Status Update

By Jack McDowell

I'm noticing that the one and only BS artist and blowhard Dr. James Andrews is jumping all over this "Tommy John" debate with advice and a new (money making) app regarding the same. Let's get a few things straight... Andrews has studied the biomechanics of throwing since the 80's and anyone who has actually read the "findings" will discover that nothing was really found, and the consequential pitch count beginnings and "perfect" mechanics are both lies and unscientific. Now, it's all about youth baseball because he failed at developing significant information to "prevent injury" for older athletes. It's all a scam. This guy is a scam and has offered NOTHING significantly constructive to the betterment of baseball pitching. Stop buying into this egomaniacs posing. He came up with ZERO after 30 years of analyzing.

That is an interesting bit of commentary by Jack McDowell. On a related note, I know that Don Cooper in a Score interview more or less said that he would love to be able to testify and give advice to that committee about the relationship between mechanics and arm injuries.

What eventually did McDowell in, shoulder?

I think we know that there is very little definitively known, at least on a grand scale, about pitching. We do know that doing more of a damaging thing tends to be more damaging and that expert surgeons tend to be better at guessing than random ex-ballplayers

I would have to question the motivation of a man who makes his money performing surgeries, coming up with ways to prevent theses surgeries.

PTATC WHERE ARE YOU AGAIN YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED

 

I would have to question the motivation of a man who makes his money performing surgeries, coming up with ways to prevent theses surgeries.

He's got all his money, doesn't need anymore. It's a legacy thing, a name thing IMO. Maybe he has a small dick? Not sure but BlackJack is in a s***ty rock band so maybe he knows.

There's a lot of money to be made being good at what you do. The guy who comes up with the way to prevent pitching injuries is going to make a bunch of money

What eventually did McDowell in, shoulder?

Hip issues were the biggest thing.

BTW is BlackJack anyone else's least favorite former great Sox player? Always has seemed bitter and noncomplementary of the organization. He seemed to me more like a smug prick when he did Sox games, riding Scoscia's nuts and so forth for no reason. Just seems like a tool to me. Doesn't mean he's wrong though, I'll wait for ptatc's thoughts on Andrews first. But James Andrews has performed surgies on everyone famous in the history of sports, so he is pretty good at least.

Hip issues were the biggest thing.

 

 

I know that is what did in Britt Burns. I did not know that about Blackjack

Status Update

By Jack McDowell

I'm noticing that the one and only BS artist and blowhard Dr. James Andrews is jumping all over this "Tommy John" debate with advice and a new (money making) app regarding the same. Let's get a few things straight... Andrews has studied the biomechanics of throwing since the 80's and anyone who has actually read the "findings" will discover that nothing was really found, and the consequential pitch count beginnings and "perfect" mechanics are both lies and unscientific. Now, it's all about youth baseball because he failed at developing significant information to "prevent injury" for older athletes. It's all a scam. This guy is a scam and has offered NOTHING significantly constructive to the betterment of baseball pitching. Stop buying into this egomaniacs posing. He came up with ZERO after 30 years of analyzing.

McDowell is right to a certain extent. There are studies done where we know when the UCL or the rotator cuff is under the most stress. There are very few "this" is what caused the injury. But there are those few things we know to avoid. Andrerws and a PT named Kevin Wilk who is from Joliet, have done a lot of research on the rehab of injuries that do work. If you've ever seen pitchers work with the therabands, this is the "throwers ten" program they've developed.

 

Fleisig who does most of the research on the youth pitchers has some very compelling research with the number of pitches and rest for pitchers. This is what the app is based on.

 

Overall, it has a very sound base but as with all research on humans there are very few absolutes. however, there are some knowns that should be followed.

I know that is what did in Britt Burns. I did not know that about Blackjack

Same type of degenerative hip issue.

I would have to question the motivation of a man who makes his money performing surgeries, coming up with ways to prevent theses surgeries.

Actually, he made his name with Wilk with the conservative care and rehab advances in medicine. The Jobe-Kerling group really pioneered the surgeries, although Andrews did come up with some improvements.

 

I've known Kevin for a long time and have taken many of the Pitching courses by them at the ASMI in Birmingham. They do good work and are highly repected.

 

Kevin is a good down to earth guy. Andrews is a typical orthopedic surgeon and McDowell is right about his ego. As one once told me "I may think I can correct God's work but that doesn't mean I think I'm God.....well maybe.

BTW is BlackJack anyone else's least favorite former great Sox player?

He was the heart of the sox in the early 90s, so I'll give him a pass for being a dick.

I thought Jack had elbow surgery and had a nerve injury. Am I wrong, I could be thinking of someone else?

I also recall an article in which Jack discussed warm up pitches both before a game and between innings. He always used less there and commented that no one counts those. He has a valid point. If you are exerting max or near max effort it doesn't matter if a batter is there. He talked of using 2-3 less per inning warming up than allowed, he was pitching in the day of complete games so 18-27 less "pitches" warming up meant 1-2 more innings.

Lol. Jack is lucky he didn't need him.

Same type of degenerative hip issue.

Genetics suck I assume.

I thought Jack had elbow surgery and had a nerve injury. Am I wrong, I could be thinking of someone else?

He may have. I know the beginning of the end for him was the hip.

Genetics suck I assume.

Sometimes. Although the only reason he was as good as he was is due to his huge hands. That was why he could throw the split so well. His fingers literally wrapped around the ball.

Sometimes. Although the only reason he was as good as he was is due to his huge hands. That was why he could throw the split so well. His fingers literally wrapped around the ball.

His wrist torque was unreal. It added velocity to his fastball and spin to that ridiculous curve. He had a lot of forearm tightness at times

I f***ing love this. Mechanics are f***ing garbage and always have been. Pitchers either have the ability to absorb punishment or they dont. This whole argument has been going on in cycling for way longer than baseball. I'm a cyclist and the pseudoscience of "fit" has been an issue forever. It's all bulls***. Either you have it, or you dont.

There was a "This Week In Baseball" about Pedro Martinez years ago. He had the biggest fingers I've ever seen. He could bend every finger back to his wrist. He was a freak. He was the best pitcher I've ever seen. He put up ungodly numbers, right through the apex of the so called "steroid era." He was tiny.

I f***ing love this. Mechanics are f***ing garbage and always have been. Pitchers either have the ability to absorb punishment or they dont. This whole argument has been going on in cycling for way longer than baseball. I'm a cyclist and the pseudoscience of "fit" has been an issue forever. It's all bulls***. Either you have it, or you dont.

Right. It's like distance running. Some people last forever, some just wear out. Not everyone can throw forever.