re: Tommy John - Not If, but When?

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everything you just posted is false. already went over this. everything.

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Love your passion for the game. But, there has been tons of research on pitching injuries over the past several decades that indicate the post you responded is indeed correct, just not complete.

Overuse is a major factor.
Biomechanics is a major factor.
Increased velocity is a major factor.
Strength is a contributing factor as well.

Depending on the individual, one of those 4 factors can override the ligament and failure occurs.

Example. A player can have great mechanics, throw at a high velocity and be strong in measurables that are indicative of protective health for the pitcher, but still suffer a UCL injury because of over use. The ligament sustains microtears over time that often are asymptomatic until enough damage is done that a larger tear occurs or a complete tear.

Surgeons will tell you that when they open up the arm of a teenager for Tommy John that the ligament looks vastly different than one of an adult player having TJ. Why? The amount of use over time for the adult player.

So, a player can seemingly do everything they can to prevent injury, but if they are pitching at close to maximum effort almost year round, they are putting a lot of miles on their arm. It is going to catch up with a lot of them.

Conversely, many younger players can be deficient in several of those risk factors. They can throw too much, be going through a growth spurt and not strong enough to support the velocity they are throwing and their mechanics are bad. It doesn't take much to tear the ligament on these players.

However, it can not be dismissed that the increase in the number of pitches is a major contributor to the rise in injuries.