White Sox Pitching Coach Says Strasburg Reminds Him Of Wood And Prior

... and by that, he means Strasburg's arm mechanics. From the link, a quote from Sox pitching coach Don Cooper:

"I am not wishing this guy bad, but for him to be having problems right now when they are really, really watching him what are they going to see when they are trying to get 220 innings from him? He does something with his arm action that is difficult, in my mind, to pitch a whole lot of innings on."

almost 2 years ago Al Yellon 25 comments 0 recs |

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And then in 8-10 years

He can get demoted to a closer, traded to the Orioles, where he will languish and do poorly and yet Nats fans will still pine for him to return for one last go ’round.

by Danwood on Jul 30, 2010 7:42 AM CDT reply actions

I smell a Bed, Bath, and Beyond

marketing opportunity. Strassy, you are doing it all wrong…u have to hold the towel this way.

"All I want is food and creative love" - Rusted Root

by TheRiot Police on Jul 30, 2010 7:56 AM CDT reply actions

He might be OK if he stays away from towels & hot tubs

"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Jul 30, 2010 8:43 AM CDT reply actions

It would be intresting to hear what the "Evil Stoney" has to say

I beleive Steve Stone was the first to mention this when he was still with WGN regarding Wood and Prior. Intresting to hear his opinion regarding the subject.

by iw on Jul 30, 2010 9:04 AM CDT reply actions

He'll probably say that they should move Strasburg to 1b.

Honestly, at this point, you have to question the motivations of whatever Stone has to say. Harrelson has not been a good influence on him. Stone is just marketing himself now.

by jerry morales rules on Jul 30, 2010 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions

He'll probably be selling used cars in a few years

RIP Ronnie James Dio (July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010).

by Ace Venom on Jul 30, 2010 9:46 AM CDT reply actions

worf will need more therapy if that happens

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Jul 30, 2010 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions

Good to know you're rooting for the kid to fail

There is no such thing as an ugly female breast

by Worf on Jul 30, 2010 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions

I am?

Check the yellow pages for remedial reading help. Maybe you can fit it in between therapy sessions.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Jul 31, 2010 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions

He's missing a start and the Nats put on him on the DL just as a precautionary matter

Cooper should worry about Buehrle and Jenks

"That's life, that's what all the people say.
You're riding high in April,
Shot down in May
But I know I'm gonna change that tune,
When I'm back on top, back on top in June."
- Big boy Frankie

by lexmarklover on Jul 30, 2010 10:30 AM CDT reply actions

He's not the first I've heard compare Strasburg and Prior

I don’t recall who it was but I remember hearing a guy on the radio earlier this year talk about how with both of them when their plant foot lands their arm is still well behind their head,

---AC 00 00 00 - Believe

by mjk83 on Jul 30, 2010 10:40 AM CDT reply actions

I noted this after Strasburg's first MLB start - -

Someone posted some pretty awesome photos in a BCB thread, and I noted that Strasburg was making the same “high elbows” M-shape during his delivery that has been hypothesized as the critical flaw in Prior’s delivery.

Obviously, I think that the Nats will be smarter than to let Prior hit 130 pitches 5 times down the stretch this year. Holy crap the Cubs were stupid with Prior’s pitch counts in 2003.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Jul 30, 2010 10:44 AM CDT reply actions

With regards to Prior

USC did a lot of damage to him I suspect before the Cubs got him. The questionable usage of him by Baker/Rothschild were just the final straws. Same can be said of Kerry Wood, damaged goods from the get-go.

All that said, just because there might be some similarities between Srrasburg’s delivery and Prior’s, does not mean Strasburg will suffer similar problems. They are different people with different anatomies, what failed in Prior may be fine for Strasburg.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Jul 30, 2010 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions

not sure if it was USC...

but his arm was definitely abused in high school.

People also like to disregard Prior’s collision with Giles as a big reason for his downfall. Here is an article with details:

Mark Prior injury

Basically what they found was an injury not seen in baseball players, one that is associated with “traumatic events, usually from a fall.” The injury can be associated with a labrum or rotator cuff tear. Also keep in mind Prior hadn’t experienced any shoulder related injuries prior to his run-in with Giles.

www.baseball-intellect.com

by NovaO on Jul 30, 2010 8:15 PM CDT up reply actions

No doubt, that collision hurt him.

But, he pitched effectively for more than two years after that.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Jul 30, 2010 8:54 PM CDT up reply actions

i never liked Giles after that...

I know he wasn’t trying to really do damage, but he did.

Bob Brenly on Leo Nunez "Dan Uggla just saved Nunez’ life because Koyie would break him into a million pieces"

by Zakh on Jul 30, 2010 9:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I have no idea how much he was used in HS

and it would not surprise me to learn he was overused like Wood was, but I do know he was seriously overused in college.

As for the collision injury, who knows or will ever know if that is what brought Prior’s career to a halt, but maybe it was just that.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Jul 31, 2010 9:38 AM CDT up reply actions

I wonder

has anyone else tried to throw a ball making the inverted W shape with the arms? I tried it after that fanpost/shot thingy (and granted this is not my normal – girl-esque – throwing motion it just doesnt feel comfortable at all – sidearm feels better than doing what Prior and Strasburg do…

I Love Larry - Brick are you looking at random things around the room and saying that you love them - I Love Larry
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119

by hansman1982 on Jul 30, 2010 6:08 PM CDT up reply actions

re:

That’s because it’s not a natural motion for you. Of course you’re going to feel uncomfortable. If you ask pitchers with an inverted type of arm action how they acquired their arm action, the response you’ll usually get is that it’s the way they’ve been throwing their whole life. It’s their natural arm action. Something is different about their muscles/anatomical make-up that allows them to pitch the way they do and pitch the way they do comfortably. Nobody would use that arm action if it was uncomfortable/painful.

Trying to emulate that arm action when it doesn’t come naturally, essentially forcing the arm into an unnatural action, is basically asking to get hurt and I’m sure that is how some pitchers do get hurt. They use an arm action unnatural to them and they pay for it.

www.baseball-intellect.com

by NovaO on Jul 30, 2010 8:23 PM CDT up reply actions

If you want a natural pitching motion,

play fastpitch softball. That delivery is much more natural and therefore safer, but not practical for baseball obviously.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Jul 31, 2010 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions

True, but...

… there have been many successful submarine pitchers, mostly relievers. I’m surprised more pitchers don’t try this.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Jul 31, 2010 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions

First, the submarine is not the same as an underhand softball delivery

two completely different deliveries.

Also, most guys who throw submarine style do so because they do not have the stuff to throw in a more conventional manner. Submariners usually have minimal stuff (low to mid 80s fastball, high schoolers throw harder), so they have to resort to a gimmick delivery to compete.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Aug 1, 2010 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Hope He's Not Another Prior

I’ll be optimistic and guess this inflammation isn’t serious. Notice the word “guess” in the previous sentence. I know that inflammation in joints is many times the result of overuse. Again, I don’t know if that is true in Strasburg’s case. It would be worth the Nationals’ wile to revisit Strasburg’s mechanics.

I do give Kerry Wood credit for fighting through a litany of injuries to get back to the big leagues. Is he having the career we thought he going to have, when we first saw him in 1998? No, but he’s had a much longer career than Mark Prior.

"The big possums walk late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Jul 30, 2010 11:33 AM CDT reply actions

Revisiting his mechanics sounds like a good idea but

since Strasburg has been throwing that way all his life, it would be extremely difficult for him to fundamentally change his delivery and still be the pitcher he is.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Jul 31, 2010 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions