strasburg.. such a shame

markymark550

The Fixer wrote:

they must have been talking about his changeup, which fades to the RH side of the plate vs lefties

I'm not really sure why lefties can throw scewballs and righties can't. a screwball has fade action to the pitchers arm side of the plate. the only way for a RH to get that kind of action is to throw a changeup. It's natural for a RH pitcher's 2 seam fastball to move back to the pitchers arm side of the plate (a RH pitchers ball will fade to the right side of the plate), but for whatever reason RH pitchers' can't throw breaking pitches to this side of the plate.

I don't think it's that righties can't throw a screwball, I think that the majority of hitters being right-handed takes away the need for a right-handed pitcher to throw a screwball.

gregkitefan

Does Strasburg throw the split fingered fastball?
I know prior to Bruce Sutter in the late 70's hardly anyone threw that pitch.
Now it seems everyone threws the splitter.

sk8nshoot1

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

So??
Lets discuss.....

Why is it back in the 50's 60's 70's pitchers could throw 250-300 innings a year......120-140 pitches a game......throw 10-15 complete games a year......start 30-40 games a year....and never really have arm problems?????

Hmmm ask Sandy Koufax about arm problems... I think there were a lot more arm problems and many blew out their arms before they even the majors so we never heard of them... (remember there was a lot less reporting back then too)

Cliffy6745

sk8nshoot1 wrote:

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

So??
Lets discuss.....

Why is it back in the 50's 60's 70's pitchers could throw 250-300 innings a year......120-140 pitches a game......throw 10-15 complete games a year......start 30-40 games a year....and never really have arm problems?????

Hmmm ask Sandy Koufax about arm problems... I think there were a lot more arm problems and many blew out their arms before they even the majors so we never heard of them... (remember there was a lot less reporting back then too)

This is what I was going to say. I think there were just as many arm problems but guys just fell out of the league when it happened. You can't really say problems were not there when no one knew there was a problem.

I think guys like CC and Halladay could go 250 a season if they had to now but it is a different game.

sk8nshoot1

Anyone recall Brien Taylor, a yankee prospect/bonus baby from the early 90's. Was supposed to be the next Dwight Goodin (then it was an ok thing). Hurt his shoulder breaking up a fight his brother was involved in at a bar and never pitched in the majors...

I think I heard a story of Luis Tiant pitching like 15 innings and 210 pitches in a game for the Red Sox? Anyone else hear that. I'm sure there were much longer/greater efforts but that may have been the most recent long outing...

81

Cliffy6745 wrote:

sk8nshoot1 wrote:

SPEEDY MCCREADY wrote:

So??
Lets discuss.....

Why is it back in the 50's 60's 70's pitchers could throw 250-300 innings a year......120-140 pitches a game......throw 10-15 complete games a year......start 30-40 games a year....and never really have arm problems?????

Hmmm ask Sandy Koufax about arm problems... I think there were a lot more arm problems and many blew out their arms before they even the majors so we never heard of them... (remember there was a lot less reporting back then too)

This is what I was going to say. I think there were just as many arm problems but guys just fell out of the league when it happened. You can't really say problems were not there when no one knew there was a problem.

I think guys like CC and Halladay could go 250 a season if they had to now but it is a different game.

Halladay just has such a smooth motion.

Jearlpam0925

The problem is DC. Those fuckers made this happen all because they wanted to make a little bit more money today as opposed to a couple years from now. It's the same reason Bryce Harper was taking BP at Nats Park - to keep their buzz going. If they're so scared of losing customers then they need to get the hell out of town. Winning cures everything, and they should just accept sitting in the doldrums for a few more years until Strasburg and Harper are ready. That organization was too quick to make money off of him.

With that aside, it was inevitable for Strasburg to get injured because of the way he essentially flings the ball. All the momentum comes out of his elbow instead of his legs to the shoulder down to the hand. You can't expect to rely on a guy like that for 200 innings with the way he throws. If he wants to get better, then he's going to have to forget being "the guy who throws 102 mph" and settle on the high 90's, which isn't a bad thing, with a better arm slot and delivery.

mca47

NoHelmetHardHead wrote:

Mark Prior anyone?

