Starting trouble.....

[Rick2583]

This has all the makings for another very long season,

1) Masahiro Tanaka (13-5 2.77 ERA) Can his arm hold up?
2) C.C. Sabathia (3-4 5.28 ERA) Career going in the wrong direction.
3) Michael Pineda (5-5 1.89 ERA) Can he stay healthy enough?
4) Nate Eovaldi (6-14 4.37 ERA) 4 years & never won more then 6 games in a season. Also gave up the most hits in the NL last season.
5) Ivan Nova (2-2 8.27 ERA) Coming off TJ surgery & not expected back until May.

Once again Cashman has done a great job in fixing this problem. No more Phelps, Greene or McCarthy but hell at least we have someone like Eovaldi to replace those 3. Nice pick up Cashman.

 

[Messiah717]

I would think the plan is too add an established starter with Kuroda put of the mix.

 

[Rick2583]

I would think the plan is too add an established starter with Kuroda put of the mix.

Damn Vic, I hope so.

 

[yankeesince59]

...book it.

 

[totus44]

Wasn't there a story already regarding Kuroda going back to Japan?

I expect Tanaka to be fine. The partial tear will be healed and consequently the weakest point of his tendon is now repaired and stronger. If his arm goes it would happen at another location, and the odds are is his favor to have no more issues.

CC is a diminishing presence. Can he learn to pitch and not rely on his best stuff. Can he stay in shape during the season to help him be craftier.

Pineda has turned the corner, I think we witnessed his progression to achieving a level he should be able to maintain for several more years.

Eovaldi could be a diamond in the rough, perhaps a younger Greene. Phelps was hot/cold.

Nova, question is when will he ready? May, June, July or even August/Sept?

Bringing back Crapuano makes no sense unless he stays in the pen. As for going after Scherzer, etal, I blame the Feds for not indicting ARod and not Cashman. His hands are tied with ARod's contract...no championships are likely while we still have that albatross.

 

[Rick2583]

Wasn't there a story already regarding Kuroda going back to Japan?

I expect Tanaka to be fine. The partial tear will be healed and consequently the weakest point of his tendon is now repaired and stronger. If his arm goes it would happen at another location, and the odds are is his favor to have no more issues.

CC is a diminishing presence. Can he learn to pitch and not rely on his best stuff. Can he stay in shape during the season to help him be craftier.

Pineda has turned the corner, I think we witnessed his progression to achieving a level he should be able to maintain for several more years.

Eovaldi could be a diamond in the rough, perhaps a younger Greene. Phelps was hot/cold.

Nova, question is when will he ready? May, June, July or even August/Sept?

Bringing back Crapuano makes no sense unless he stays in the pen. As for going after Scherzer, etal, I blame the Feds for not indicting ARod and not Cashman. His hands are tied with ARod's contract...no championships are likely while we still have that albatross.

Coming from someone who's a professional in the medical field & is an expert in his type of injuries I feel much better now about Tanaka. Thanks.

CC I fully agree.

Pineda, Sorry Tom but IMO I still think although he showed some great signs toward the end of the season, he's still a toss up. I'll feel better 10-12 starts into the season.

Eovaldi, We could use the excuse that he just pitched for some bad teams but I'm really not sure this kid has what it takes yet. But we'll see.

Nova, we really can't count on him for now.

And yes Tom ALBATROSS is the perfect word to discribe what A-Rod is, but the same could be said for Tex & CC. Though not to the same extent. But yeah, without A-Rods contract we could have gone after someone like Scherzer.

I'm not one to look to far down the road but 2017-18 is going to be interesting to see what this team looks like without CC, Tex, Beltran & A-rod.

 

[totus44]

PEP or PRP therapies are pretty mainstream nonsurgical options these days. My sister works for a major orthopedic group back in NJ, couple of the staff are active/former physicians for various tristate sports teams. Her office does several of these a day to extremely high success rates. Tendon tear repeats are very rare. Like the way body repairs broken bones, the repaired damage point is stronger than the original. Same with tendons under pro/pep treatment. The enriched platelets are young cells, essentially adult stem cells that excrete high concentrations of human growth factors.

Tanaka should be fine. Makes me wonder why this isn't done more for tendonitis and elbow/shoulder inflammation issues on the pitching staff.

 

[Rick2583]

PEP or PRP therapies are pretty mainstream nonsurgical options these days. My sister works for a major orthopedic group back in NJ, couple of the staff are active/former physicians for various tristate sports teams. Her office does several of these a day to extremely high success rates. Tendon tear repeats are very rare. Like the way body repairs broken bones, the repaired damage point is stronger than the original. Same with tendons under pro/pep treatment. The enriched platelets are young cells, essentially adult stem cells that excrete high concentrations of human growth factors.

Tanaka should be fine. Makes me wonder why this isn't done more for tendonitis and elbow/shoulder inflammation issues on the pitching staff.

What I wonder also is how Tanaka was able to avoid such an injury until he came to pitch in the major leagues. I mean what did we do that they didn't?

 

[totus44]

What I wonder also is how Tanaka was able to avoid such an injury until he came to pitch in the major leagues. I mean what did we do that they didn't?

The mounds in Japan are the same size as those in the majors, 18 feet around and 10 inches high. But in Japan they are made of a softer, more powdery dirt that allows pitchers to dig in more easily and provides less resistance when a pitcher drags his foot.

He’ll be throwing a slightly bigger, less-sticky baseball and trying to throw strikes in what some say is a not-quite-as-wide strike zone. After mostly starting once a week in Japan, he’ll pitch every five days. He’ll face lineups laced with power, a difference from Japan, where some hitters at the bottom of the order just try to make contact and beat out a hit.

These were the differences we knew about in addition to culture, food and travel.

 

[Rick2583]

The mounds in Japan are the same size as those in the majors, 18 feet around and 10 inches high. But in Japan they are made of a softer, more powdery dirt that allows pitchers to dig in more easily and provides less resistance when a pitcher drags his foot.

He’ll be throwing a slightly bigger, less-sticky baseball and trying to throw strikes in what some say is a not-quite-as-wide strike zone. After mostly starting once a week in Japan, he’ll pitch every five days. He’ll face lineups laced with power, a difference from Japan, where some hitters at the bottom of the order just try to make contact and beat out a hit.

These were the differences we knew about in addition to culture, food and travel.

Maybe we could at least follow suit on this.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

Wasn't there a story already regarding Kuroda going back to Japan?

I expect Tanaka to be fine. The partial tear will be healed and consequently the weakest point of his tendon is now repaired and stronger. If his arm goes it would happen at another location, and the odds are is his favor to have no more issues.

CC is a diminishing presence. Can he learn to pitch and not rely on his best stuff. Can he stay in shape during the season to help him be craftier.

Pineda has turned the corner, I think we witnessed his progression to achieving a level he should be able to maintain for several more years.

Eovaldi could be a diamond in the rough, perhaps a younger Greene. Phelps was hot/cold.

Nova, question is when will he ready? May, June, July or even August/Sept?

Bringing back Crapuano makes no sense unless he stays in the pen. As for going after Scherzer, etal, I blame the Feds for not indicting ARod and not Cashman. His hands are tied with ARod's contract...no championships are likely while we still have that albatross.

You sure its an Albatross, or a over sized White Elephant?

I still wonder why Mo' never taught Betances that patented Cut Fastball, or Bat Chain Saw Pitch...!

 

[Mattingly23NY]

The mounds in Japan are the same size as those in the majors, 18 feet around and 10 inches high. But in Japan they are made of a softer, more powdery dirt that allows pitchers to dig in more easily and provides less resistance when a pitcher drags his foot.

He’ll be throwing a slightly bigger, less-sticky baseball and trying to throw strikes in what some say is a not-quite-as-wide strike zone. After mostly starting once a week in Japan, he’ll pitch every five days. He’ll face lineups laced with power, a difference from Japan, where some hitters at the bottom of the order just try to make contact and beat out a hit.

These were the differences we knew about in addition to culture, food and travel.

Add to the list: Philosophy and overall Historic Cultures too....

Do they sale, Cup Of Noodles, Ramen, or Tilapia burgers, at the ball parks in lieu of Hot Dogs, popcorn and peanuts?