BB: ASC: American Southwest Conference

[TexasBB]

^{I sometimes wonder if throughout the progression of their career, smaller frame guys (5'11, 155lb) like Orosey begin to wear a bit. Don't get me wrong, I still think he's probably the best arm in the west, and a top 3-5 arm in the ASC, but take a peek.}

It always amazes me that somehow durability in a pitcher is equated with size. Smaller pitcheres like Lincecum, Maddox and Pedro Martinez have had to battle that stigma all of their carreeers. There just isn't any truth to it. Pitching durability is the product of good and efficient mechanics not size. The rotator cuff and elbow tendens are very small and highly susceptible to injury. The size of the pitcher does not give more durability to those areas. A 6'4" 230 lb pitcher is just as apt to have pitching related injuries as a guy the size of Tim Lincecum - 5"10 and 165 lbs.  The one who has the best mechanics and most efficient delivery will be the one who is more durable.

Texas BB

[CrashDavisD3]

^{I sometimes wonder if throughout the progression of their career, smaller frame guys (5'11, 155lb) like Orosey begin to wear a bit. Don't get me wrong, I still think he's probably the best arm in the west, and a top 3-5 arm in the ASC, but take a peek.}

It always amazes me that somehow durability in a pitcher is equated with size. Smaller pitcheres like Lincecum, Maddox and Pedro Martinez have had to battle that stigma all of their carreeers. There just isn't any truth to it. Pitching durability is the product of good and efficient mechanics not size. The rotator cuff and elbow tendens are very small and highly susceptible to injury. The size of the pitcher does not give more durability to those areas. A 6'4" 230 lb pitcher is just as apt to have pitching related injuries as a guy the size of Tim Lincecum - 5"10 and 165 lbs.  The one who has the best mechanics and most efficient delivery will be the one who is more durable.

Texas BB

Many baseball scouts and MLB people will tell you that Lincecum mechanics will cause him to break down and get hurt but so far he has shown everyone that is not true.

[Just_Some_Guy]

^{I sometimes wonder if throughout the progression of their career, smaller frame guys (5'11, 155lb) like Orosey begin to wear a bit. Don't get me wrong, I still think he's probably the best arm in the west, and a top 3-5 arm in the ASC, but take a peek.}

It always amazes me that somehow durability in a pitcher is equated with size. Smaller pitcheres like Lincecum, Maddox and Pedro Martinez have had to battle that stigma all of their carreeers. There just isn't any truth to it. Pitching durability is the product of good and efficient mechanics not size. The rotator cuff and elbow tendens are very small and highly susceptible to injury. The size of the pitcher does not give more durability to those areas. A 6'4" 230 lb pitcher is just as apt to have pitching related injuries as a guy the size of Tim Lincecum - 5"10 and 165 lbs.  The one who has the best mechanics and most efficient delivery will be the one who is more durable.

Texas BB

Good response. I'm reluctant to agree there's no truth to it, but I do think you're spot on with respect to mechanics and efficiency. Is it possible that guys like Orosey who throw relatively hard have less leverage to create said velocity than a taller and/or stronger pitcher and are potentially less 'efficient' as a result?

I think the primary reason pitchers get hurt is simply overuse (and this certainly isn't aided by poor mechanics), but the accumulation of yearly low-load stress is difficult to overcome even with the strides we've seen in modern day conditioning and flexibility.

[As an aside: What about all the innings the 'old-timers' used to throw in addition to weekly batting practice. Why didn't they have all these rotator cuff issues, ulna collateral tears, etc.]

Dr. Stephen Lyman's first study in 2001 indicates that the slider was associated with an 86% increase in likelihood of elbow pain. One thing is for certain, pitching is such a kinetic activity that that one little thing out of place (i.e. lumbar pain can cause rotator impingements) can cause any number of other injuries as a result.

JSG

[TexasBB]

A couple of years ago I  attended the opening night of the traveling HOF display from Cooperstown when it was at Fair Park in Dallas. I was able to have a discussion with Ferguson Jenkins who as any Rangers Fan will know won 25 games and pitched 29 complete games in 1974 when he was here in Arlington. Jenkins pitched for 19 years and had 267 complete games. His 29 complete games last year was more than any staff had all of last year. 

What he told me was he didn't think pitchers through enough today. Back in the 1970s they did not have specialty relief pitchers and the term closer had not yet come in to common use. You were either a starter or in the bullpen. There gernerally were only 4 starters and everyone else.  He said he rested the day after he pitched but was throwing batting practice the following day and a full bullpen the 3rd day. During the offseason he threw alot, playing catch etc.  He never even thought about pitch counts but could always tell when he was tiring.

Of course things are different today as there are specialists and closers etc. If a pitcher was injured in the 70s,they likley were done as surgical techniques that exist today were unkown then.  I also believe that pitchers today rely more on power pitches like cut fastballs, hard sliders and sinkers and less on the change up and slow curve. The pitches also lead to the injuries.

Texas BB

[Ralph Turner]

A couple of years ago I  attended the opening night of the traveling HOF display from Cooperstown when it was at Fair Park in Dallas. I was able to have a discussion with Ferguson Jenkins who as any Rangers Fan will know won 25 games and pitched 29 complete games in 1974 when he was here in Arlington. Jenkins pitched for 19 years and had 267 complete games. His 29 complete games last year was more than any staff had all of last year. 

