The Pitching Mechanic December 2007
Real-Time Illustrations and Analyses of
Proper and Improper Pitching Mechanics
The Pitching Mechanic -
January 2008
12/18/2007
Updated Analysis: Justin Verlander
I just updated my slow motion
analysis of the pitching mechanics of
Justin Verlander. I just found a Center Field view of him
pitching that shows that his ball has significant arm-side run
or tail, which is good because it indicates that he is
powerfully pronating the release of his pitches. This should
help to protect his elbow.
![Justin Verlander's Tailing Fastball](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Videos/Video_Pitching_JustinVerlander_CF_TailingFB_001.gif)
Justin Verlander's Tailing Fastball
If you look at the clip above of Justin Verlander throwing a
fastball, you can see that his ball has significant Pitching Arm
Side run or tail. After he releases the ball in Frame 6, his
ball starts out looking like it is going to be caught near the
umpire's right shoulder (the yellow dot). However, starting at
Frame 11 or Frame 12 the ball starts to move to the right. As a
result, a ball that looks like it's going to come in up and in
ends up high and outside. Given that the plate is 17 inches
wide, I'd estimate that the pitch moved 15 inches to the right
of its initial location.
12/17/2007
Slow Motion Pitcher Analysis: Nolan Ryan
I just completed a slow motion
analysis of the pitching mechanics of
Nolan Ryan. Among other things, this analysis demonstrates
Nolan Ryan's large hip/shoulder separation and the significant
tailing action of his fastball.
![Nolan Ryan's Separation](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/NolanRyan_1980_CF_001/Video_Pitching_NolanRyan_1980_CF_001_43.jpg)
Nolan Ryan's Separation
12/12/2007
Slow Motion Pitcher Analysis: Tim Lincecum
I just completed a slow motion
analysis of the pitching mechanics of
Tim Lincecum. One thing this analysis does is point out a
gigantic hole in Brent Rushall's theory that pitchers
do not employ separation; that their hips do not rotate ahead of
their shoulders.
![Tim Lincecum's Separation](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/TimLincecum_C_Large_001/Video_Pitching_TimLincecum_C_Large_001_62.jpg) Tim Lincecum's Separation
12/10/2007
Slow Motion Pitcher Analysis: Justin Verlander
I just completed a slow motion
analysis of the pitching mechanics of Justin Verlander. In
it I break down the -- mostly good -- things I see in a clip
of Justin Verlander.
![Justin Verlander](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/JustinVerlander_1B_Large_001/Video_Pitching_JustinVerlander_1B_Large_001_29.jpg)
Justin Verlander
12/10/2007
Slight Site Redesign
I just wanted to let you know that I have made a few tweaks
to the design of my web site, particularly in the area of
pitcher analyses.
I have moved my frame by frame analyses to a new
Professional Pitcher Analyses page. I will occasionally add
more frame by frame analyses to this page, since I know that
some people find them to be valuable.
However, the big news is that, because these frame by
frame analyses take so much time and thanks to a new toy I just
bought, I am going to start doing slow motion analyses of pitchers based on
slowed-down clips of them pitching.
12/8/2007
How Justin Verlander (Actually) Throws The Ball
I just finished another one of my "How _____ (Actually)
Throws The Ball" documents, which describes what pitchers' arms
and bodies actually do as they throw the ball and attempts to
dispel a number of myths about pitching. In this case, I
describe
How Justin Verlander (Actually) Throws The Ball.
12/6/2007
Momentum Pitching?
It was recently brought to my attention that Brent Rushall
and Dick Mills have been criticizing me for my emphasis on
hip/shoulder separation as the primary source of a pitcher's
power. Instead, they appear to believe that the stride is the
primary source of a pitcher's power and apparently call this approach
Momentum Pitching.
It has long been assumed that force generation in throwing would follow the theoretical proximal to distal sequential muscle activity. With regard to the trunk, that would mean the hips rotate, then the torso, and then the shoulders would follow. Initiation of movements with the hips is practiced as a drill or warm up activity in both baseball and softball. However, that is not the sequence of large segment movement in throwing (Hirashima, Kadota, Sakurai, Kudo and Ohtsuki, 2002). To generate the greatest momentum the torso and hips should rotate together.
