2014 MLB Season: How Many Pitchers Will Die For Our Sins?

Care to back that up with anything? EVERYTHING I've seen said exactly what I wrote, splitter = bad for elbow.

For example (ESPN Insider article, but here's the start/important part):

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/bus...yanks-searching-for-replacements?refresh=true

 

I have two sons, who I hope really get into baseball. I also hope that maybe they would be pitchers. I would not allow my sons to thrown anything other then Fastballs and Change ups their entire little league career. The only off speed pitch I would allow them to throw would be a curve ball when they enter high school and that would be a circle curve. I think kids need to throw more but nothing off speed. However the lure of an easy out or embarrassing the hitter with an off speed or splitter type pitch is strong.

 

Here you go. It's my opinion that a slider is the worst pitch for your arm. I won't teach it to my pitchers.

http://www.onbaseball.com/pitching/the-slider/

 

Dan Uggla has been suspended for one game and Phil Gosselin is getting his debut today. I'm ready to be rid of this guy.

 

Jean Segura's infant son has died.

 

How hard is it for a catcher to learn to catch a knuckle ball? I ask this because I have continually watched Josh Thole be a offensive and defensive liability for this Blue Jays team and he is kept around because he can "catch Dickey's knuckleball."

In this afternoon's game alone, he stuck out swinging at a pitch that was at his nose in his first at bat and in the sixth, his throw to try and catch Yunel Escobar stealing was way off to the shortstop's side, making it impossible for the second baseman to even have a chance at applying the tag.

How difficult would be it for Dioner Navarro or another catcher to learn to catch the knuckler so we can be rid of Thole?

But this is the team that sits Colby Rasmus on the bench for Darin Mastroianni and his anemic hitting.

 

There has to be a certain level of difficulty/skill to it. Dickey isn't the first major league knuckler that had his own catcher.

 

Yeah, it kept Mirabelli employed for a few years. The couple times 'Tek tried to catch Wakefield, it was a disaster to be kind. Anyone could probably learn, it just seems to take some work, and forgetting what you know about regular catching...

Random other news: Soriano released from the Yankees today. Had honestly forgotten he was there, not a good sign. Will see if he gets picked up or calls it a career.

 

Guess he had his bases covered; between splitter and slider, it was 50% of his total pitches. Fastball only came in at low 40%, then a smattering of other stuff (couple curves, changeups, etc)

 

I'd always thought the slider was worse for the elbow ligaments because of the unnatural motion, twisting the arm inward.

 

I will contend that it is but pitchers don't throw it 70 - 80% of the time like they would a fastball. The Splitter is a high volume pitch though used heavily throughout the game as the primary pitch.

 

What did you all think of the new format for the HR Derby?

 

I don't know. I've always thought the derby was kind of a snoozefest. It just takes way too damn long. I'll admit there are certain players I want to see in certain ballparks to see how far they can hit one but that is as far as my interest takes me on the derby.

 

The derby was not any shorter this year, especially with the rain delay. I think that they should have the top two from each league advance, and do away with the "swing off".

 

I'm over the derby. It was cooler when I was a kid. I still find the actual all-star game very entertaining, though.

 

What a beast that guy is...

 

I enjoyed the Kansas City one because there were unobstructed sections past the outfield fence (no upperdeck overhang) where the ball was permitted to carry without hitting anything. I remember Prince Fielder and others hitting some incredible shots.