Angel Borrelli and Joe Janish discuss what pitchers do after Tommy John surgery; Angel’s perspective on a team’s concern about “rushing a pitcher back too soon” from surgery; throwing programs to get ready for the season; pitching in cold weather; and the detective work behind pitching injuries.
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Angel and Joe discuss the rash of elbow injuries this spring and Tommy John surgery. Angel, a scientist, goes in-depth to describe the reasons pitchers tear their unlnar collateral ligament (UCL), and how they can prevent injuring their elbow.
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In Episode #2 of “The Fix,” Angel Borrelli and I follow up on Jonathon Niese’s shoulder issue, and Angel — a scientist and expert on human body movement as it relates to the pitching motion — goes into detail on how shoulder injuries can occur and how pitchers can avoid them.
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New York Mets Pitcher Jonathon Niese has struggled with shoulder and elbow issues during 2014 spring training. He also suffered a partially torn rotator cuff in 2013. What are the causes of his injuries, and how can they be fixed? I spoke with sport kinesiologist Angel Borrelli, a scientist who works specifically with baseball pitchers. If you are a pitcher, a coach of pitchers, or a parent of a pitcher, you will find this interview enlightening.
Among other topics, we discuss:
1. How injuries should be handled and diagnosed
2. What pitchers should be doing in between innings
3. What is the risk of pitching in cold weather?
4. What is “dead arm”?
5. What is wrong with Jon Niese’s shoulder, and how can it be fixed?
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Major League Baseball has finally published the language for the new rule regarding plays at the plate and home plate collisions. Like the Designated Pinch-hitter rule, this is “experimental.”
Why the change? MLB says it’s going to keep players safe — both runners and catchers. They point to examples such as Ray Fosse, Josh Thole, and Buster Posey. Former MLB catcher and Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is a staunch supporter; ironically, the chronic post-concussion syndrome that ended his career was due to foul tips slamming into his mask and helmet. I disagree that the new language is going to help anyone — in fact, I’m betting it will make things MORE dangerous, because runners and catchers are going to be confused about where they’re supposed to be, and they’ll be thinking in the heat of the moment instead of reacting. And as for Matheny, I wish he would’ve put as much energy as did in this campaign, into changing the MLB rules so that the hockey goalie-style headgear — that Matheny helped make popular, and didn’t adequately protect him — would be eliminated.
Personally, I don’t understand why this language was necessary — the rules are/were already pretty clear in terms of what fielders at any base can do and not do depending on whether or not they have possession of the ball. Further, this new rule is written in a much different style from the rest of the rule book; it’s inconsistent in style — though, that’s just me being nit-picky as an editor.
Here is the rule:
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