All of this this explains why Dick Mills tried to get Barry
Zito to change his mechanics -- and in particular his stride
length -- during Spring Training so as to try recapture some of
Zito's lost velocity.
It also explains why that effort failed.
The problem is that Brent Rushall and Dick Mills appear to have
come up with this notion as a result of drawing a parallel
between baseball pitching on the one hand and cricket bowling
and throwing the javelin on the other hand.
Cricket research has shown that it is important for the throwing shoulder and hip to be matched in movement extent and time to be most effective. Hip and shoulder separation is undesirable for cricket bowling and throwing. Since both body segments move only a short distance before momentum is transferred distally, it stands to reason that by moving both together, a greater mass is activated in shorter time over the same distance as world be possible my moving either separately. Thus, in throwing (cricket bowling and javelin throwing) the combined synchronized movement of the throwing hip and shoulder when generating momentum to be transferred to a projected object is critical. So should be a movement in baseball pitching.
While there are many interesting parallels that can be drawn between baseball pitching, cricket bowling, and throwing the javelin
-- I know because I have studied them in depth -- the critical difference
that Brent Rushall and Dick Mills seem to be overlooking is that both cricket bowling and throwing the javelin involve a running start.
As a result, it could very well be the case that, due to the running
start, all cricket bowlers and javelin throwers have to do is
convert this significant linear momentum (due to running at 20+
MPH) into rotational momentum.
However, baseball pitchers go from a standing start.
As a result, baseball pitchers have to get the
majority of their power
from a different source, and that source is a combination
of momentum (the stride) and separation (the rotation of the
hips ahead of the shoulders). That is why in EVERY SINGLE major
league pitcher you will see some significant amount of
hip/shoulder separation, and you will tend to see more when you
look at pitchers who throw either harder or harder for their
size.
![Bartolo Colon's Separation](https://web.archive.org/web/20080313234957im_/http://lclifton.hittingillustrated.com/colonstep.gif) Bartolo Colon's Separation
You can see separation in the clip above of Bartolo Colon.
Notice how his hips open into foot plant and rotate ahead of his
shoulders. By doing this, he stretches the muscles of his lower
torso and hips (aka The Core), which will enable them to
powerfully contract and pull his shoulders around.
![Tim Lincecum](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Examples/Example_HipsRotatingBeforeShoulders_TimLincecum_2007_035.jpg) Tim Lincecum
![Casey Fossum](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Examples/Example_HipsRotatingBeforeShoulders_CaseyFossum_001.jpg) Casey Fossum
You can also see separation in photos of Tim Lincecum, Casey Fossum,
and a whole host of other
major
league pitchers who exhibit great hip/shoulder separation.
The only pitchers who don't rotate their hips ahead of their
shoulders are younger pitchers, and this explains in part their
lower velocities.
Maybe all of this explains why Mills has said that
a pitcher's hips don't start to open until AFTER the GS foot has planted. Some people have tried to explain this statement away as a cue, rather than a statement of fact, but I'm starting to wonder if Mills actually believes this.
Now that I've blown a number of gaping holes in the core of
Brent Rushall and Dick Mills' ideas about Momentum Pitching, let me address a few other things they say.
The yoked movement of the throwing hip and shoulder in baseball pitching, as opposed to the sequential order of the shoulders following the hips (a "twisted body" and popularly called "separation" body is in place when the lead leg makes contact with the ground, the spine will have to be twisted and hyper extended, a recipe for injury (Hurrion 1997).
As the experience of most major leaguers shows, hip/shoulder
separation isn't a problem as long as the torso is relatively
erect. The baseball pitchers who do tend to have back problems
tend to be submariners like Chad Bradford. They experience lower back problems because they rapidly rotate the torso while bent over 30, 45,
or even 90 degrees.
![Bartolo Colon's Separation](https://web.archive.org/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.pitchingclips.com/clips/chad_bradford.gif) Chad Bradford
Cricket bowlers also experience increased rates of lower back problems for similar reasons (plus the hard landing).
