Bob Ojeda and his left arm

[Gainesville Red]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/sp...mX9eI5gAET1bsQ


Long piece from the New York Times.

Pitchers and their arms go through hell.

[Kc61]

This is one excellent article. Would recommend it to all baseball fans, especially those who saw Ojeda pitch.

[Team Clark]

Great stuff. What's sad is, most guys that have jacked up mechanics but somehow find a way to adjust to throw strikes end up just like Ojeda. Kinetically it's simple to throw a baseball properly and without pain. What I find strange is that very few people can teach it.

[_Sir_Charles_]

That was one helluva read. That's the inside stuff the fans never hear about.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Team Clark

Great stuff. What's sad is, most guys that have jacked up mechanics but somehow find a way to adjust to throw strikes end up just like Ojeda. Kinetically it's simple to throw a baseball properly and without pain. What I find strange is that very few people can teach it.

And even if they could, people resist it. It is tough to break old habits and the guys who can probably teach it aren't teaching in little leagues, high schools or colleges.

[George Anderson]

Nice article. I forgot Ojeda was on the boat where his teammates were killed.

[Slyder]

For some reason a story about a pitcher who threw a screwball so much that it basically jerked his arm reverse and he cant even sign his name any more.

[Team Clark]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

And even if they could, people resist it. It is tough to break old habits and the guys who can probably teach it aren't teaching in little leagues, high schools or colleges.

Agreed. I know what I teach is right and probably the reason I throw BP 4-5 days a week and have zero pain.

[CySeymour]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

And even if they could, people resist it. It is tough to break old habits and the guys who can probably teach it aren't teaching in little leagues, high schools or colleges.

I would say most youth coaches really don't know proper pitching mechanics. And even if they do, there are many dads who mess with what they teach the kids when throwing in the back yard. And at the high school level, many coaches are more concerned with winning titles then making sure the kids can move on to the next level with a healthy arm.

[RANDY IN INDY]

Originally Posted by CySeymour

I would say most youth coaches really don't know proper pitching mechanics. And even if they do, there are many dads who mess with what they teach the kids when throwing in the back yard. And at the high school level, many coaches are more concerned with winning titles then making sure the kids can move on to the next level with a healthy arm.

Add college coaches to that as well. Pitchers are abused at nearly every level of competition. Truth is, throwing a baseball repeatedly is not a natural motion and causes a lot of wear and tear.