Another well played.
Man, the way the Dodgers fucked over that couple that caught Ohtani’s first Dodger HR makes me hate that organization even more than I already did.
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We’ve all seen it, but I crack up every time I watch the video of Joe Carter pranking Bell by giving away his new truck.
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With the way the Dodgers handled it, I would have kept the ball.
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Toronto batting with 2 outs, Justin Turner on 1st, Cavan Biggio at bat. Biggio lines a double into the RF corner (like father, like son), and Turner made it all the way to 3rd. And it’s not like he blazed around the bag and had to slam on the brakes and scramble back: he basically jogged around 3rd and then walked back. That is a slow human.
Dude is 39. He needed to stop and catch his breath.
It’s literally a Traveling Shit Show.
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And Spencer Strider is getting his elbow checked out. Aces dropping like flies.
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I wonder if all the recent emphasis on spin rate is adding extra elbow stress. Neither a doctor nor a pitcher, so this may be completely boneheaded.
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Nobody seems to know for sure. Velocity-maxing isn’t helping, whether it’s fastballs or breaking shit. The pitch clock has gotten some scrutiny and it’s very plausible that it’s a factor too. At the end of the day, there probably isn’t any “safe” way to pitch at the major league level.
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This is an interesting observation. Whenever I have exerted max effort (both form and function) athletically, I have noticed that I injure myself at a higher rate when rushed vs. when I can be thoughtful with my approach. This has been the same regardless of where I am in my athletic “career”. As a D1 runner or as a 50-something person running a fast(ish) 5k or trying to increase weight in the gym. Thoughtful focus on form (instead of just relying on muscle memory) helps me perform at a higher level and prevents injury more effectively. I’d suspect that might be the same for some rushing against the pitch clock.
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Rosenthal has an article out now talking about the rash of pitching injuries. Among other things, like the pitch clock, some in the industry are theorizing that the reason for the current injuries is so many pitchers switching to the sweeper and power change. The Rangers pitching coach I believe is one of those subscribing to this theory.
Update:
Spencer Strider today underwent an MRI that revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He will be further evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX, at a date yet to be determined.
If a further effect of the clock is to degrade max-effort pitching, that would be very interesting.
Hitters are so insanely capable now, I don’t understand what a world looks like in which even starting pitchers take an mph or three off their regular stuff. Scads more offense, though. Maybe two times thru the lineup succeeds three times thru as the standard caution line.
Maybe the clock triggers a totally unexpected golden age of knuckleballs.
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This is such a big part of it. How is any pitcher supposed to survive against a modern lineup without throwing at 120% effort all the time?
The old man in me says “learn to pitch to contact instead of trying to strike every hitter out”.
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Do you think you can do that with superior location and stuff, when batters are now routinely capable of drilling 100 mph fastballs for homers, and are also smart?
I ask honestly and have no idea how things will unfold.
I think there is still room for changing speeds and location, yes.
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Somebody needs to become the “guru of deceptive deliveries” and get Pitching Coach Famous, like Craig/Mazzone/Strom