have the opportunity to secure a guy like this, you do it." Lackey, 31, is in a more precarious position. Of the seven 30-plus pitchers signed to contracts of five-plus years in the past, only three, Bob Forsch, Greg Maddux and Kevin Millwood, sustained their prior performance through the fourth season. Boston general manager, Theo Epstein, covered himself somewhat with the innovative contract clause that would give the Red Sox a sixth season of Lackey at the minimum salary if at any time during the five seasons he has to go on the disabled list with an elbow injury. The protection is eminently sound, given a terrain pockmarked by the notorious failures of ... 1. Kevin Brown, who was given a seven-year contract by the Dodgers in 1999 and in the fourth season pitched only 64 innings while going 3-4. 2. Don Gullett, who signed a six-year contract with the Yankees in 1977 and by the fourth season was out of baseball. 3. Craig Swan, who received a five-year deal from the Mets in 1980 and in the fourth season went 2-8 in 96 innings. There have been many more breakdowns: 1. Darren Dreifort went 1-4 in the fourth year of a five-year deal with the Dodgers. 2. Denny Neagle was out of baseball by the fourth season of his five-year deal. 3. Ross Grimsley sat out the fourth year of his six-year pact. Yet there have also been some notable success stories. 1. Greg Maddux didn't miss a beat on successive five-year contracts, signing the latter in 1998 with the Braves, for whom he was still a classy 17-11 in 233 innings in 2001. 2. Dave Stieb stepped it up in the fourth year of his record 11-year deal with the Blue Jays, going 16-8 in 207 innings in 1988. 3. And, for a contemporary snapshot, Millwood went a characteristic 13-10 in 199 innings in the fourth year of the five-year contract he signed with Texas prior to the 2006 season. Overall, however, it remains definitely a case of signer beware. Of the 21 pitchers on our list (not all-inclusive, incidentally) with that Year Four already in the books, only nine maintained their prior level of performance and three of those seriously crashed soon thereafter, Mike Hampton, Chan Ho Park and Mark Prior. Perhaps most interesting: Fourteen of the 21 pitchers maintained their prior level of performance through the first three years of their deals, and six of those could not keep it up in Year Four. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am surprised that I am not on this list. After finishing seven in the Cy Young Award in 1978, I signed a three year contract with the Minnesota Twins. However, after finishing fifth in the Cy Young Award in 1979, the Twins released me in June 1980. But then, after the 2001 strike, I signed with the New York Mets and ended with three wins, two losses and a 2.60 earned run average. Personal stories aside, the reason that I included this article is to discuss the validity of such research. The question is why do major league baseball pitchers perform poorly in the fourth year of five year contracts. Therefore, researchers have to consider each baseball pitcher individually. Then, if they find that some, many or most pitch poorly in the fourth year of their five year contract for the same reason, then they have a variable to investigate and resolve. Over the years, readers have asked me to analyze the baseball pitching motions of many young major league pitchers, including Mr. Verlander and Mr. Hernandez. With regard to these two major league pitchers: I reported that neither had sufficient injurious flaws in their baseball pitching motions that caused concern that they would suffer serious pitching arm injuries. If I had been able to analyze the baseball pitching motions of the twenty-three major league baseball pitchers listed at the end of this article, then I would have been able to correctly predict whether they would have developed the pitching arm injuries that caused them to not be able to pitch their fourth year of their five year contract. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 134. 13 yr. old pitcher Thanks for the fast response! This makes more sense than anything I have been hearing from the doctors here. My wife and I both asked about having it removed and 2 different doctors didn't recommend surgery. I don't want this to continue to be a problem down the road. Is this an arthroscopic type surgery or is it more involved? How long is the recovery period? Should I have it done here or is there someone you would recommend? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To remove a bone spur is a simple arthroscopic surgery. Like removing a stone from your shoe that has bruised your heel bone, a few weeks of rest and you can return to normal usage. However, your son must not return to the same pitching arm action that caused him to develop a bone spur. You and he need to watch my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video and make the appropriate adjustments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 135. Orioles' Brad Bergesen Finds New Way to Get Hurt: Filming a Commercial The Sporting News February 12, 2010 Bergesen Injured Filming a Commercial There are many ways for baseball players to get hurt that don't involve regulation games of baseball. And there are many ways for the Baltimore Orioles to be struck down by fate that don't involve those games, either. O's pitcher Brad Bergesen is living proof that you can combine the two. Orioles right-handed starter Brad Bergesen will not be able to fully participate in spring training for at least 10 days after pitchers and catchers report Wednesday because of a strained right shoulder capsule that he injured during the filming of an Orioles TV commercial in early December. Bergesen said he is participating in a throwing program in Sarasota, FL, but has not been able to throw off a mound since he hurt his shoulder in the promotional shoot. Someone getting hurt filming that commercial is the the sort of thing that makes you think, "Only the Orioles," right? This is just an unfortunate setback for a star-crossed pitcher, right? Well, er, no. Bergesen, 24, who went 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 19 starts last season, was shut down after he took a liner off his shin during a start July 30. He didn't pitch again for the Orioles after that and hadn't thrown off a mound until he filmed the commercial, which was shot in an indoor batting cage at Camden Yards. It featured Bergesen throwing pitch after pitch off a mound to an unidentified catcher. I'm not sure who ultimately decided a pitcher's first throws from a mound after an injury needed to happen in a commercial, but I'll guess that person is not going to be in charge of ultimately deciding such things for the Orioles in the future. The spot does look realistic, whatever that's worth. But for the want of realism in an ad, a bit of a pitcher's recovery was lost, and the O's get to take a round of jokes from the madding crowd. It would seem that fate and the Baltimore Orioles are still not on speaking terms. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I thought readers would enjoy watching the video and seeing whether they can recognize the injurious flaw in Mr. Bergesen's 'traditional' baseball pitching motion that strained the capsule of his pitching shoulder. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 136. Dave Duncan Hits the Ground Planning St. Louis Post-Dispatch February 12, 2010 JUPITER, FL: Dave Duncan had been in camp less than five hours Tuesday before summoning Adam Wainwright into his office and presenting him his spring schedule. The sheet projected five starts for Wainwright following an extended series of bullpen throws and live batting practice sessions. Duncan’s sheet is detailed (complex) enough that he felt the need to ask Wainwright if the schedule was clear. Wainwright is experienced (sharp) enough that he needed no interpretation. Pitching coach and co-ace were again on the same page. Pitching math represents one of the most important aspects of camp. This year’s process involves 26 arms, including as many as eight candidates for the fifth starter vacancy. For the youngbloods, a first impression may be the only one they receive. Duncan’s plan is to employ at least five pitchers per game (2-2-2-2-1) for the first 10 Grapefruit League games. At that point, decisions must be made on who is a viable starting candidate, who is better served in the bullpen, and whose immediate future appears on a minor-league field. Veteran lefthander Rich Hill, Kyle McClellan, Jaime Garcia, Mitch Boggs, Blake Hawksworth, Adam Ottavino, Evan MacLane and P.J. Walters will be the most closely scrutinized, though Walters’ reporting date may be delayed due to the premature birth of his first child. Hill is the only contender to have ever spent an entire season in a major-league rotation, and shoulder problems cut short his 2009 with the Baltimore Orioles. “After a couple times through is when you begin extending the starter,” Duncan explains. “You start putting priority on certain guys at that point…. It’s why I tell these young guys to come into camp in good shape, because your innings are going to be in the beginning of spring. Then you’re going to get work as the spring goes on depending on well you threw early on. It’s a big mistake for a young guy who’s trying to make the club to come in here in less than great shape.” Duncan doesn’t believe this spring’s decisions any more difficult than normal. Indeed, the Cardinals could enjoy a glut of righthanded relievers unless McClellan strongarms his way into the rotation. Questions about Chris Carpenter’s health that preoccupied last year’s camp have receded behind his monster 2009 season. Duncan says he is confident that Kyle Lohse is past the physical complications that compromised him last summer. Brad Penny is in shape. Wainwright enters camp following a rigorous winter conditioning program. Starting depth may rank as the most pressing issue. Duncan must determine not only his fifth starter, but also his sixth. The inability to answer that question in 2007 followed the club the entire summer after ‘06 World Series hero Anthony Reyes struggled out of camp. “If guys I don’t expect to stand out do stand out, then it gets a little more complicated,” Duncan says. Duncan says he has little interest in importing additional non-roster arms into camp unless injuries thin the competition. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's see. The 2009 season ended about October 01, 2009. Spring Training starts about February 15, 2010. That means that Mr. Duncan wasted four and one-half critical months in which he could teach and train his baseball pitchers. The off-season is when baseball pitchers learn and train, not the month and one-half of Spring Training. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 137. Johnson aims to remain at top of his game: Marlins ace stepped up workout regimen this off-season MLB.com February 12, 2010 MIAMI, FL: Josh Johnson understands there are no shortcuts to success in the big leagues. Before testing his arm in a game, he does his leg work. Running has become a major part of Johnson's routine. All off-season, he logged his share of miles, constantly keeping his body in shape. The Marlins' ace is entering the prime of his career, and he is taking every step to remain at the top of his game. "I feel like I have to take care of my body a lot better," Johnson said during this week's Marlins Caravan. "You kind of take things for granted when you're 21 years old. You feel like you can do anything. My body ached, but I didn't take care of it as long as I should have or could have." An imposing 6-foot-7, 250-pounder, Johnson turned 26 on Jan. 31. The Marlins made a major investment in the right-hander, signing him to a four-year, $39 million contract in January. They are expecting him to hold up as one of the league's top pitchers. And Johnson is doing his part by being one of the club's hardest workers. In his comparatively young career, Johnson has already experienced the disappointment of not being able to pitch. On Aug. 3, 2007, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Through hard work, he was back on the mound less than a year later, facing the Dodgers on July 10, 2008. Last year, Johnson flourished with a 15-5 record and a 3.23 ERA, and made the National League All-Star team. He made 33 starts and tossed 209 innings, both career highs. "When you get here, you have an appreciation and realize you have to take care of your body," Johnson said. "You have to. It's going to be better for your career. It's better for your shoulder, your elbow, everything. "Before, you'd eat out a little more. Now, we eat in, almost every single night, a lot of chicken and fish." Johnson is constantly looking to improve his