Rays/MLB 2018

[Flycoon]

Originally Posted by Bolthed

For the record it's the UCL, not ACL, which is in your knee. And Derek is right. Nowadays teams practically expect pitchers to have TJ surgery. It's just coincidental timing and bad luck, not bad usage.

Have there been any studies done that correlate the common TJ surgery with the increase in average velocity pitchers throw at these days? Old timers remember that a 90 mph fastball was heat; that's common at HS ball now.

[Bolthed]

Not sure of studies, but there is a lot of data that shows surgically repaired arms producing more velocity then before injury.

[Derek28]

The increase in frequency of TJ surgery has more to do with over-pitching kids at young ages than anything else IMO. You have kids that are 10-11 years old playing or pitching pretty much all year from little league to travel league to winter ball/training facilities. Coaches and parents are identifying potential pitchers at younger ages and putting them on paths to be pitching prospects instead of having them play all over the place and maybe pitch once every couple weeks.

Once kids get to high school, they routinely throw 60+ innings in school, another 50 or so in travel ball, showcases where they throw quite a bit, and winter work with pitching instructors. A lot of these games see these kids throwing 100+ pitches. It's just pretty much the way it is these days. If a kid isn't doing all those things, he isn't getting drafted early.

[Puckhead]

Agree. Seen all this with my grandson..But, my SIL is pushing him to get into other sports--tennis/golf etc etc. He's throwing mid 80's now, but lets face it, its a 1000-1 shot he'll ever earn any $$ in MLB. Kids that play multiple sports may or may not get "drafted" but they sure will have a more rounded sense of sport and competition.

[Flycoon]

Originally Posted by Puckhead

Agree. Seen all this with my grandson..But, my SIL is pushing him to get into other sports--tennis/golf etc etc. He's throwing mid 80's now, but lets face it, its a 1000-1 shot he'll ever earn any $$ in MLB. Kids that play multiple sports may or may not get "drafted" but they sure will have a more rounded sense of sport and competition.

My daughter played travel softball from 9-15 years old; so long ago that it was slow pitch the first year. Burnt out by 15 from year round play; continued through HS (one state championship at TC in 1997 when she was a freshman) but lost the passion for the game at 14. She never really liked it again until she played co-ed intramural ball at UF; she loved playing OF and there is way more action in slow pitch.

The point Pat makes is well taken. Kids should play more than one sport at young ages; golf and tennis in particular as these are games for all ages. Goofy parents (I was in the club) place way too much importance on kids games.

[Hoek]

All this talk about how it'll fit in with Ybor, but that stadium really sticks out. I dunno...

[Jester47]

Originally Posted by Hoek

All this talk about how it'll fit in with Ybor, but that stadium really sticks out. I dunno...

Yeah, not at all...

[RSchmitz]

They kind of solved the size/attendance issue by....making the stadium the smallest in baseball.

[Puckhead]

I'm able to watch some games out here on Reddit (thanks Hoek). Imagine if this group hadn't gone 1-9 to start the season(?) or if they were in the Central.
Snell and Eovaldi, and Arch if he re-finds his groove, could make for an interesting second half of the season. I miss the Trop, Central Ave and all that entails. Where can I go to see what the plans look like for the new stadium? And with everything that's going to happen down there, do you still think the field is not going to "fit in"?

[RSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Puckhead

I'm able to watch some games out here on Reddit (thanks Hoek). Imagine if this group hadn't gone 1-9 to start the season(?) or if they were in the Central.
Snell and Eovaldi, and Arch if he re-finds his groove, could make for an interesting second half of the season. I miss the Trop, Central Ave and all that entails. Where can I go to see what the plans look like for the new stadium? And with everything that's going to happen down there, do you still think the field is not going to "fit in"?

Have you tried http://www.draysbay.com?