What he told me was he didn't think pitchers through enough today. Back in the 1970s they did not have specialty relief pitchers and the term closer had not yet come in to common use. You were either a starter or in the bullpen. There gernerally were only 4 starters and everyone else.  He said he rested the day after he pitched but was throwing batting practice the following day and a full bullpen the 3rd day. During the offseason he threw alot, playing catch etc.  He never even thought about pitch counts but could always tell when he was tiring.

Of course things are different today as there are specialists and closers etc. If a pitcher was injured in the 70s,they likley were done as surgical techniques that exist today were unkown then.  I also believe that pitchers today rely more on power pitches like cut fastballs, hard sliders and sinkers and less on the change up and slow curve. The pitches also lead to the injuries.

Texas BB

If Jim Bibby had been able to finish the season strong (instead of going 19-19) we might have won the AL West!  (Naw, Ralph. Dream on!)

We finished 84-76 and 5 games behind the Oakland A's

[dp643]

UMHB gets destroyed by Schreiner 15-4. I will never understand the west division this year.

[TexasBB]

In the East, it is getting very interesting. Louisiana College is quietley putting together a very good season, as they currently are in first place with a 9-1 conference mark and 21-9 overall. UTT is second at 8-2 and 26-2 overall. UTD is 3rd with a 7-3 mark.  UTT and LC play this coming weekend at LU. Whichever team takes wins this series will be in the driver seat. LC finishes the conference schedule with UTD which will also be a big series. In two weeks UTT hosts MC and even though MC has had a host of injuries they will play tough in that series.

Texas BB

[Ralph Turner]

In Abilene, CTX takes 2 of 3.

Yesterday's game was a blowout for CTX.

Today, CTX came back from a 6-5 deficit in the top of the 7th to tie and then win in extra innings 8-6 in the 8th.

In the evening, McMurry won 4-3.

Jake Mullin is "quietly" having another good year.  The home runs are not there, but he is hitting for average.

Player                 AVG  GP-GS    AB   R   H  2B  3B  HR RBI   TB  SLG%  BB HBP  SO GDP   OB%  SF  SH  SB-ATT   PO   A   E  FLD%

26 Jake Mullin......  .376  27-26    93  21  35   7   0   2  23   48  .516  15   3  22   1  .469   2   0   0-0     68   2   4  .946

Team batting avg is down from .313 to .298.

[Just_Some_Guy]

TLU swept by Sul Ross. Not sure if that's ever happened before. Not sure if they'd ever lost 2 of 3 to Sul Ross before.

[Chris Brooks]

In the East, it is getting very interesting... In two weeks UTT hosts MC and even though MC has had a host of injuries they will play tough in that series.

Texas BB

Agree on the East, it's as open as it's been in a long time. MC sweeping at ETBU was huge for them even though ETBU was struggling. MC is going to be a couple pitchers down the rest of the year, and a couple more not 100%, but they did get 20 innings from a new starting trio this weekend, that is a good sign. Another positive, Shane Bennett was back on the bump with two innings as a closer and went scoreless with 5 K's, and looked great. They still have time if they can get it together.

The lineup has been great all year, especially the top half. Spencer Brunson and Stuart Magee are in the conversation for Player of the Year at this point. If MC can put string together another good weekend against Ozarks, it would set up a big series at Tyler.

[Ralph Turner]

Congratulations, Jake!

WEST DIVISION

HITTER OF THE WEEK

Jake Mullin, OF, Sr., McMurry

McMurry senior outfielder Jake Mullin (Burleson, TX / BHS) went 9-for-13 with three doubles and five RBIs over four games. Mullin had multiple hits in three games, scored four times and walked once. He also hurled 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief and earned the save in a 4-3 ASC West Division win over Concordia Texas.

[dp643]

TLU swept by Sul Ross. Not sure if that's ever happened before. Not sure if they'd ever lost 2 of 3 to Sul Ross before.

Lots of firsts this year. UMHB had never beaten TLU 2 of 3 in Seguin before this year either. All of the teams appear to be pretty evenly matched this year, including Schreiner and Howard Payne.

[dp643]

Seeing as though I havent been wrong on a single prediction I have publicly posted on here this year, I am going to make my predictions for this weekend.

Schreiner at TLU - TLU takes 2 of 3
McMurry at HPU - HPU Takes 2 of 3
HSU at SRSU - HSU takes 2 of 3
UMHB at CTX - UMHB takes 2 of 3

That would result in a standings of:

HSU         11-4
CTX           9-6
TLU           8-7
SRSU        7-8
HPU          7-8
UMHB        7-8
McMurry     6-9
Schreiner   5-10


A UMHB sweep this weekend of CTX would move them into 2 place if TLU doesnt sweep Schreiner.

All 8 teams could go into the final weekend playing for a conference tournament spot. This is going to be fun.

[TexasBB]

Predicitons for the East

UTT takes 2 of 3 from LC
UTD sweeps LeTourneau
MC sweeps Ozarks
ETB out of Conference


Assuming the above outcomes going into next week:

UTT      12-3
UTD       9-3
LC         9-3
MC        8-4
ETBU     3-9
LeTour  3-11
Ozarks 1-14

The 4 teams for the playoffs are set but in what order is wide open. Also the East Division champ will host the playoffs this year so that is a big issue.

Texas BB

[TexasBB]

UTT beats LC in first game 4-2. UTT shakes up the pitching order with Sherman pitching the first game going 8 innings for the win. Cleveland picked up his first save striking out 2 in a 1,2,3 9th inning.  Up until tonight Sherman threw the 7 inning game on Saturdays. UTT wanted to win the first game of this very important serires and thought Sherman could go at least 8.

Texas BB