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Originally Posted by ChuckElias
Isn't just about everybody too "fragile" to throw 140 pitches in one outing?!?! I don't think that reflects at all on whether he's in shape or not. 120 is a high pitch count, 110 is a maximum for a lot of starters. 100 is a safe number, generally. 140 is pretty much considered insane nowadays, I think.
And they were right. Why do you suppose that those two guys have had serious arm problems every year? One reason is that they were abused in their early years.
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Abused? Maybe I'm just old, but I remember pitchers going the distance regularly. In fact, there was a mention recently on ESPN radio where one of the hosts was recounting an interview he had with Bob Gibson. The host was talking about specialization in the bullpen, and how that wasn't the case back in Gibson's day. The host mentioned that the average pitcher today has about 3-4 complete games a season. And Gibson said to him, "3-4? That would be a
bad year for me. I averaged
15 complete games per season." And in 1968 he had 28. How many pitchers these days have even close to 28 C.G. for their career? My guess is the more players are conditioned to have pitch counts from their Little League days on, the more likely they'll need them later on as well. Plus, I'm sure the number of breaking balls also plays a factor. Besides, how many breaking balls did Gibson throw?
As far as "abusing" Wood and Prior, I'm not really in that camp. It's probably more likely in Wood's case, because almost all of his injuries seem to be pitching-related. But I would have to stick up for Prior; his injuries have not always been pitching-related. This year it was a strained oblique muscle after taking batting practice. Last year he was out after taking a line drive off his elbow. I believe 2 or 3 years ago he was on the DL after trying to jump over the Pirates' second baseman while running the bases.
It's just all part of the soap opera I've had to endure all my life.
(organ music = on) "These are the Days of Our Cubbies" (organ music = off)