However, the vast majority of baseball pitchers do not
experience excessive rates of lower back problems.
The human structure from the hips to the shoulders comprises three distinct regions: the hips, which can be moved independently of the other regions: the shoulders, which also can be moved independently; and the torso, which cannot be moved independently of the other two anatomical regions. When the three regions are moved as a unit, their masses are combined and moved in a short time. A very large amount of momentum is produced. However, in theoretical separation, when the hips are moved, the shoulders remain idle but the torso shape is altered to accommodate the changed relative positions (it is twisted). That twisting movement serves largely as an energy absorbing action and reduces the contribution of the hip mass to momentum. When the shoulders are moved, the torso continues its accommodating and connective functions, also reducing the transfer of momentum from the shoulders because of its movement. The total mass of the two separated regions in movement is markedly less than the combined mass of the three regions. Since the separated movement involves less mass being moved over a longer time but roughly through the same displacement when compared to the combined action, the separated action will produce a much "weaker" effect than the short duration combined action, which will be much more "powerful".
This statement may make sense from the standpoint of momentum, but it
completely ignores the fact that some of the largest muscles in
the body are contained in the core. It is these muscles that
pull the shoulders around, and whose output is boosted by first
being stretched by the opening of the hips before the shoulders.
"Science aside, separated movements of the hips and shoulders are unnatural while the combined movements are natural. A pitcher would do well to move in the manner in which nature intended, not in a manner that has been contrived independently of reason (facts)."
This statement is simply ignorant. The more sports you study
(e.g. baseball hitting, water polo, tennis, the martial arts), the more separation you
will see.
3. Myth: Hip and trunk rotation is the most important factor for producing velocity. Hip and trunk rotation is the result of how fast a pitcher moves his body from the back leg to the front leg. Once the lead foot lands, hip and trunk rotation simply helps convert energy from the lower body to the upper body and the arm. Hip and trunk rotation is an effect of velocity…not a cause. Hip and trunk rotation is like the transmission on a car. You do not gain more speed from your car by purchasing a better transmission. Speed comes from the size of the engine. The engine in a pitcher is how fast he moves his body and how long he strides. Few pitchers today or from the past even understand what hip and trunk rotation is. No pitcher really has to know about it to succeed or produce velocity. As a former professional pitcher for six years I never heard of hip and trunk rotation.
This quote is from an article entitled
6 Myths That Baseball Pitching Coaches Advocate
and points to a root cause of the problem; an inappropriate
metaphor.
A pitcher's core is not merely a transmission. That
role is played by the shoulders. Instead, a pitcher's core is
like a second, and much more important, engine. Yes, the stride
also plays the role of an engine, and contributes to a pitcher's
velocity. However, the stride is less important than the active contraction
of the muscles of the core, facilitated by a pre-stretch of
those same muscles.
Rather than a conventional car with its single engine,
a better metaphor for a pitcher is a hybrid car with its
multiple engines. A pitcher's core is like the gasoline engine
of a hybrid car and the pitcher's stride is like the smaller,
but still important, electric engine in a hybrid car.
12/5/2007
Adam Wainwright's Curveball or Pity Poor Carlos Beltran
The clip below of Adam Wainwright actually makes multiple
points. As I mention below, one is that it raises
concerns about
Adam Wainwright's pitching mechanics. The other is that it
points out is why Wainer's curveball can be so hard to hit and why
Carlos Beltran shouldn't feel so bad about just sitting there
and taking it.
![Adam Wainwright](https://web.archive.org/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.pitchingclips.com/clips/adam_wainwright.gif) Adam Wainwright - 2006 NLCS Curveball
Let me explain exactly what I mean by picking up the clip of
Adam Wainwright at Frame 30, which is the Release Point.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_030.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 30
You can see from the clip that the ball is released in Frame
30 and is caught by Yadi in Frame 93. In other words, it took the ball roughly 60 frames to cover
roughly 50
feet. Knowing
that each frame represents a little less than 1 foot of travel
(.78125 feet/frame to be exact),
let's then see when and where the ball broke.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_070.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 70
If you go through the clip frame by frame, you will notice
that the downward deflection of the ball doesn't become obvious
until Frame 70. Up until that point, it looks like the ball is
going to be a ball high.
