How to Fix the Plethora of Tommy John Surgeries
Legend has it that Sandy Koufax threw 100 MPH and had a 12-6 curve that was unhittable. He was so good that they called him the “ Left Arm of God .”That was propounded by the master storyteller, Vin Scully. It all sounds plausible, but it wasn’t true. According to Charles Tips…
Legend has it that Sandy Koufax threw 100 MPH and had a 12-6 curve that was unhittable. He was so good that they called him the “Left Arm of God.”That was propounded by the master storyteller, Vin Scully. It all sounds plausible, but it wasn’t true. According to Charles Tips, Co-Founder of Star Maker Baseball Academy in Redwood City, “the highest speed Koufax was ever clocked at was 93.2 mph.” That is in Clayton Kershaw Territory. We really don’t know how fast pitchers threw back in the day. From what I have heard, I think Koufax may have thrown pitches that were in the upper 90s, but the facts are not in my court.
What we do know is that today, pitchers throw with max effort… or at least most pitchers do. The Dodgers pitchers certainly do… at least most of them. I listened to Dave Roberts on MLB.RADIO yesterday, as he talked about Jack Flaherty. He said that Jack “is not a max effort guy.” Jack Flaherty absolutely does not throw with maximum effort. Neither does Clayton Kershaw, but most do. Dustin May did. So did River Ryan, Walker Buehler, Bobby Miller, Nick Frasso, Kyle Hurt, Emmet Sheehan, and Tyler Glasnow. Do I have your attention?
“Max Effort” is the Problem! Jack Flaherty was one pitcher who was talked about yesterday by Doc Roberts, and his exact words were. “Jack Flaherty is not a max-effort pitcher.” Jack Flaherty’s 4-seamer is a pitch that averages 93.5 MPH. That is what Flaherty has always been at. I can’t prove it, but I think Flaherty can hit 96 to 97 MPH if he wants to. Jack Flaherty understands that maybe it’s better to live to throw another pitch.
Fifty years ago, I used to be able to throw 100 MPH. Yes, it hurt, but I could do it. I was young and dumb and had no idea what I was doing. It really hurts now, and I can barely lift my right arm above my head. I cannot swim on my stomach. I can lay on my back and do it. Pitching, actually “throwing” 100 MPH, ruined my arm. I have concluded that the human arm cannot throw 100 MPH… and prosper!
Bobby Miller is the “poster child” of why a 100 MPH fastball is nothing. My 100 MPH fastball was straight and flat… and hittable, just like Bobby Millers’. Bobby Miller is a “thrower” while Jack Flaherty is a “pitcher.” Walker Buehler is a classic example of a “max effort” pitcher. The Dodgers have been developing “max effort” pitchers for some time now. They have a stable of them, and we see the results: Max Effort = Tommy John… two times over.
Yes, some freaks can throw 100+ MPH (Aroldis Chapman, for one) and not have their arm fall off, but most pitchers can’t. Part of the reason these guys have poor control is that they are throwing too hard. To me, a pitcher who can put the ball where he wants is better than a pitcher who can throw 100 MPH. How do you stop pitchers from throwing 100 MPH?
The answer is simple and most fans will rail against it, but any pitch over… say 97 MPH… is a ball. Easy, peasy!
By the way, HERE is a great explanation and video about Tommy John Surgery by Johns Hopkins.
Dodger News
- It sounds like Tyler Glasnow is done for the season after he felt pain in his elbow in a bullpen session. Another max effort guy!
- You should now be praying for Clayton Kershaw’s toe…
- Yamamoto, Flaherty, and whoever can walk and throw—this should be fun. The Catman is back!
- It sounds like Shohei Ohtani will pitch at some point this year. I have mixed emotions about that. Do you know what mixed emotions are? That’s when you see your mother-in-law driving over a cliff in your new Dark Horse (which I am taking delivery of today.
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Discussion (48)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Maybe Kike should join the rotation. At least he’s healthy.
Our starting pitching depth chart is a guy who we got at the deadline, a rookie who missed three months, Ben Casparius, and a bunch of question marks.
No worries!
I think the world of Kershaw. He’s on my Mount Rushmore of favorite all time athletes but my heart does not want to see him get shelled again in the postseason. As much as a lot of us fans would love to see him dominate in playoffs and be a big part of leading us to a championship in my opinion the odds of that are slim to none with what he’s has left in him. It bothers me to much seeing him on bench defeated after a poor outing. Enough is enough
How many starting pitchers does AF and BG have to stockpile tp make it through a full season and playoffs in the future because of max effort and potential injuries? Very concerning!
I think you’re right. Max effort is causing arm injuries.
But the problem is in the minds of young pitchers. If I don’t throw this hard, I probably don’t make it into the majors. That’s pretty much what Walker Buehler said in an LA Times story a few days ago. It’s risk/reward and the risk was worth it.
Isn’t this pretty much how people talk about travel ball and high school pitchers these days. It’s all about the radar gun. Wow, this kid is throwing this fast. The scouts are drooling, but arm injuries among younger players are increasing.
So, Buehler felt if he didn’t do what he had done, he might not have made it to the majors. So the risk was worth it.
How do you change that? The organization could try, take a different approach or consider it a numbers game. Got 10 prospects, a few will make it, most will go down, a. a couple will will make it back. I’m sure it’s a constant discussion in the Dodgers front office.
The other part of this is the weight training, making arms stronger and allowing pitchers to throw harder or to sustain longer.
But teams don’t control this. In the off-season players often use outside trainers, plus all the specialty training centers with all the computers and video equipment. You can throw harder with this technique.
MLB is concerned about travel ball injuries where young pitchers throw too hard and too many innings.
How do you change it? I have no idea. Buehler said he would do the same thing.
I would like to see the Dodgers move away from spin rates and 98-100 mph fastballs towards Greg Maddox type thinking on changing speeds and location.
The long injury list screams that changes are needed