game, whether he is on the mound, in the weight room or running in the streets or on the outfield grass. Part of his routine includes a focus on his footwork and fielding. "I worked a lot on my foot speed, which should help me hold runners," Johnson said. Holding runners on base better will be a focus of the Marlins in Spring Training. The team has an exceptionally tall rotation. Along with Johnson, Chris Volstad and Sean West are each 6-foot-8, and Andrew Miller is 6-foot-7. Because of their size, they tend to not be as quick as some other pitchers. If they are slow to the plate, teams will exploit that and run more regularly. Fielding his position also is a priority for Johnson. "I was fielding ground balls every day," Johnson said of his off-season. "I was probably fielding 200, 300 ground balls every day. Little things like that, which will help me also, conditioning-wise." Running started to become a bigger part of Johnson's routine when he was recuperating from Tommy John surgery. "There were some days where I was just bored, so I'd run twice a day," he said. "If I felt I didn't do enough, I'd go running again. Things like that. All of a sudden, I started trimming down. My body was feeling better. My knees weren't hurting. My back wasn't hurting. I was like, 'Hey, that's the way to go.'" In many ways, the elbow surgery set back Johnson's career. He had a promising rookie season in 2006, when he was 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA. While he bounced back with back-to-back impressive seasons, Johnson still missed substantial playing time. In a profession like big league baseball, time means money. Johnson did sign a lucrative $39 million contract. But compared to the deal Felix Hernandez of the Mariners recently signed, five years, $78 million, the Marlins seem to have a bargain. Johnson, however, has no regrets. "Not at all. It was a blessing in disguise," he said. "Not only did it help my work habits, [but] my son [Cash] was born after I had surgery, [and] I had a chance to spend the first seven or eight months of his life with him. How many baseball players can say that? "You can't put a price on that. Most guys get to see their kids for two months and they are right back to camp. I was there every single day. I got to see him grow up." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After reading the headline, I could not wait to learn about Mr. Johnson's rigorous off-season regimen. Footwork? Now, I believe that baseball pitchers have to field bunts properly or they could be bunted out of the league. But, all Mr. Johnson did was to run and practice footwork? Mr. Johnson ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Does he know why he ruptured his Ulnar Collateral Ligament? Mr. Johnson said, "When you get here, you have an appreciation and realize you have to take care of your body. You have to. It's going to be better for your career. It's better for your shoulder, your elbow, everything." That sounds good, but where are the specifics? Mr. Johnson said, "Before, you'd eat out a little more. Now, we eat in, almost every single night, a lot of chicken and fish." I guess that about covers it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 138. Questions About Coaching Boys Aged 13-14 for Youth Baseball Do you have still images that show, at the instant of release, the ideal finger positions of the different pitches that players need to train for? I'd like to make these available to both players and parents. By "wrong foot body action", I assume this means, when performing the training exercises, the leading foot is on your pitching hand side. It feels different, and I'm trying to get used to it. I just want to make absolute certain that I'm correctly interpreting it. I'm girding for a fight with the "Little League" bureaucracy over my desire to train the "leftover" players that, I suspect, the "jock coaches" would rather just go home. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Baseball Training Program section of my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video, I demonstrate how baseball pitchers should grip and release the pitches that I teach. In addition, in the Analysis of Dr. Marshall's Baseball Pitchers file, I provide high-speed film of my baseball pitchers releasing the pitches that I teach. In the Football Training Program section of my Baseball Pitching Instructional Video, I demonstrate how to perform the drills that I use to teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion. I wish you success with working the youngsters that the other coaches reject. They deserve their opportunity to learn the skills of baseball. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 139. On a non-baseball note. I noticed that the pilot who crashed his plane into a Texas IRS office had this as part of his final message: "I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity." Thankfully, you're a rational individual. But then, it's the owners who reject your thoughts who are the ones flying planes into their own franchises by continually ignoring your methods. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To a point, I agree with your analogy. The owners are causing their own pain, but it is only financial. The ones that should be storming the castle are the baseball pitchers of all ages that suffer the physical and emotional pain inflicted by the 'traditional' baseball pitching coaches that, by continuing to hire these guys, the baseball owners endorse. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 140. Autograph Signings I am wondering if you would be interested in making an autograph appearance in Los Angeles. To support you in your program, I would also like to find a way to incorporate a way for you to promote your pitching coach services. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. To your autograph appearance proposal, my answer is 'No.' 02. To your proposal that I present my baseball pitching research to those interested in eliminating pitching injuries, my answer is 'Yes.' With the distorted values associated with baseball, I suspect that means that we will not be working together. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 141. Pact furnishes Giants, Lincecum with time: San Francisco, righty to mull options during two-year accord MLB.com February 12, 2010 SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The way time flies, Tim Lincecum's next potential contract showdown with the Giants will arrive with the speed of his fastball. But though two years may seem fleeting, it'll give both the Giants and Lincecum ample time to reevaluate their respective positions, gauge the market and perhaps reach their next agreement without the threat of a salary-arbitration hearing to goad them. Lincecum will have two years of arbitration eligibility remaining when the two-year, $23 million deal he agreed to Friday expires after the 2011 season. So in a sense, the Giants will face the same predicament they confronted this year: Do they risk taking Lincecum to arbitration and paying him an enormous sum on a one-year contract if they lose the case? Or do they attempt to sign Lincecum to a longer multiyear pact which might pay him less on an annual basis but still represents a sizable financial commitment? From Lincecum's perspective, he can't lose. By contrast, the Giants have some thinking to do. Since Lincecum will become eligible for free agency after the 2013 season, signing him to a contract of at least three years after his current deal ends will enable the Giants to "buy out" one or more years of free agency. That might be an advisable course of action for the Giants to take if Lincecum continues to perform at or near his current level. Price tags on premier pitchers likely will continue to rise. But it's entirely conceivable that Lincecum would give the Giants a modest "hometown discount" that might save the club a few million dollars. Then again, San Francisco could be constrained by various payroll dynamics. After the 2011 season, they'll still owe left-hander Barry Zito $19 million in 2012 and $20 million in 2013. They may decline Zito's $18 million option for 2014, though they'd have to pay him a whopping $7 million buyout. The Giants must pay center fielder Aaron Rowand $12 million in 2012, the final year of his contract. And third baseman Pablo Sandoval will become arbitration-eligible after the 2011 season. He'll command a significant salary if he maintains his 2009 production. Moreover, the Giants have right-hander Matt Cain to consider. The club holds a $6.25 million option on his 2011 contract, which it almost surely will pick up. Imagine Giants management trying to decide how much money to allocate to each pitcher. The club will be leery of insulting either one or overpaying both. It's all speculation at this point, but San Francisco could be forced into trading one of the two right-handers, similar to the situation it faced after the 1996 season, when Matt Williams was sent to Cleveland, partly because the Giants knew they couldn't afford both him and Barry Bonds. There's also the issue of winning. Assuming they stay healthy and effective, Lincecum and Cain maximize the Giants' chances of capturing their first World Series since 1954. The Giants believe that by the end of the 2011 season, their pitching will be complemented by hitting prospects who should be Major League-ready, such as Buster Posey, Thomas Neal and Roger Kieschnick. So the Giants' accord with Lincecum could be an aberration, something they won't be able to duplicate on a multiyear basis. Or it could prove to be a down payment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With regard to Mr. Sabean signing Mr. Lincecum to a two-year contract: With the horribly injurious baseball pitching motion that Mr. Lincecum uses, I believe that it is just a matter of time before many parts of his body start to fail. However, because he is young, it is not easy to predict when. When I take into consideration that, for many years, I predicted that Randy Johnson would blow out his pitching arm, I am always aware of the abberations that can occur. Nevertheless, unless he adjusts his force application techniques, I would not go more than two years with Mr. Lincecum. With regard to the Giants not being able to pay Mr. Lincecum, Mr. Cain, Mr. Zito, Mr. Rowand and Mr. Sandoval, I presented the answer to this problem to Marvin Miller in 1976. However, he refused to offer it. To bring a rational fiscal policy to professional baseball, all the owners have to do is pay the Major League Baseball Players Association the appropriate percentage of their total revenue and leave it to the Major League Baseball Players Association to distribute salaries, medical care and retirement funds. Then, the owners only have to worry about developing baseball talent. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 142. Dragons pitching coach helping Chapman adjust: Tony Fossas aiding fellow Cuban not only on the field, but off of it as well. Dayton Daily News February 13, 2010 Aroldis Chapman may never pitch for Dayton, but the Reds’ left-handed phenom is learning a lot about his craft and how to live in this country from one of the Dragons. After signing a $30-plus million contract with the Reds last month, the Cuban defector was resettled in Florida, near Tony Fossas, who is entering his second season as pitching coach of the Dragons. Fossas is Cuban and pitched in the big leagues. This week, the two will head to Goodyear, AZ, for Chapman’s first U.S. spring training. “I’m from Cuba, from Pinar del Rio, and he is from the other side of the country, Oriente,” said Fossas, who lives in Plantation, FL, and has been working out with the 21-year-old Chapman nearly every day. “Someone who (just) speaks Spanish is not good enough. “Right now, he knows where I’m from. We call it ‘barrio, barrio.’ It’s really the neighborhood. He knows exactly who I am. He knows exactly where my ancestry is. “That brings a certain trust that would be hard to get if it was a person from another country. Even though you might speak Spanish, it’s never the same.” Freddy Benavides, one of the Reds’ minor-league coordinators and a former major-league infielder and the first Dragons manager in 2000, agrees. Although Benavides is Latin, he was born in Texas. “To a certain extent, Latin players gravitate toward Spanish-speaking players,” Benavides said. “Here, he can relate even more, because he’s from the same country. Plus, Tony is a pitching guy and pitched in the majors. He brings credibility.” Fossas came to this country in 1968 with his family, as a 9-year-old. Chapman defected, by himself, last year, first to a European country, then to the U.S. The Reds took a low-key approach with his agents and won his signature before turning him over to Fossas. “I’m helping him acclimate himself to the United States of America,” Fossas said, “from the baseball field, from food, a little English. A little of everything you can think of. “When I came to the United States, there wasn’t even a bilingual program. I went to a school. I was the only Latin kid in the school. The school system had no idea what to do with me, so I just sat in a normal class. “The teacher spoke English and then she’d show me the book and tested me on sounds. When she said ‘table,’ I would look at the words and she would pick out ‘table’ and I would write ‘table.’ That’s how I got tested. It helped push me to learn quicker. You had no other choices. “Now you have choices. They have tutoring at the ballpark.” Fossas says he picks up Chapman at his apartment in the morning and goes to nearby Florida Atlantic University, where coach John McCormick lets them use the field and other facilities. “We do our throwing program, our bullpen program, our running program,” Fossas said. “We do agility drills and other work. I have a catcher come in and there are other professionals who come. “I don’t know where he’ll play this season. That’s not for me to decide. But I see him as a very, very exciting player with electric stuff and a very good work ethic, which kind of separates him a lot from other people I have known that had that kind of stuff. “He wants to work hard. He wants to do well.” What about off the field? “I’ve taken him to restaurants,” Fossas said. “I’ve taken him different places, Walgreens, CVS. We talk a great deal about life and we talk a great deal about being punctual, being on time. “One of the things he’s fascinated by is the highway system, how highways curve and you have one highway going underneath and one on top and how freely the cars move. “He’s a smart man. He already has one year of college in Cuba, and he’s picking things up really, really fast. He’s completely literate with computers and cell phones.” Fossas said Chapman believes he has a lot to prove, especially because several former Cuban players have not lived up to early promise because of injuries or other factors. “He wants to make it a point he can come in and really do well and make people proud of his country and his situation,” Fossas said. The coach said he also has learned from Chapman, especially about how things are in Cuba, where Fossas has not returned since he left. “I’ve never been back, but that’s one of my dreams some day,” Fossas said. “I’d like to go back to a free Cuba. “He told me stories I’m not at liberty to talk about right now, and in his case, the way he left, shows a lot of courage. He misses people there, and my wife has helped him send back some medicine. “The big thing is to get him to spring training where he can hang around with other Latin players, and American players. I’m making sure English becomes a priority in his life, because this is where he’s going to be a citizen. This is where he’s going to live the rest of his life.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a very interesting story. I wish Mr. Chapman well. However, did I read that Mr. Chapman signed a $30-plus million dollar contract? The Giants cannot pay proven major league baseball players, but the Cincinnati Reds can pay an untried Cuban baseball pitchers $30-plus million dollars. Does that sound fiscally responsible? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 143. Agent says Nats eyeing Benson: Veteran right-hander has worked out for Washington MLB.com February 13, 2010 Chien-Ming Wang isn't the only veteran pitcher the Nationals have interest in. They also have their eyes on right-hander Kris Benson, according to his agent, Gregg Clifton. The Nationals have not confirmed that they are interested in Benson, who has spent eight seasons in the big leagues. Benson, 35, hasn't pitched a full season since 2006, when he was with the Orioles. Over the past three seasons, Benson has been limited to a combined 22 1/3 innings, due to injuries and ineffectiveness. According to Clifton, Benson's shoulder and elbow are 100 percent. Over the past few weeks, in fact, Benson has had impressive workouts in front of several clubs, including the Nats. Clifton is hoping to meet with general manager Mike Rizzo to discuss Benson on Monday or Tuesday in Tampa, FL, which is where arbitration cases are taking place. "We've talked, and they were very impressed by his workout. Kris is 100 percent healthy now," Clifton said via telephone. "We had some conversations, obviously. There hasn't been much going on this week because of the [snowstorm in Washington]. That kind of restricted things. So, we'll see. All the feedback from teams has been very positive." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I have said before, I believe in rehabilitating injured major league baseball pitchers that have had success. However, to do this, the major league team must have someone that knows how to rehabilitate injured baseball pitchers. With the Washington National's pitching injury record, I don't believe they have anybody that knows how to rehabilitate injured baseball pitchers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 144. Richmond sidetracked by shoulder injury: Injury occurred during righty's preparations for Spring Training MLB.com February 13, 2010 Blue Jays right-hander Scott Richmond's quest to win a spot in Toronto's starting rotation has been sidetracked by a shoulder impingement. Richmond, 30, went 8-11 with a 5.52 ERA in 27 appearances (24 starts) last season. According to a team release, the injury occurred during his preparations for Spring Training, and he will be "monitored closely throughout his revised throwing program" to rehab the shoulder. The British Columbia native, who was a member of Canada's team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, will be behind the other pitchers in camp, with his return to the mound dictated by his progress in rehab. Richmond spent nearly a month on the disabled list last July due to inflammation in his right biceps tendon. He struggled upon his return, going 2-6 with an 8.44 ERA in his final 11 starts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is time for major league baseball teams and players to get serious about their business. To me, that means that major league baseball is a 365 day a year job. To me, that means that major league baseball players should either be playing competitively or training to play competitively. To me, that means that, when they are not in-season, major league baseball players should be in their Spring Training headquarters with qualified coaches teaching and training them. What training program was Mr. Richmond following? Who was monitoring him? Nobody should show up in February with an injury. By February, they should be ready to fine-tune their skills for Opening Day. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 145. Zimmermann itching to get back on mound: Nats righty in Viera while rehabbing from elbow surgery MLB.com February 14, 2010 Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is already in Viera, FL, the Spring Training home of the Nationals, and looking forward to the day he can throw on a mound again. Zimmermann, 23, is recovering from right elbow reconstruction surgery and not expected to pitch until August. He is hoping to play in a big league game by early September. Currently, Zimmermann is throwing the baseball from 90 feet on flat ground. "Everything feels excellent," Zimmermann said via telephone. "No pain and everything feels good." This past season was Zimmermann's first in the big leagues. He pitched in 16 games and was 3-5 with a 4.63 ERA and 92 strikeouts, which ranked second on the club. "I thought I did pretty well," he said. "We didn't get as many wins as we would have liked. I got a feel [for pitching] in the big leagues. Unfortunately, I got injured. Hopefully, I will come back in September and be the real person in 2011." Zimmermann last pitched on July 18 against the Cubs before complaining of tightness in his elbow. It wasn't like Zimmermann was in serious pain. When he was on the mound, there wasn't a problem, but in between innings, Zimmermann noticed that his elbow would tighten up quickly. Zimmermann didn't think anything was seriously wrong when he saw the team doctors. One can imagine how shocked he was when he learned that 90 percent of his ulnar collateral ligament was torn. Zimmermann was so upset about the results that he uncharacteristically declined to talk to the media for a period of time. "I didn't know what it was," Zimmermann said. "Every time I threw, it wouldn't be painful to the point where I couldn't throw, but in between innings, it would tighten up really bad and it took me a lot longer to get loose. That's when I figured I would get it checked out. "I've never been through anything like that before. It didn't set in right away. I was going to be done for a whole year. I just want to get out there and pitch. I don't want to be on the DL ever." When Zimmermann returns to action, the Nationals expect him to be one of several pitchers to have a major impact on the team. "We are going to be adding a Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, who is coming back, and Drew Storen," team president Stan Kasten said last month. "And after all of that, we still have the No. 1 pick in this year's Draft. So the next wave: the coming attraction is coming to stadium near you. It's a very exciting part of our story." When told that the team considers him a major part of future, Zimmermann said, "It's a good feeling knowing that they still think I'm going to be the person that they thought I would be when they drafted me. "Deep down, I know I'm going to come back the way I was before this injury, maybe a little better. It's good to know that they still have faith in me and are not giving up on me." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two points. 01. Despite the fact that he tore ninety percent of his Ulnar Collateral Ligament, Mr. Zimmermann did not have any pain. Mr. Zimmernan noticed that, after he pitched an inning, his elbow would quickly tighten. Mr. Zimmermann didn't think anything was seriously wrong. Team doctors had to tell him the extent of his injury. Like I have repeatedly said, ligaments do not have pain sensors. Therefore, baseball pitchers are unaware that they are tearing the connective tissue fibers that make up ligaments. That is why ruptured Ulnar Collateral Ligaments surprise baseball pitchers. Until the stress on the adjoining muscles becomes too much for these muscle to withstand, baseball pitchers feel nothing. 02. Mr. Kasten, who I knew when he and I were members of the Atlanta Braves organization, said, ""We are going to be adding a Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, who is coming back, and Drew Storen. "And, we still have the No. 1 pick in this year's Draft. So, the next wave: the coming attraction is coming to stadium near you. It's a very exciting part of our story." This sounds a lot like the Chicago Cubs when they had Kerry Wood and Mark Pryor. Unless Mr. Zimmerman changes how he applies force to his pitches, he will again be unaware that he is tearing the connective tissue fibers of the tendon that the orthopedic surgeon use as his replacement Ulnar Collateral Ligament. And, this one will not last as long as his born-with Ulnar Collateral Ligament. At present, Mr. Strasberg does not have the skills and fitness that he needs to be a quality major league baseball pitcher. I do not know what Mr. Storen can do or be, but another number one draft pick baseball pitcher, like Mr. Strasberg will need years to become all he can be. I know that the Nationals fired last year's pitching coach. I have no idea with whom they replaced him. However, I doubt that he knows how to teach and train injury-free baseball pitchers to throw a wide variety of high-quality pitches. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 146. Jurrjens to have MRI on right shoulder: Braves hurler experienced soreness after throwing at camp MLB.com February 15, 2010 ATLANTA, GA: Right-hander Jair Jurrjens will see Braves doctors later this week to learn why he has recently felt some discomfort in his right shoulder. Braves general manager Frank Wren confirmed that Jurrjens is scheduled to undergo an MRI in Atlanta this week. The 24-year-old experienced the shoulder soreness while throwing at the club's Spring Training headquarters at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida last week. The Braves are hopeful that Jurrjens is simply dealing with normal soreness and has not sustained structural damage to the shoulder. The young right-hander is expected to be a key member of a rotation that lost Javier Vazquez via trade in December. Utilizing some of the conditioning tips provided by John Smoltz, Jurrjens didn't show any signs of fatigue while completing 215 innings in 2009. He allowed two earned runs or less in 26 of his 34 starts and posted a 0.97 ERA in the 37 innings that comprised his final five starts. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What training program was Mr. Jurrijens following? Who was monitoring him? Nobody should show up in February with an injury. By February, they should be ready to fine-tune their skills for Opening Day. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 147. 10 for '10: Young aces among those at risk of Verducci Effect SI.com February 16, 2010 Nothing is more inspirational this time of year than the pop of a well accelerated fastball into the cavern of a catcher's mitt, so welcome after a long, cold winter that the fastball's usual antagonist, the hitter, is unnecessary to its drama. Such a sound is all the more inspiring when at its origin is a young arm, as full of promise as Chapter 1. The scene plays out this week in every camp in Florida and Arizona, at once prompting joy and fear from the club elders who watch them. For as they imagine young pitchers' success, they also must ask the question no one has yet truly cracked: How do we keep them healthy? The question is particularly timely in today's game. A wave of young pitching has washed ashore. Last year more 25-and-under pitchers made at least 10 starts than any time in the history of the game (71), including a 69 percent increase from five years ago. In just the past 13 months teams have handed out contract extensions that bought out free agent years of young homegrown stars Zack Greinke, Jon Lester, Josh Johnson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander. This spring offers more potential stars: Madison Bumgarner with San Francisco, Brian Matusz with Baltimore, Stephen Strasburg with Washington and Aroldis Chapman with Cincinnati. Meanwhile, pitchers such as Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer with Detroit and Joba Chamblerlain with the Yankees, like Milo of Croton, bear the heavier burden on their shoulders of a second year of full-time starting duty. The only task harder than a breakthrough season is trying to do it again. Breakdowns are almost inevitable in pitching, but difficult to see coming. The best we know is that the two factors that most elevate risk of injury are overuse and poor mechanics, which often are interconnected. More than a decade ago, with the help of then-Oakland pitching coach Rick Peterson, I began tracking one element of overuse which seemed entirely avoidable: working young pitchers too much too soon. Pitchers not yet fully conditioned and physically matured were at risk if clubs asked them to pitch far more innings than they did the previous season, like asking a 10K runner to crank out a marathon. The task wasn't impossible, but the after-effects were debilitating. I defined an at-risk pitcher as any 25-and-under pitcher who increased his innings log by more than 30 in a year in which he pitched in the big leagues. Each year the breakdown rate of such red-flagged pitchers, either by injury or drop in performance, was staggering. I called the trend the Year After Effect, though it caught on in some places as the Verducci Effect. As I was tracking this trend, the industry already was responding to the breakdown in young pitchers. The Yankees instituted the Joba Rules. The Orioles shut down pitchers late in the year. Teams set "target innings" for their young pitchers before camp even began. Clubs sent underworked starters to the Arizona Fall League to build their arms to better withstand regular work the next year. Still, by oversight, circumstances or old school "take-it-as-it-comes" thinking, teams continue to overload young pitchers, which is why the Verducci Effect is still in business, with 10 pitchers red-flagged for 2010. Imagine my surprise when I first ran the numbers and found two pitchers from the earliest adapters of the Year After Effect, the Oakland Athletics. How could they of all teams, I wondered, let Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill take jumps of 55 and 54 1/3 innings in 2009? "Oh, no," Oakland GM Billy Beane told me. "We didn't. We always keep an eye on the Verducci metrics." Beane explained that Anderson and Cahill pitched for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, so their innings jump was not nearly as large or as dangerous as their professional innings would suggest. Goodbye red flags. "We always keep an eye on that, especially when we get to September," Beane said. "In fact, we backed off them in September [with extra days of rest and lower pitch counts] just because of that. They each wound up in the 170s in innings, which was perfect. They're right on track this year to go out and make 30 to 35 starts and throw right around 200 innings. We think that's the natural progression." Peterson convinced Beane back in 1998 that young pitchers needed their workload to "staircase," with modest annual increases so the body could grow accustomed to, rather than be shocked by, greater work capacity. It was an idea that was not radical to road running or weight training, but was new to pitching. Beane is a proponent of the "only so many bullets" theory, that pitchers have only so many throws in their arms, so when Peterson backed up his theory with data, Beane, who by the next year was sitting on a gold mine of young pitching in Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito, was sold. "One thing I told Rick was, 'I can be sold if you give me information,'" Beane said. "I don't pretend to know the answer. Nobody knows. But this just makes sense. Given a choice between too much throwing at too young an age and being conservative, we'll always take the conservative route. Look, Hudson, Mulder, Zito, we took good care of those guys." The reality is that the cost-effectiveness and durability of those three young starting pitchers defined what made those Oakland teams successful more so than all the attention given to finding guys with good on-base percentages. In their 15 combined individual seasons in Oakland (not including partial rookie years), Hudson, Mulder and Zito averaged 17 wins, 33 starts and 219 innings. "With Rick, he did his homework, sold me on it and we're abiding by it," Beane said. Of course, baseball is such a beautiful, analog sport that circumstance and 30 franchise cultures defy a one-size-fits-all philosophy. That's how I wound up with 10 young pitchers this year who fall into the danger zone. It's not a prediction that they will break down, but only an estimate that they are at risk of a fallback season because of an aggressive workload increase in 2009. Here they are, the 10 at '10 (includes all professional innings, including postseason and AFL): --------------------------------------------------------------- | # | Pitchers At Risk | Age | Innings Pitched | Increase | --------------------------------------------------------------- |01.|Cesar Carillo, SD | 25 | 160.2 | +84.1 | |02.|Bud Norris, Hou | 24 | 175.2 | +73.0 | |03.|Mat Latos, SD | 22 | 123.0 | +66.2* | |04.|Joba Chamberlain, NYY | 24 | 163.2 | +47.2* | |05.|Homer Bailey, Cin | 23 | 203.0 | +55.1 | --------------------------------------------------------------- |06.|Josh Johnson, FL | 25 | 209.0 | +52.0* | |07.|Rick Porcello, Det | 21 | 170.2 | +45.2 | |08.|Max Scherzer, Det | 25 | 175.0 | +42.0 | |09.|Felix Hernandez, Sea | 23 | 238.2 | +38.0 | |10.|Wade Davis, TB | 24 | 195.0 | +35.1 | --------------------------------------------------------------- * = Previous career high occurred prior to most recent season.In general, the younger the pitcher and the greater the increase the greater the risk. Likewise, the risk minimizes the closer guys are to the age and innings cutoffs. Here are thumbnail looks at the young pitchers at risk: 1. Carillo, Norris, Latos: I hate to see guys with non-contenders getting pushed, as Kansas City and Pittsburgh used to do, but these guys have a common denominator: their previous workloads were depressed by injuries in minor league seasons. Carillo had Tommy John surgery, Norris suffered from an elbow strain (the Astros sent him to the AFL in 2008 and he still made the at-risk list) and Latos was bothered by oblique, ankle and shoulder injuries. The size of those increases remains significant. 2. Chamberlain: Even with Yankees fans complaining about the Yankees treating him with kid gloves, Chamberlain made the list because he transitioned from a reliever into a full-time starter. 3. Bailey: This is probably the most troubling case on this list, if only because there was no reason to lean so hard on Bailey down the stretch. The Reds finished 13 games out. In his last nine starts, Bailey averaged 112 pitches and was given an extra day of rest only twice even as he far exceeded his previous high in innings. The club kept leaning on him because he was pitching well, but to what end? 4. Johnson and Porcello: These are understandable to a certain degree. Both clubs were playing meaningful games late in the season, when backing off one of your best pitchers is very hard to do. Porcello, because of his age, is more at risk of paying for the workload than is Johnson. 5. Scherzer: Like Johnson, he took his increase at age 25, which minimizes the risk. But Scherzer bears close scrutiny because, like Chamberlain, his pitching health has long been questioned because of his throwing style. The Diamondbacks traded Scherzer in part because they never were sure that he would develop into the kind of workhorse starter that Edwin Jackson became in Detroit. 6. Hernandez and Davis: They barely made the list, though Hernandez's innings do not reflect the two high-intensity games he threw in the World Baseball Classic, once out of the bullpen. At this time last year Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey tried to convince me why he should not be on my 2009 list despite his 48-inning jump. He was a big guy, he said, who learned to be more efficient with his pitches. What happened? His ERA shot up from 3.72 to 5.03. I try to stress that the effect is not a predictor, it's just a guideline of risk. In the previous four years, I have identified 34 at-risk pitchers. Only four of them made it through that year without injury and with a lower ERA: Jimenez and three studs who did it last year, Tim Lincecum, Clayton Kershaw and Jair Jurrjens. (Jurrjens may not have escaped the effect after all. He reported to camp this week with a sore shoulder and will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.) Jon Lester, with only a slightly higher ERA in a fine 2009 season, merits mention, too. The at-risk pitchers last year who confirmed the effect included Pelfrey, Cole Hamels, Chad Billingsley, John Danks and Dana Eveland. Past red-flag lists presaged the breakdowns of pitchers such as Jose Rosado, Chris George, Runelvys Hernandez, Dustin McGowan, Gustavo Chacin, Francisco Liriano, Anibal Sanchez, Fausto Carmona, Adam Loewen and Scott Mathieson. It's not perfect nor is it meant to be. But to borrow from Beane, given a choice, why not take the conservative route? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, the genesis of limiting young baseball pitchers to fewer innings starte more than a decade ago, when Mr. Verducci and Rick Peterson started tracking what happens with young major league baseball pitchers pitch too much too soon. They called this 'overuse.' As a result of their ground-breaking research, they developed a definition of at-risk young major league baseball pitchers: "At-risk major league baseball pitchers are twenty-five years old or younger that pitch thirty or more innings one year than they pitched the preceeding year." Mr. Verducci called this, 'The Year After Effect.' However, others called it, 'The Verducci Effect.' No less a baseball innovator than Oakland GM Billy Beane said that he keeps an eye on the Verducci metrics. Mr. Beane contends that, when young major league baseball pitchers pitch around two hundred innings in thirty to thirty-five starts a year, they are following the natural progression." Apparently, in 1998, Oakland pitching coach, Rick Peterson, convinced Oakland General Manager, Billy Beane that, to enable the bodies of young major league baseball pitchers to withstand the stresses of pitching major league baseball, they required modest annual increases in the number of innings they pitched each year. For their scientific basis, they compared baseball pitching to road running or weight training. As a believer that baseball pitchers have "only so many bullets" in their pitching arm, Mr. Beane readily accepted Mr. Peterson's theory, especially when Mr. Peterson backed up his theory with data. Mr. Beane told Mr. Peterson, "I can be sold, if you give me information." Mr. Beane said that he does not know the answer, but then, nobody knows the answer. But, modestly increasing the work load of young major league baseball pitchers 'just' makes sense. When Mr. Beane has the choice between pitching young major league baseball pitchers too much or not, he will "always take the conservative route." As further testimony to the correctness of their theory, Mr. Beane says that we only need to examine what Mr. Peterson and he did with Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito. Mr. Beane said, "We took good care of those guys." After all, in their 15 combined individual seasons in Oakland (not including partial rookie years), Hudson, Mulder and Zito averaged 17 wins, 33 starts and 219 innings. Mr. Beane exclaims that Mr. Peterson did his homework; Mr. Peterson sold me on the idea and we are abiding by it. Unfortunately, neither Mr. Peterson, Mr. Verducci nor Mr. Beane knows anything about how the body responds to stress. To know this, they have to be Exercise Physiologists. Rather than determining the causes of pitching injuries and eliminating them, they prefer to count innings. The other night, I happened on the Major League Baseball channel and listened to two guys talk about statistics that determine pitching injuries. They spoke so authoritative that, for a brief moment, I thought that they knew what they were talking about. However, when I listened carefully, I understood that, while they used clever words and showed great pride in themselves, what they said had absolutely no scientific truth. Baseball pitchers injure themselves because of how they apply force to their pitches, not by the number of innings they pitch. When we eliminate the injurious flaws in their pitching motions that cause pitching injuries, we eliminate misuse. In one respect, these gentlemen are correct. Even when baseball pitchers eliminate the injurious flaws in their pitching motions that cause pitching injuries, if they do not train to withstand the stress, they can still injure themselves. However, this is not overuse, this is underuse. Instead of taking their off-seasons off, young major league baseball pitchers need to train to withstand more and more stress. Unless I missed something, Mr. Hudson ruptured his Ulnar Collateral and Mr. Mulder has not pitched for the last two years. And, whatever happened to Mr. Zito's career is not clear. Nevertheless, clearly, Mr. Peterson and Mr. Beane did not take care of them. By the way, if Mr. Beane believed in what Mr. Peterson wanted to do, why did Mr. Beane fire Mr. Peterson? Until baseball learns the scientific method for determining cause and effect relationships, young major league baseball pitchers will continue to suffer from the nonsense that these three guys created and others follow. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 148. Duncan gets look at Penny ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH February 16, 2010 JUPITER, FL: The routine played out about 50 times Monday morning on a bullpen mound behind the Cardinals' spring training clubhouse. The raw-boned man used an unforced delivery to unleash a ball that seemed to jump out of his hand. Standing behind him, mostly silent, the silver-haired man who had witnessed the delivery many times, but never up this close, looked on approvingly. At one point the older man interrupted to impress how the big man could better extend on his pitches. The big man nodded, then went back to his work. For several years, Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan wished the Cardinals front office could allow him the opportunity to work with the big man, pitcher Brad Penny. The moment finally arrived three days before pitchers and catchers go through their first official workout at the Roger Dean Stadium complex. The pair never joked, never high-fived and barely spoke. But they both appreciated the meeting. "I've never heard anything bad about him. It's always about how good he is and how calm he is when he's handling certain situations," Penny said. "He's real good at the mental part of the game from what I understand. I've heard nothing but good things and I'm excited." Penny has twice won 16 games in a season, once led the National League in fewest home runs allowed per nine innings, twice shouldered 200 innings and once finished third in balloting for the Cy Young Award. Duncan has watched Penny work for the Florida Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, respecting Penny's five-pitch assortment, his intimidating physique and his power arm. Most of all, Duncan has wondered how good Penny might one day become. "He's got a very solid delivery, pretty good command of the pitches he throws, and he throws with good velocity. He's got all the equipment it takes," Duncan said. The Cardinals in December signed the free agent Penny for a $7.5 million base salary that could grow to $9 million with incentives. He slides into the slot vacated by Joel Piñeiro, who parlayed Duncan's pitch-to-contact philosophy into a two-year, $15 million free agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Duncan loves Penny's pitch assortment. He also has notions about how it might be better used. But for now, they only remain notions. "I think I'm going to have to see him pitch up close in competition to have a real solid opinion," Duncan said. "I have thoughts and ideas right now, but I don't know if they're correct." Duncan intends to use the next seven weeks to study Penny, framing his wide assortment with a plan for every hitter. Those who can carry out the game plan consistently realize a benefit. Duncan admires Penny's aggressiveness, his refusal to give in to hitters. He's seen him blow away difficult lineups. He's also seen him touched up by hitters confident of receiving fastballs rather than a curve, a split-finger pitch, a slider or a change-up, all pitches Penny throws. "I would venture to say he has probably gotten in trouble doing that," Duncan says. "There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the power he has as long as he doesn't forget he has to make a pitch. Sometimes, guys will fall back on just their power, and you can't do that with all hitters. Some hitters you can, but others you can't." Bottom line: It isn't what Penny throws but when and where he throws it. "The way he wants to pitch is the right approach," Duncan insists. "He's not going out there to strike everybody out. He's not afraid to let the hitter swing the bat. He may be to the extreme. There may be situations where you want him to pitch a little more carefully. All I know is all the ingredients are there." Penny pitched hurt two years ago with the Dodgers and never found solid footing last season with the Boston Red Sox. He reverted to more productive form following his Aug. 27 release and subsequent signing with the San Francisco Giants, going 4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in six starts. In five of 10 major-league seasons, Penny has offered a team a minimum 25 starts. In each of those seasons he has either won 14 games (twice 16) or built a sub-4.00 ERA. "I've seen him dominate good hitting," Duncan says. "The potential is there. Now it's just about how often he can be that kind of pitcher." "Everybody has seen him throw. Everybody has seen him have success. Everybody has seen him be dominant," says Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter. "He's been an All-Star. He's had great seasons. I'm just looking forward to watching a guy who knows himself and knows how to pitch. It doesn't seem like he lacks confidence. He definitely doesn't lack ability. I look forward to watching him take the ball, because you know he's got a chance to win every time that he takes it." Penny says the most important thing is to consistently work ahead in counts, something Duncan will gladly reinforce. "It's always my fault. It's never the catcher's fault. The catcher is calling the game based on what I'm throwing for strikes that day. It's different every fifth day," Penny says. "When someone is throwing 1-0 and 2-0 (in counts) what are you going to throw? Are you going to throw a curve so you're 3-0? If he can't locate his fastball how's he going to locate his curveball? The key is strike one." The older man looks forward to what the big man brings. "I like the situation here for him," says Duncan, also noting catcher Yadier Molina's positive influence. "We'll go into games prepared and he's going to have a hell of a catcher catching him, who's very conscious of that very thing." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The writer wrote, "At one point the older man interrupted to impress how the big man could better extend on his pitches." Even if Mr. Duncan had knowledge of the baseball pitching motion, it is not a good idea to ask baseball pitchers to change how they apply force to their pitches six weeks before the season starts. The appropriate time for baseball pitchers to correct flaws is immediately after the season. The writer wrote, He's (Mr. Duncan) seen him blow away difficult lineups. He's also seen him touched up by hitters confident of receiving fastballs rather than a curve, a split-finger pitch, a slider or a change-up, all pitches Penny throws. Mr. Duncan said, "I would venture to say he has probably gotten in trouble doing that. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the power he has as long as he doesn't forget he has to make a pitch. Sometimes, guys will fall back on just their power, and you can't do that with all hitters. Some hitters you can, but others you can't." I could not agree more with Mr. Duncan. Pitch sequencing is the answer. Baseball pitchers should never throw the pitch that baseball batters expect them to throw. Baseball pitchers should challenge themselves, never the batter. Mr. Duncan said, "The way he wants to pitch is the right approach. He's not going out there to strike everybody out. He's not afraid to let the hitter swing the bat. He may be to the extreme. There may be situations where you want him to pitch a little more carefully. All I know is all the ingredients are there." I think I understand what Mr. Duncan is saying. However, why doesn't he want his baseball pitchers to strike everybody out? That does not mean that they have to throw fastballs in fastball counts. I believe that baseball pitchers should be afraid to let baseball batters swing. I want baseball batters to have absolutely no idea what pitch is coming and stand there and take them all. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************************************************************** From Thursday, February 25, 2010 until Sunday, February 28, 2010, I will be in San Antonio, TX watching the University of Incarnate Word baseball team play the St. Mary's University baseball team. Therefore, rather then rush to answer the questions I receive during my absence and include them in this weeks Q&A, I decided to post an abbreviated week of questions and answers on Thursday, February 25, 2010. *********************************************************************************************** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 149. One step crow-hop body action I am on my last 6-day training cycle with the 10-Lb IB (96 rep.) starting tomorrow. I will be doing your WW Drill 4: One-step Crow-Hop Body Action, Pendulum Swing Glove & Pitching Arm Actions Drill according to your video. But, according to your 280-day Interval Training Program it, says I should be doing your Step Back Wind-Up Pendulum Swing Throws. 1. Are these 2 drills the same OR are they different, but designed to teach the same thing? 2. I also noticed on day-197 that WWs are dropped to 24 reps daily instead of the normal 48 reps along with Decreasing the weight to 15 Lbs. Is this where we are in maintenance mode in anticipation of the baseball season starting? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. I have changed the protocol in my 280-Day Adult Baseball Pitchers Interval-Training Program. To teach the skills of my baseball pitching motion, I use four drills; the last of which is the competitive baseball pitching motion that recommend. 01. With my Wrong Foot body action; Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drill, my baseball pitchers learn how to use their pitching elbow as the fulcrum for force-coupling the pitching forearm. 02. With my Wrong Foot body action; Loaded Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drill, my baseball pitchers learn how to immediately raise his pitching upper arm to vertically beside his head with the back of his pitching upper arm facing toward home plate. 