Frame 70 is 40 frames or 31 feet after the release
point and 19 feet from the target. That is also 62 percent (or
roughly 2/3) of the way to the plate. Actually, it's probably
more like 35 feet or 70 percent of the way to the plate since
toward the end of its flight the ball has slowed down and is
covering less distance than it was when it was first released.
That 62 to 70 percent number is important because it
is right at the limits of the human perceptual system. It's
virtually impossible for a human being to react to movement that
happens after the ball has covered 2/3 or 66 percent of the
distance to the plate.
Instead, the human perceptual
system basically has to guess what the ball is going to do.
What's interesting is to compare Frame 70 and Frame 93
and see how much of the break occurs after this 2/3 or 66
percent threshold. In the case of Adam Wainwright's pitch to
Carlos Beltran, I'd estimate that something like 80 to 90
percent of the break occurs after this point.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_093.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 93
So what does all of this mean?
It means that, to a large degree, the difference between
a good curveball and a great curveball is a function of
when and where the break of that curveball (or that
fastball) occurs, not just how
much it breaks. The later the break the better, because it
is hard (and in some cases impossible) for the hitter to
perceive how much the ball will break after that point.
Instead, all they can do is guess.
12/4/2007
Why Adam Wainwright Makes Me Nervous
As I have said before, Adam Wainwright's make me nervous. I
think I see both some
Hyperabduction and
Inverted W in his arm
action. As a result, I don't think Adam Wainwright's arm will
hold up if he is left a starter. Instead, I think his best
chance is to pitch out of the bullpen, preferably in a closing
role.
![Adam Wainwright](https://web.archive.org/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.pitchingclips.com/clips/adam_wainwright.gif) Adam Wainwright - 2006 NLCS Curveball
Let me explain exactly why I believe that, using a number of
frames from the clip above, which is a slow motion view of Adam
Wainwright throwing a curveball.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_010.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 10
In Frame 10, Adam Wainwright has just finished swinging his
Pitching Arm Side (aka PAS) arm back toward Second Base and is
just about to start bending his PAS elbow.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_011.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 11
In Frame 11, Adam Wainwright is just starting to bend and
pick up his PAS elbow, which will cause him to reach the
Inverted W position.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_012.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 12
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_013.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 13
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_014.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 14
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_015.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 15
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_016.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 16
In Frame 16, Adam Wainwright's PAS elbow has reached its
maximum height. This can be a little hard to see, so I have
marked the tip of his elbow with a black cross. As a result,
Adam Wainwright is in a moderate
Inverted W position.
You can see this more clearly in the photo below, which
represents roughly the same moment in time as the frame above.
![Adam Wainwright - Inverted W](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Pitchers/AdamWainwright_2006_001.jpg)
Adam Wainwright - Inverted W
The thing to notice is how Adam Wainwright's PAS elbow is
both above and behind his shoulders. This isn't bad in and of
itself. However, it can cause his arm to be late in coming
through, which increases the load on both his elbow and his
shoulder.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_017.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 17
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_018.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 18
So that you have a point of reference, in Frame 18 Adam
Wainwright's PAS forearm is just passing through the horizontal.
It is important to note that, rather than dropping as happens
with some pitchers (e.g. Johan Santana), Adam Wainwright's PAS
elbow is still elevated. I think this increases his
vulnerability to an impingement injury.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_019.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 19
You can clearly see that in Frame 19 Adam Wainwright's PAS
forearm has just passed through the horizontal. Notice that his
PAS elbow is still above the level of his shoulders.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_020.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 20
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_021.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 21
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_022.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 22
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_023.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 23
In Frame 23, Adam Wainwright's PAS forearm is just passing
through the vertical, high-cocked position. The thing to notice
is that his PAS elbow is still above the level of his shoulders,
in a position of Hyperabduction, in this frame. I know that can
be a little hard to see, so below are two frames that show the
same thing.
