The Tommy John surgery didn't exist? Currently there are 20 pitchers on the DL for Tommy John surgery. I mean would there careers be over? Its just amazing to me that with the exception of Sandy Koufax I really don't recall any pitcher during the 60s or 70 whose career was cut short due to arm trouble. I'm sure there must have been 1 or 2 or even 4 or 5 but no where near what we're seeing today. Even all the other injuries that are occurring over the last several years. I just don't recall players dropping like flies during my day.
Steve seriously I don't know if if the weights, or just the general conditioning. Whatever it is SOMEONE has to be thinking "What are we doing wrong?" Because honestly I really don't remember all these injuries in years past.
Were they throwing as fast? Were there as many types of pitches? I'm quite sure the over-training has something to do with it...
I think all the points mentioned are legitimate. One thing to mention, CORTISONE INJECTIONS. I had a personal experience when coaching Senior League Kids, throwing batting practice, I tore my rotator cuff over 3 different years. I kept getting cortisone injections, til I had 28 in 3 yrs. Saying to hell with this, I drove down to the Kerlan Jobe Clinic, (creators/surgeons who invented the TJ Surgery). I was told by Frank Jobe, and Lewis Yocum, Cortisone had softened the tendons and ligaments in the shoulder, til they peeled right off the bone. I only wish I had of known a decade before, when getting those shots, they were the culprit themselves. Sandy said as much, after he retired, mentioning he didn't want to keep throwing in pain, and sure as hell did not want any more cortisone injections, as it too was softening his tendons. Cortisone long term can also weaken ones heart.
In the dictionary under the word REDUNDANT it says.......see REDUNDANT. Sorry Rob, I couldn't resist.
hey Rick, thats quit alriight, your post got a huge laugh out of me, enough kim was yelling from the bedroom, are you alright BOB, I couldn't answer right away, I almost choked from laughing, yeehah....!!! Hey Rick, I looked up Websters REDUNDANT and guess what it said REDUNDANT FOUR TIMES OVER.......LMAO .... TOUCHE OL' FRIEND, DUN DAT REDUN DANT, hysterical eh?
DMSO is what pitchers used in my day, it was lethal! in my honest opinion, the reason why there are so many arm issues today is conditioning! i'm old school, weight lifting and baseball do not go together, isn't it enough you play 162 game schedule, you add more stress to the body by lifting? we pitched we iced! no lifting no supplements no drugs! got dang we used that hot stuff, the burn from it made you forget the arm pain! never knew in my day what a freekin rotator cuff, cup whatever u call was!
Pasta on topics such as this I'm always reminded of the greatest game ever pitched. July 1963 Warren Spahn vs Juan Marichal. A 16 inning shutout won by the Giants 1-0 on a HR by Willie Mays. But the real story was that both pitchers went the distance. And in this day & age of pitch counts, these guys threw over 400 pitches between them with Marichal throwing an amazing 227 pitches for the game. And the thing that also made it incredible was Warren Spahn was 42 years old when he pitched this game. And if that wasn't enough both pitchers came back 4-5 days later for there next starts. today once a pitcher goes over 100 pitches they're removed. Pathetic.
Oh man, Pasta I remember DMSO, nasty nasty stuff. I used that way to much myself, and had mixed feelings with it. none good either. Ice Ice and more Ice, heck even vinegar and a brown bag, my Grandmother used to put on me, when I was still a kid. DMSO I thought would make a good paint stripper....Did you get the same feeling Pastafazul?
I can't disagree Rick, I too recall that momentous shutout, a great great Pitching Performance, the best in my book. Heck its hard not to put it a notch over Larsen's Perfect Series game. Willie Mays too, wow what a great game, oh, I said that already, Redundancy again, time for bed, goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.
...another reason for some arm injuries is that many pitchers, especially the very young ones, are pitching/playing nearly year-round...playing Winter ball etc. ...also, there are many more camps/clinics/tryouts where young pitchers are trying really hard to get noticed and are simply trying to hard to light up the radar gun hoping to impress scouts...Many times much of the damage is done before these kids even get to the big leagues.
I got to definitively agree with that. As a kid, we played from March to September. Little League got out with School, and Travel League began a season twice as long. A kid, young man, has to allow his arm and body to rest a season before beginning to throw rockets again.