03. Rather than my Wrong Foot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill, I now prefer that my baseball pitchers use my Half Reverse Pivot body action, Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill. With my Half Reverse Pivot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill, my baseball pitchers learn how to vertically pendulum swing their pitching arm downward, backward toward second base and upward to driveline height to arrive the same time that their front foot lands. 04. With my Drop Out Wind-Up body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill, my baseball pitchers learn how to stand tall and rotate the pitching arm side of their body forward through release. While I do not have my One Step Crow-Hop body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill as part of my training program, I want my baseball pitchers to learn how to throw baseballs other than when they are on the mound. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01. Wrong Foot body action; Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drill: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 001|10 lb. WW (24 reps): 06 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (00 reps) Day 005|10 lb. WW (36 reps): 06 lb. IB (36 reps): FB (36 reps): BB (00 reps) Day 009|10 lb. WW (48 reps): 06 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (48 reps): BB (00 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 013|10 lb. WW (60 reps): 06 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (30 reps) Day 021|10 lb. WW (72 reps): 06 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (36 reps) Day 029|10 lb. WW (84 reps): 06 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (42 reps) Day 037|10 lb. WW (96 reps): 06 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 045|15 lb. WW (48 reps): 06 lb. IB (60 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 053|15 lb. WW (48 reps): 06 lb. IB (72 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 061|15 lb. WW (48 reps): 06 lb. IB (84 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 069|15 lb. WW (48 reps): 06 lb. IB (96 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02. Wrong Foot body action; Loaded Slingshot glove and pitching arm actions drill: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 077|15 lb. WW (60 reps): 08 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 083|15 lb. WW (72 reps): 08 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 089|15 lb. WW (84 reps): 08 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 095|15 lb. WW (96 reps): 08 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 101|20 lb. WW (48 reps): 08 lb. IB (60 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 107|20 lb. WW (48 reps): 08 lb. IB (72 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 113|20 lb. WW (48 reps): 08 lb. IB (84 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 119|20 lb. WW (48 reps): 08 lb. IB (96 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03. Wrong Foot body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 125|20 lb. WW (60 reps): 10 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 131|20 lb. WW (72 reps): 10 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 137|20 lb. WW (84 reps): 10 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 143|20 lb. WW (96 reps): 10 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 149|25 lb. WW (48 reps): 10 lb. IB (60 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 155|25 lb. WW (48 reps): 10 lb. IB (72 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 161|25 lb. WW (48 reps): 10 lb. IB (84 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 167|25 lb. WW (48 reps): 10 lb. IB (96 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 04. Drop Out Wind-Up body action; Pendulum Swing glove and pitching arm actions drill: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 173|25 lb. WW (60 reps): 12 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 179|25 lb. WW (72 reps): 12 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 185|25 lb. WW (84 reps): 12 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 191|25 lb. WW (96 reps): 12 lb. IB (48 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 197|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 12 lb. IB (60 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 203|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 12 lb. IB (72 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 209|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 12 lb. IB (84 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) Day 215|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 12 lb. IB (96 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (48 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 05. Add Maxline Fastball Sinkers and Torque Fastball Sliders: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 221|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 227|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 233|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 239|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 245|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 251|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 06. Pitch Sequences Against Four Types of Baseball Batters: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 257|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 263|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 269|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 275|15 lb. WW (24 reps): 08 lb. IB (24 reps): FB (24 reps): BB (72 reps) Day 281|Start pitching to catchers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02. After my baseball pitchers finish their twenty-five pound wrist weight training and twelve pound iron ball training, to redirect their energy usage to throwing baseballs, I drop them down to fifteen pound wrist weights and eight pound iron balls. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 150. Gagne looking for a return to Dodger Blue: Scouts have watched club's all-time greatest closer throw MLB.com February 16, 2010 LOS ANGELES, CA: Eric Gagne wants to be a Dodger again. General manager Ned Colletti said that his scouts have seen Gagne throw, but that the club has not made an offer or decided whether it would. Gagne also reportedly has contacted the Rockies, who are managed by Jim Tracy, Gagne's skipper during his glory years with Los Angeles. The Dodgers' bullpen is loaded, with Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario, among others, and the 40-man roster is full. Thus Gagne would have to make the club on a Minor League contract. Gagne, 34, is the greatest closer in Dodgers history, a fan favorite, the National League Cy Young Award winner in 2003, a three-time All-Star and holder of baseball's all-time record of 84 consecutive save conversions. He singlehandedly disrupted the traditional tendency of fans to leave home games early to avoid traffic, as they preferred to stay and watch "Game Over" Gagne, who entered the field to the blaring sound of Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle." But, his career spiraled downward, beginning with elbow surgery in 2005, then another elbow operation and back surgery in 2006, after which he left the Dodgers as a free agent. Gagne made stops in Texas, Boston and Milwaukee after leaving Los Angeles. After pitching for the Brewers in 2008, he was released during Spring Training of 2009 with a slight tear in his rotator cuff that he rehabbed without surgery. Last year, he played for the Quebec Capitales of the independent Can-Am League as a starting pitcher/coach. In 17 starts (102 2/3 inning) he went 6-6 with a 4.65 ERA and 64 strikeouts. (Gagne originally was a starter for the Dodgers before moving to the bullpen in 2002.) A native Canadian, Gagne lives in Scottsdale, AZ and visited the Dodgers' training complex at Camelback Ranch-Glendale last spring after being released by the Brewers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The MLB.com writer wrote, "Gagne, 34, is the greatest closer in Dodgers history." Mr. Gagne has admitted that he used performance enhancing drugs. Therefore, whatever he did under the influence of these drugs should be removed from the record books. Nevertheless, even when we considered his 2003 record, he did not pitch 162 innings, much less 208 innings in 106 games. Therefore, he did not qualify for the earned run average title. This means that Mr. Gagne did not contribute to about one-ninth of the number of innings that teams pitch in a season. Therefore, Cy Young Award ballot writers should not have handed him the Cy Young Award. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 151. Tampa Bay Rays add low-risk, high-reward bullpen candidate in former Ranger Joaquin Benoit St. Petersburg Times February 16, 2010 PORT CHARLOTTE, FL: If Joaquin Benoit can pitch again like he did before his shoulder injury, he could make the Rays' already improved bullpen even better. The Rays are willing to take a low-risk look, signing Benoit to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. Benoit, 32, struggled through the 2008 season hurt and sat out last year recovering from rotator cuff surgery in January 2009. He has been throwing in the Dominican Republic and is expected to participate fully in camp with the idea he could be ready for the start of the regular season. The Rays, among a dozen teams interested, saw enough in two throwing sessions to work out a deal that would pay him $750,000 if he makes the roster, with another $500,000 in bonuses. Benoit passed on more money elsewhere for the opportunity the Rays offered. Benoit was dominant in 2007 for Texas, posting a 2.85 ERA in 70 games, going 7-4, striking out 87 in 82 innings and earning a two-year, $6 million contract. His career record is 30-26 with eight saves and a 4.79 ERA in 273 games, all with the Rangers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "If Joaquin Benoit can pitch again like he did before his shoulder injury." Has Mr. Benoit eliminated the injurious flaw that caused the injury in his pitching shoulder? If not, then Mr. Benoit will not pitch like he did before his shoulder injury. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 152. Mulder's agent says reports Mulder retired 'aren't accurate' San Francisco Chronicle February 16, 2010 Gregg Clifton, who is Mark Mulder's agent, said that reports out of Milwaukee today that Mulder has decided to retire "aren't accurate. I don't know where that came from." Apparently from Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson, who told reporters that Mulder, who Milwaukee was considering bringing in on a minor-league deal, was hanging it up. Peterson was Mulder's pitching coach in Oakland and he has worked with Mulder as the left-hander tries to come back from injuries. Clifton said the two-time All-Star has made no official decision to retire. "I'm not saying Mark won't," Clifton said. "But he has not made any decision." Mulder hasn't pitched in a big-league game since the middle of the 2008 season and he has pitched in just six games since 2006, so it would not come as a huge surprise if he does decide to end his comeback bid. He has put in a lot of effort, however; he's worked with Peterson and with his former college pitching coach while trying to iron out some mechanical issues with his delivery that were making him injury prone. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can we finally put to rest the nonsense that Rick Peterson knows anything about eliminating pitching arm injuries? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 153. Mark Mulder denies he’s retiring; says he halted throwing program The Sporting News February 16, 2009 Mark Mulder on Monday strongly denied reports out of Milwaukee and Oakland that said he had decided to retire from baseball. The left-hander told the San Francisco Chronicle he is, in fact, backing off on his throwing program as he continues to recover from serious shoulder injuries. He said he still is working on a delivery that will allow him to be effective on the mound. "I never said ‘retirement.’ That’s the wrong word," Mulder told the Chronicle. "The thing is, physically, I feel great, but my arm just doesn’t work the way I want to work, so I just shut it down from throwing. But I never really said I was going to retire; I’m 32 and I don’t feel like there’s anything physically wrong with me." The retirement firestorm started Monday morning when Brewers pitching coach Rick Peterson, who worked with Mulder when the two were with the Athletics, told MLB.com that Mulder was quitting. That was after a Milwaukee television station had reported Mulder was finished. Then came the denials, first by Mulder’s agent, Gregg Clifton, followed by Mulder himself. "Whether or not I get it going again, I don’t know. I’m not ruling anything out. But retiring? No," Mulder told the Chronicle. The Brewers had been interested in signing Mulder, who blossomed under Peterson’s tutelage in Oakland but hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 9, 2008, with the Cardinals. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, Mr. Peterson threw Mr. Mulder under the bus. Nice guy. Mr. Peterson takes credit for Mr. Mulder's successes, but he will not accept the blame for the injuries that Mr. Mulder has suffered. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 154. I discovered my problem with a couple things You might think I am a little slow, but with all my concentration put on trying to get the correct releases of your pitches, locking the upper-arm, and getting the ball into the acceleration phase with a positive velocity, I discovered an issue I was having in your motion. I now realize why we must pendulum swing the pitching arm and take the baseball out of our glove with our palm facing upward. I always thought the sole reason behind this was to protect our UCLs. But, it became clear to me that there is another reason. I was having a very hard time getting that fluid motion as there always seemed to be a pause after I tried locking the upper-arm after pendulum swing and adjusting the forearm for the pitch I was going to throw, especially your screwball. I was not taking the ball out of glove with the palm of my hand facing upward. What this was doing was throwing off my arm action with the body action because as I wasn't rotating the palm of my pitching hand away from my body at an early enough time which would allow me enough time to raise my pitching upper-arm next to my ear. I was simply swinging it back and up to driveline height, but the problem was there was some lag as I had to raise my upper-arm and adjust the forearm. I don't think the arm can smoothly do this if we don't rotate our pitching palm away from the body. I know you must have said it numerous times in your video as well as your Q&A's. It was something I lost in the mix as I was contrentrating so much on other things. But, this big adjustment seems to be the key to the issues I was having. I am now raising my upper-arm next to my ear in plenty of time and an able to adjust my arm for your screwball. Here is some other things I noticed immediately: 1. I am not burying my screwball into the ground and to the left-side of the plate anymore. In fact, it is going to the right with an increase of velocity as well as spin as I am feeling the burning in my fingertips again which seemed to disappear when I started drill #3. 2. My Maxline fastball seems to have new life. I can also feel the burning sensation on my finger tips again. I apologize for the long message. I hope this makes sense. If I am inaccurate with any of the above, please critique. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Without performing the pendulum swing precisely as I describe it, baseball pitchers cannot properly position their pitching arm for the start of their acceleration phase. That is why, as part of their warm-up drills from day one, I have my baseball pitchers complete sixteen wrist weight Drop Out Wind-Ups with Shakedowns. The four steps to the perfect pitching arm pendulum swing are: 01. When baseball pitchers drop the baseball out of their glove, they have the palm of their pitching hand under the baseball. 02. When baseball pitchers have their pitching arm vertically beside their body, they have the palm of their pitching hand facing toward home plate. 03. When baseball pitchers have their pitching arm is forty-five degrees behind their body, they rotate the palm of their pitching hand from facing downward to facing away from their body. 04. When baseball pitchers have their pitching arm at driveline height, they have their pitching arm pointing at second base, their pitching upper arm at shoulder height, their pitching hand slightly above the height of their pitching arm side ear and the palm of their pitching hand facing away from their body. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 155. Brad Lidge after offseason surgeries MLB.com February 17, 2010 CLEARWATER, FL: Brad Lidge sat behind a table Wednesday inside the Bright House Field lunchroom, where reporters had positioned tape recorders and microphones for some of his first words since Game 6 of the 2009 World Series. Opening statements, Brad? "I'm going to burn my '09 shirts and we'll get this over with and move forward from there," said Lidge, who might not be ready to start the season following off-season elbow and knee surgeries. Ah, 2009. Lidge went 0-8 with a 7.21 ERA and 31 saves last season. He blew a Major League-leading 11 saves. It was a nightmarish year that looked even worse following a flawless 2008, when he went 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA and 48 saves in 48 opportunities, including the post-season. Lidge's ERA spiked 5.26 runs from '08 to '09, which was the fourth-worst jump in ERA in baseball history for relief pitchers with at least 40 appearances in consecutive seasons. Lidge had been bothered with a sprained right knee, which put him on the disabled list in June, but for much of the season, he maintained he felt fine. He wasn't. The knee altered his mechanics, which might have caused the pain in his right elbow the second half of the season. "It was tough to throw," he said. "The biggest thing for me was trying to convince myself the whole year that I could get it done the same way. And I felt I could, but obviously I wasn't the same guy last year as '08." Both injuries affected the quality of Lidge's fastball and slider. His altered mechanics, which he needed to compensate for his ailing knee, made him slower to the plate and might have had him tipping his pitches. Runners ran at will against him (remember Johnny Damon in Game 4 of the World Series). He started to throw a cutter the final weekend of the regular season as a stopgap to resolve his struggles against left-handed hitters. Lidge said despite his struggles, he never thought about shutting himself down. "I'll never put myself on the DL," he said. "If they pull me out of there and say, 'You can't do it,' that's one thing. If I can physically go out there, I'm going to. That's not a decision that I feel like I need to make." But, Lidge decided to have surgery after the season. He had his flexor pronator tendon in his right elbow repaired and a loose body removed in November. He had knee surgery in January, which he said leaves him about two weeks behind schedule entering Spring Training. "I definitely feel a lot better," he said. "I knew I needed to get my arm taken care of. That was more of a clean out-type procedure. Getting some bone chips and bone spurs. I had a little tendon tear. Really the big issue for me was going to be my knee. We tried to let it rest and just see if it would go away without having to do a surgery on it. I was going up the stairs somewhere in December, and it was still hurting. So at that point, I was like, 'We've got to get something done. I don't want to go through '09 again.' Right now, it actually feels really good. Probably just a couple weeks after the surgery, I was able to do a lot of things that I hadn't been able to do the previous 10, 11 months. So I think that's a really good sign going into Spring Training this year." Lidge is a motivated man this spring. He literally went from being the best relief pitcher in baseball in '08 to the worst in '09. He wants to get back to the norm. The veteran righty wants to get as far away from that 7.21 ERA as possible. "It's a really frustrating thing," Lidge said. "When you look at your career, a year like that really sucks. It stands out. There are years that go better than you ever thought. There are years that go worse than you ever thought. But, it is definitely motivating for me to get back to being the pitcher I am, and I know I will be this year. I probably won't look back and dwell on it and be like, 'That's too bad,' or whatever. It did happen. It was a tough year. But, it's done. Now it's just all about being myself again and going to my bread and butter and getting things done. I don't necessarily expect myself to have '08, but I expect myself to be a hell of a lot closer to '08 than '09, that's for sure. I feel really optimistic that will be the case." If Lidge had been healthy, he already would have thrown off a mound. But, because he isn't, he estimates he might not throw off a mound for another two weeks. That would leave him less time to get the 10 to 13 appearances in Spring Training he probably needs to be ready for the season. He thinks he can do it. "If there are no setbacks and everything goes smooth, I think that's a possibility," Lidge said. "I think that's reasonable. But, we also look at '08 as a model. I missed the first five games, we didn't try to rush it and I had the best year of my career. We'll be smart about it." Smarter is better. The Phillies need Lidge to anchor a bullpen that looked shaky at times last season. If he is closing and closing successfully, Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, Danys Baez, Chad Durbin and Jose Contreras fall in behind him. And that means, in theory, everything should be improved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With a 7.21 ERA, Mr. Lidge had 31 saves. Mr. Lidge gave up almost one run per inning and still received 31 saves. That means that, when Mr. Lidge entered the game to pitch his one inning, he had at least a two run lead. Like I have said for years, to pitch one inning with at least a one run lead is the easiest gig major league baseball pitchers can have. The tough gigs for closers are ninth innings and beyond tie games on he road. To properly evaluate closers, based on the number of innings pitched, the score and whether the game is on the road or at home, we need to hierarchially order the situations when closers enter games. Therefore, from the toughest to easiest innings that closers can face are: ------------------------------------------- | # | Score | Location of the game | ------------------------------------------- |01.| Score tied | On the road | |02.| Score tied | At home | |03.| One run lead | On the road | |04.| One run lead | At home | |05.| Two run lead | On the road | |06.| Two run lead | At home | -------------------------------------------To determine the best closer, we need to award points for every closing inning that closers pitch. Because there are six cicumstances under which closers pitch, I recommend that we award six points down to one point for every type of inning that closers successfully pitch and substract one point up to six points for every type of innings that closers unsuccessfuly pitch. This way of evaluating closers eliminates the meaningless save statistic and awards the closers that successfully pitch the tough innings. I would like to compare my 1974, 1973, 1979, 1972 and 1978 numbers with the numbers that today's closer achieve. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 156. Kuroda aims to recover from painful '09: Hurler hopes unusual acupuncture treatment is effective MLB.com February 17, 2010 PHOENIX, AZ: Hiroki Kuroda survived the horror of a line drive off his head last summer and showed no mental trepidation climbing back on the mound and risking that it might happen again. What Kuroda still isn't sure about, though, is a pain in the neck that returned during winter workouts. Kuroda now says the slight herniation in the disk in his neck, technically injury No. 3 during a disappointing 2009, was probably a whiplash result of the line drive off his head Aug. 15 in Arizona. "It's hugely possible that was why," he said. "The ball hit on the right side of my head and it was kind of whiplash. Where I felt the pain was the left part of the neck. When I thought the pain was gone, it came right back. I think getting hit in the head had a lot to do with it." Kuroda said he thought the neck was fully healed until he started winter workouts, only for discomfort to return. He credits a rare method of acupuncture administered in his native Japan for relieving the pain. He reported to Dodger Stadium last month for workouts and has had five bullpen sessions pain-free. He continues regular acupuncture and massage treatment from Dodgers therapist Ichiro Tani. "I think I have recovered," he said last week. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Nonetheless, Kuroda's health is one of the big unknowns as the Dodgers open Spring Training this weekend. Only a year ago, Kuroda was considered by many to be the Dodgers' ace. He was, after all, named Opening Day starter after stepping up big-time with a pair of post-season wins in 2008. But, after winning the 2009 opener, Kuroda suffered a strained left oblique muscle during a bullpen session before his second start and spent nearly two months recovering. Kuroda looked rusty going 2-5 over the next two months and just seemed to be gaining some momentum with a pair of August wins when Rusty Ryal turned around a 94-mph fastball with a line drive that drilled Kuroda above the right temple near the hairline. At the time, Kuroda was throwing a two-hit shutout through five innings. Television technicians estimated that there was about two-thirds of a second between the time the pitch left Kuroda's hand and the point at which the line drive struck his head. Kuroda, diagnosed with a concussion, at the time said he was "lucky to be alive." He returned after three weeks with a loss, then won his next three starts down the stretch, but pitched poorly in a loss to the Pirates September 28, after which he complained of a sore neck that was diagnosed as a slight disk herniation. Kuroda missed his last regular-season start and was left off the roster for the NL Division Series. He said he was healthy enough to be added to the roster for the NL League Championship Series, only to pitch ineffectively in his only start against the Phillies, shelled for six runs in 1 1/3 innings of the 11-0 Game 3 blowout loss. "In my last game there was no pain," Kuroda said, "but, during the off-season there was a little bit of pain when I worked out hard. It would get a little tight, but not the same pain I felt during the season." So he saw his regular acupuncturist in Hiroshima, who resorted to a treatment that is very irregular even in Japan, according to Kuroda. "Normally they use one needle in acupuncture, but he used a device with several needles in a cylindrical tube," said Kuroda. "He pressed it and many needles came through and it was really painful. But, the treatment worked, it relieved the pain. "Having said that, I have to be careful to prevent the pain from happening because it comes all of a sudden. During the season, I have to be careful." Kuroda enters the final season of a three-year, $35.3 million contract. He is the Dodgers' highest-paid pitcher (receiving $15.4 million this year, including a pro-rated signing bonus) and second-highest-paid player (although most of Manny Ramirez's $20 million salary is deferred), but he won only nine games in 2008 and eight last year. He's a strike-thrower, with a 3.74 cumulative ERA in the Major Leagues an indication of his ability, but his two-year record is 17-17. "Last season I was really frustrated, to say the least," he said. "Out of all the seasons I've had, including [11 in] Japan, I've never had a year with so many injuries. It was really stressful. But you learn from mistakes and try not to get injured and do whatever possible to avoid injuries and stay healthy. "It's really difficult to prevent getting hit in the head or prevent injuring an oblique muscle. They happen in a blink of a second in a game situation. But having gone through it, I can mentally prepare if I get injured with the same pain to go through the recovery period." Kuroda turned 35 last week and has thrown more than 2,000 professional innings. "I don't feel I'm that old, and as long as I play at this level, I don't want to think about my age or that age has a lot to do with it, at least I don't want to think that way," he said. "You can't be prepared for a game if you are afraid of injury or afraid of getting old. I don't think I'm afraid of anything, that's what's allowed me to play until now." He said he won't decide how long he wants to play or whether his career would continue in the Major Leagues or Japan until after this season, but insists he's as motivated to compete as he was when he signed two years ago. "I'd like to play as long as I can," he said. "Having gotten hit by the pitch, it could have been the end of my baseball career and the end of my life. I'm just glad I have another chance to play, and now that I have the chance, I want to live my dream as long as possible. I don't really feel pressure because of last year. But because of last year, I like to play to the max, and I don't want any regrets at end of the season." He was asked if Dodgers fans have seen the real Kuroda. "If you look at a whole season, they probably haven't," he said. "If you look at certain games, I've pitched really well. What I have to do this year is increase the number of games I've pitched well, and if I do that, the people will see me at my best." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the lower back, the L5-S1 intervertebral disk herniates when baseball pitchers bend forward at their waist, thereby squeezing the anterior aspect the disk, which pushes the disk posteriorly. Then, the protruding disk inflames the motor nerve that exits the spinal column at that level. In the neck, because baseball pitchers turn their head to their glove side, the muscles that attach to the vertebrae rotate the vertebrae to their glove side. After baseball pitchers release their pitches, they rotate those vertebrae to their pitching arm side. When these muscles co-contract, baseball pitchers tear the muscle fibers in the muscles that turn the vertebrae to their glove side. Therefore, the cause of the pain that baseball pitchers experience in their neck differs from the cause of the pain that baseball pitchers experience in their lower back. To eliminate neck pain, to move their pitching upper arm toward home plate, baseball pitchers should use their Latissimus Dorsi muscle, not their Pectoralis Major muscle. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 157. Finally healthy, Zumaya ready for battle: Right-hander back in the saddle with adjusted arm slot MLB.com February 17, 2010 LAKELAND, FL: Joel Zumaya was Detroit's closer-in-waiting three years ago. He was a potential closer contestant a few months ago. Now? Zumaya isn't taking anything for granted. All he knows, he says, is that he's healthy, more so than he has been for the past 2 1/2 years. And as the hard-throwing right-hander enters what could be the Spring Training camp that determines the rest of his career, he sounds like someone on a mission. "I'm coming in to prove something," Zumaya said after a bullpen session Tuesday at Joker Marchant Stadium. "I've got a lot to prove. The last two years, I've been sitting on the shelf, so I'm probably on my last string right now. And I don't want that last string to get pulled." He isn't referring to anything attaching his shoulder as a string. He's talking about his career as a Tiger. Even with the fact that Zumaya is tough on himself, it's a scenario few would've imagined after that magical 2006 season. Zumaya pitched in 62 games and 83 1/3 innings as a rookie that year, but has just 78 appearances and 88 innings in three seasons since. When he avoided arbitration this winter, the Tigers included a clause in his contract that awards a bonus if he makes 30 appearances this season, something he hasn't done since '06. Zumaya isn't claiming he's owed anything based off that year alone. He's just ready for a shot to prove himself again. He's healthy, he says, and he wants a chance to show what he can do. "I have nothing bothering me in my arm anymore," Zumaya said. "I'm throwing the ball free and easy." He has kept what was bothering him in his shoulder last year and wrecked his 2009 season just when it was getting going. It was a bone shard, the result of a stress fracture, but a lot larger than the sliver one might expect. Surgery last August removed it. "I have it as a souvenir," Zumaya said. "It's probably the size of my thumb. It's that big." A year ago, doctors believed he could pitch through the stress fracture, even with the bone fragment. Pro quarterbacks have thrown through similar stress fractures and felt fine. Unfortunately, there's so little history with pitchers and that kind of injury that they had no examples in that sport with that throwing motion. An abbreviated Spring Training followed, with tendinitis costing Zumaya a chance to open the season on the active roster. He joined the club in late April, had mixed results through June, then felt his shoulder turn progressively worse in a disastrous outing at Yankee Stadium out of the All-Star break. Part of Zumaya's problem, in hindsight, had to do with his arm angle. As he tried to pitch through shoulder trouble, he lowered his arm angle to a more comfortable slot. His pitches, in turn, flattened out, especially his fastball. He was throwing as hard as ever, but hitters connected. Seven weeks after his surgery, Zumaya was "flipping the ball" to get a feel for it. He threw his first mound session before Christmas. He returned to throwing at a high school alumni game. "I threw the last inning, just to see how it felt," he said. "And it felt fine." Since then, he has been on a normal throwing program, not a rehab program. His bullpen session Tuesday morning was his sixth since coming to Lakeland right after New Year's Day. Each one has left him feeling encouraged. What encouraged pitching coach Rick Knapp, besides the health, was the arm angle. It has Zumaya excited, too. "My arm slot is totally different from where I was the last two years," he said. "It's a lot higher. It's actually where I'm supposed to be. I mean, the last two years, I've thrown with my arm slot a little low, because I had that little issue. I've kept my mouth shut for a while. I just had to get this done and get cleaned up. "Like I said, I'm fine. My arm slot's going to be a lot better. My offspeed [pitches are] a lot sharper. The ball's coming down to a point. It's not coming flat." If he can keep it that way, he might again have a career on the rise. Any shot he had to be a closer in Detroit anytime soon likely vanished when the Tigers signed Jose Valverde to a two-year contract. But he has enough eighth-inning experience to be a strong setup man if he stays healthy. The Tigers' bullpen is deep in talent, probably deeper than it has been in a long time. But manager Jim Leyland admits Zumaya is a big key because of what he brings. "I think the bullpen's going to be pretty good, particularly if Zumaya's healthy," Leyland said Wednesday. "Everybody says he is, but you don't know that until we get out there." Zumaya doesn't consider his health as a question anymore. His performance is now the key. "Basically, I feel fine," Zumaya said. "I'm not even on a rehab program. I'm already on my sixth 'pen [session]. I'm way advanced on some of these guys. Once [workouts] come around, I'm going to be ready." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Zamaya had a stress fracture. Stress fractures are cracks in the bone. However, Mr. Zamaya said that the orthopedic surgeon removed a piece of bone that was about the size of his thumb. That is not a stress fracture; that was a shattered bone. How did the bone replace that thumb-sized piece of bone? Me believe that Mr. Zamaya embellishes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 158. This is the latter portion of an MLB.com article on Marlins' reliever Leo Nunez: ...In the off-season, Nunez has been working on fine-tuning his slider and changeup. When he faces batters, he will work on a pitch sequence, like not always opening with a first-pitch fastball. "I've been doing a lot of work with the slider," Nunez said. "That and throwing my fastball inside more. Right now, I feel good." An issue with Nunez last year was wear-and-tear on his body. In the 2009 Marlins media guide, he was listed at 6-foot-2, 182-pounds. Because of his slender body type, the Marlins were mindful of his total appearances. Still, he ended up throwing in a career-high number of games. His 75 appearances also were tied for 11th in the National League. The Marlins do have other closing options should they need them. Brian Sanches, Dan Meyer, Seth McClung and Derrick Turnbow offer alternatives. Acquired from the Royals for Mike Jacobs after the 2008 season, Nunez had never thrown in more than 45 games with Kansas City. To help his durability, this off-season Nunez spent more time in the weight room. At FanFest last weekend, he showed up at 190 pounds. "I gained about eight-to-10 pounds since last year," Nunez said. "I was working with weights every day." The extra weight should help him hold up late in the season. "He's got a whippy arm, so I don't know if it's necessarily a weight issue with him," Marlins GM Michael Hill said. "When he's at his best, he's able to command his pitches. When he ran into trouble, his fastball was up and not over the plate. "He has the repertoire and the weapons to be successful. What he has to learn to be successful at that role is not to be predictable, because [hitters] have a book [on him], too. They're working at trying to beat him." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- &nbs |