MLB: Mark Prior Retires
- Thread starter Clones21
- Start date
Yeah he was a really bright flame for a very short time. Think they worked him too hard, too early but he was so productive at that time.
The innings/pitch limits are a damn joke at the professional level. Nolan Ryan doesn't seem to have any more issues than anyone else does. Joba Chamberlain had the "Joba Rules" and still ended up needing Tommy John surgery. Strasburg was on an innings limit and needed Tommy John surgery. Maybe the human arm isn't engineered to projectile a 5oz ball at 100mph?
It was a case of a manager not taking care of a player. Prior probably should've benched himself at times, but Dusty was a terrible manager for pitchers. Ruined Kerry Wood too.
Strasburg was put on the innings limit BECAUSE of his Tommy John surgery. They treated him gingerly because 1. He was coming off Tommy John and 2. He only threw about 20 innings in rehab starts in 2011.
But, the human arm is definitely not made to pitch a baseball. There's a reason high schools have innings limits for baseball pitchers but not softball pitchers. Throwing underhanded is a natural motion. Throwing over the top isn't, at least not at these velocities. That's all there is to it.
Respectable fastpitch managers also limit the throws of their softball pitchers too. Other than being underhand, windmill mechanics are about the same as overhand mechanics, and the potential for damage to the shoulder from overuse is quite high.
Sounds like football injuries. Maybe OFFICIAL games should Be played with Giradi 2014 MLB and results mailed in.
I think it depends on the player. Most pitchers need limits, but there are exceptions to the rules. I think back to the 60's when you pitched entire games with little relief. Those guys truly were iron men.