I jokingly said that when he first came to the bigs. "Oh, Strasburg's arm motion is much like Mark Prior's, except without the horrible pitching coach..."


Nobody commented...


Exactly!

mca47

The Fixer wrote:

screwball? strasburg doesn't throw anything close to a screwball. actually it's virtually impossible for a RH pitcher to throw a screwball

A heavy change (esp circle change) and even a inside sinker can have similar effects.


Anyways, Mr. Strasburg's days of hitting 100 are long gone. I know a couple have done Tommy John and maintained speed, but this guy is in trouble!

The Fixer

markymark550 wrote:

The Fixer wrote:

they must have been talking about his changeup, which fades to the RH side of the plate vs lefties

I'm not really sure why lefties can throw scewballs and righties can't. a screwball has fade action to the pitchers arm side of the plate. the only way for a RH to get that kind of action is to throw a changeup. It's natural for a RH pitcher's 2 seam fastball to move back to the pitchers arm side of the plate (a RH pitchers ball will fade to the right side of the plate), but for whatever reason RH pitchers' can't throw breaking pitches to this side of the plate.[\quote]
I don't think it's that righties can't throw a screwball, I think that the majority of hitters being right-handed takes away the need for a right-handed pitcher to throw a screwball.

good point. RH's can't throw a screwball though. think about it. what RH pitcher has ever thrown a screwball? there aren't any

mca47

The Fixer wrote:

good point. RH's can't throw a screwball though. think about it. what RH pitcher has ever thrown a screwball? there aren't any

Juan Marichal threw a screwball and was right handed. It has nothing to do with handedness...it's just a hard-ass ball to throw, and it takes a HUGE toll on a guy's wrist and hand.

The Fixer

mca47 wrote:

The Fixer wrote:

good point. RH's can't throw a screwball though. think about it. what RH pitcher has ever thrown a screwball? there aren't any

Juan Marichal threw a screwball and was right handed. It has nothing to do with handedness...it's just a hard-ass ball to throw, and it takes a HUGE toll on a guy's wrist and hand.

I'm not gonna pretend to know what marichal threw. point is, not many (if any) RHers throw screwballs.

also, prior never had TJ surgery. the strasburg-prior comps are weak

mca47

The Fixer wrote:

I'm not gonna pretend to know what marichal threw. point is, not many (if any) RHers throw screwballs.

also, prior never had TJ surgery. the strasburg-prior comps are weak

There have been more lefties in the history of the game to throw them, but that doesn't mean righties can't.
Tug McGraw, who was a lefty, threw it all the time. Years after her retired from baseball he could barely shake a guy's hand because the damage it did to his own hand/wrist.

markymark550

Was McGraw the fellow whose left arm looked inverted from throwing the screwball so much? As a kid, I remember seeing a picture/video of a guy whose arm was all fucked up because of that pitch. My dad told me it was because he was a screwball pitcher, and that freaked me out for a while....

riffrandall

mca47 wrote:

The Fixer wrote:

screwball? strasburg doesn't throw anything close to a screwball. actually it's virtually impossible for a RH pitcher to throw a screwball

A heavy change (esp circle change) and even a inside sinker can have similar effects.


Anyways, Mr. Strasburg's days of hitting 100 are long gone. I know a couple have done Tommy John and maintained speed, but this guy is in trouble!

Agreed. I see "designated for assignment" and a job tending bar at the Wyndham in Scranton in his not-too-distant future.

mca47

markymark550 wrote:

Was McGraw the fellow whose left arm looked inverted from throwing the screwball so much? As a kid, I remember seeing a picture/video of a guy whose arm was all fucked up because of that pitch. My dad told me it was because he was a screwball pitcher, and that freaked me out for a while....

Yep, him and a couple others who've thrown them had their hands/wrists permanently "screwed" up from the screwball.