re: Pitching longevity question

The ligaments in the arm are a weird thing, unique to everyone. I mean, does it make any sense why some people can throw 90mph plus and some can’t regardless of how hard they work, body size? And why could Walter Johnson throw all day every day, but Stephen Strasburg got hurt every year? Walter was throwing breaking balls too.

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does it make any sense why some people can throw 90mph plus and some can’t regardless of how hard they work, body size?

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Yes, it makes perfect sense

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Yes medical technology has changed, but has it really been put to use for the greater good ? How many young players in MLB have gotten Tommy John surgery nowadays? Its widespread. Ryan wasn't necessarily a freak, he just threw harder, and learned how to pitch in the minors and get outs.

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Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz raise their hands.

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2. in 1990 I think Verducci wrote an article in SI about durability. He correctly predicted Clemens would do OK due to his build, and also thought Saberhagen would break down and Gooden and Viola could go either way

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And then you look at a guy like Pedro who was 165 pounds soaking wet pitch two decades without any arm injuries.

Warren Spahn is the most underrated pitcher of all time

In 1963, 21 years after his debut @ 42 years old, he lead the league with 22 complete games.

Started his MLB career in '42 ended in '65, has the most wins all-time for a lefty.

Only person ever awarded the Cy Young, Purple Heart, and Bronze Star.

Ryan was a freak of nature and there should be zero expectation that people today match his innings totals and pitch counts despite all the memes that you see 15 times a day in Facebook baseball groups inferring they should.

And for every rubber armed wonder like Spahn who thrived on the old-school workloads, there were three who didn’t and blew their arms out and were thrown on the scrap heap without a second thought because it was survival of the fittest.

Look up the story of Wayne Simpson of the Reds. He had all the potential on the planet but the Cincinnati Reds abused and ruined him in a way that people should have gone to jail for, in a way that didn’t just end his pitching career but threatened him being able to use his arm for anything and potentially threatened his life.

That being said, Ryan’s philosophy about young pitchers stated here is right in the bullseye.

But tell that to Daddy and Momma who are convinced Junior is going to be not just a superduperstar but their meal ticket to quitting the jobs they hate and never having to lift a finger at a snake the rest of their lives.

Travel ball is a pestilence.

Proper warm ups dont happen and arms are being burned out.

This year a mom on my rec team got irritated when i pulled her son from pitching for me when I found out he was supposed to pitch later the same day for his travel team.

He's 9.

He told me it'd be a good warm up for later and I went ahead and grabbed another pitcher. I was not going to have him throw innings for me then go to another park and throw again. It's ridiculous.

improper training

most pitchers want to work on muscles that improve velocity but neglect the muscles that slow arm down after pitch. Those muscles get overloaded and leads to injuries

Really need to focus on long tossing as well.

The whole body needs to be built up for acceleration and deceleration.

No one warms up and trains the whole body for throwing the way they do.

Both my kids are tall and lefties. The shite people told me I needed to do is ridiculous. We long toss. Proper mechanics and play all sports.

They either do well and progress or they just play. It'll sort itself out.

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Now kids are playing 70+ with private instruction

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And that’s just during the normal season. A lot of those kids play fall ball too