![Adam Wainwright - Hyperabduction](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Pitchers/AdamWainwright_2006_002.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Hyperabduction
![Adam Wainwright - Hyperabduction](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/Images/Pitchers/AdamWainwright_2007_001.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Hyperabduction
The thing to notice is how Adam Wainwright's elbow is well
above the level of his shoulders. This can lead to impingement
problems in the shoulder.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_024.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 24
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_025.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 25
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_026.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 26
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_027.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 27
In Frame 27, Adam Wainwright's shoulders have started to
rapidly rotate, which has caused his PAS upper arm to rapidly
externally rotate and his PAS forearm to lay back 90 degrees.
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_028.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 28
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_029.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 29
![Adam Wainwright](/web/20080313234957im_/http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseball/Pitching/ImageSequences/AdamWainwright_2006_CF_001/Video_Pitching_AdamWainwright_CF_001_030.jpg) Adam Wainwright - Frame 30
In Frame 30, Adam Wainwright has just released the ball.
12/3/2007
2007 St. Louis Cardinals In Review
With the Winter Meetings getting started and the 2008 season
starting to take shape, I thought I would review how the 2007
season went and how my predictions fared.
Chris Carpenter
I consider my predictions about Chris Carpenter to be my
biggest success of the year.
While his downfall was brought down
by elbows problems rather than shoulder problems,
my concerns about Chris Carpenter's mechanics (and Jeremy
Bonderman's mechanics) turned out to be largely correct.
Chris Carpenter has a very pronounced
Inverted L in his arm action, which places tremendous strain
on both his elbow and shoulder.
Chris Carpenter's Inverted L
As a result, I think the Cardinals will be lucky to get 2
years of value out of Chris Carpenter's 5-year deal. He will
most likely come back from his Tommy John surgery, but I think his shoulder
problems will crop up again before his contract has expired.
Anthony Reyes
While Anthony Reyes didn't experience a dramatic injury, he
did experience shoulder problems at the end of the 2007 season.
I also believe that Anthony Reyes' control problems, and poor
record, last year weren't just due to a disagreement over his
approach (e.g. the whole 2-seamer/sinker versus 4-seamer thing).
Instead, I think they are a sign that Anthony Reyes' elbow, and
in particular his UCL, is starting to loosen up and he is on his
way to needing Tommy John surgery.
Anthony Reyes' Inverted W
Like
Mark Prior, Anthony Reyes has a very large
Inverted W in his arm action, which places tremendous strain on both
his elbow and his shoulder. The Cardinals need to trade Anthony
Reyes during the offseason while they can still blame his
problems on philosophical differences and before his poor
mechanics start to cause the inevitable rash of injury problems.
Kip Wells
Kip Wells' struggles make the case that you can't just look
at a guy's mechanics when evaluating pitchers.
As I said when he was first signed by the Cardinals,
Kip Wells has solid mechanics and pretty good stuff. However,
the thing that I missed is that he seems to have a terrible
problem with the yips. The guy simply folds like a lawnchair
under pressure. This explains his statistics, and in particular
his situational stats.
Lesson Learned.
Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright had a solid year. However, as I have pointed
out before, Adam Wainwright also has a problem with
Hyperabduction.
Adam Wainwright's Hyperabduction
As a result, I am concerned that he will experience serious
shoulder problems in the next year or two.
Adam Wainwright's Inverted W
I have also seen some signs of
Inverted W in Adam Wainwright's arm action, which will
increase the strain on both his elbow and shoulder.
I hope that I'm wrong about Adam Wainwright's fate, but
I don't think I am.
Braden Looper
As I expected, Braden Looper had a decent year. While he had
some shoulder problems mid-year, these were more likely due to a
lack of conditioning and endurance than to problems with his
mechanics. This isn't surprising that he hadn't started in a
fairly long period of time. I expect the same thing basic thing
from Looper next year. Nothing spectacular, but probably a
solid, and fairly injury-free performance.
My biggest concern with Braden Looper is his being hit
by, or injured as a result of, a come-backer. This is because he
finishes in a terrible fielding position.
The Pitching Mechanic -
November 2007
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