When i write Mook Vs... titles it is an homage to the tv show Chuck, not that i'm against it... but not with this post. This is something i have a problem with...
News came out that Strassberg will have an inning limit this year…. Meaning he’ll be done pitching by September… We’ve already heard of the Joba rules- which means nothing now, though we also see the Yanks handling Phil Hughes with kid’s gloves…
And there were many who critiqued AJ Hinch for letting Edwin Jackson throw his no-hitter despite his high pitch count.
But why are we babying players so much these days?
Is it because they take so many substances, they’re not able to endure… or because kids don’t know how to play sports anymore? I don’t get it.
Pitchers used to pitch 200 innings easy. Complete Games was a category we looked at to determine how good a pitcher was, and many would pitch 10+ CG /year.
Maybe they would have been better if they hadn’t. Maybe there would be no debate about Jack Morris or Bert Blyleven.
But all their complete games didn’t shorten their career (though they may have had better numbers).
Prior & Wood got hurt. Doc Gooden didn’t last. He picthed 218 innings as a 19 yr old and 276 as a 20 year old... Maybe if they had pitch counts with him we'd be talking about him as the greatest pitcher of all time.
But what about pitchers who just run out of gas and who aren’t as good as they used to be… what if we let them pitch more and be even that more outstanding?
And what about all the pitchers who didn't have pitch counts and had long careers?
i say let 'em pitch!
There is no need to keep a pitcher in if he’s struggling, or if there is a huge lead even… but I think we need to stop babying players.
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