Does it ever strike you as odd that a veteran major league pitcher, a fully grown man with years of experience and supposedly “a sound movement pattern,” will only throw 1-2 innings in his first outing in Spring Training, while it is not uncommon for a high school pitcher to throw a complete game in his very first game of the season, or for the youth pitcher to throw his maximum allotment of 9 innings over his first weekend tournament? THE TRUTH ABOUT SOFT TISSUE, GROWTH PLATES, AND INJURIES
RYAN’S RECORD STANDS THE TEST OF TIME Pitching Powerhouse When the Houston Astros signed free agent Nolan Ryan for $4.5 million in November of 1979, his salary was the highest on record in Major League Baseball at that time. As it turned out, Ryan was worth every penny and more, helping drive the hapless Astros to three division titles. Ryan’s $4.5 million contract is dwarfed by the eight-figure salaries paid by MLB luminaries today. At least one player on half of all MLB teams earned $25 million or more last season. Even adjusted for inflation, Ryan would only make about $19.5 million in 2024 dollars. Today’s massive payouts reflect stars’ critical role in generating billions in revenue for the league through broadcasting rights and ticket sales. Still, Ryan’s unparallelled performance record has stood the test of time. The Hall of Famer pitched at velocities over 100 mph into his mid-40s. His legendary 12-to-6 curveball struck fear in the hearts of batters. And Ryan still holds the MLB strikeout record at 5,714, the no-hitter record at seven, and the modern-era record for the most seasons played at 27. showcase or two, add some mechanical inefficiencies and/or immature movement patterns, mix in a strength imbalance, include mobility and/or flexibility constraints, and what we have is the perfect storm. It is amazing to me that even MORE youth pitching athletes don’t require medical/surgical intervention these days. The average velocity of pitching at every level of baseball is going up, and the risk of injury to soft tissue and growth plates is going up as well. Therefore, parents and athletes have two primary choices: 1. Stay safe and be passed over by other athletes willing to risk injury; 2. Or risk injury themselves. If your athlete has decided pitching a baseball is something he is truly serious about, then preparing his soft tissue for the stress it will encounter, improving mechanical efficiencies, managing workloads, and paying attention to growth plate issues, growth spurts, tenderness, tightness and pain is not only a good idea, but mandatory due diligence. A systematic preparation of soft tissue for the stress it will be placed under is absolutely essential. Cleaning up mechanical inefficiencies is imperative. Managing workloads, scheduling down time, and focusing on recovery only make good common sense. Wishing for an ideal environment is a giant waste of time, in my opinion. Here at the Texas Baseball Ranch, we expend our energy on the variables we can affect.
It should.
It represents a real intellectual disconnect. From the time they are born until they are 25 years of age, most males are a literal growth machine. To allow for amazing spurts and expansion, the soft tissue around the joints and growth plates are really put to the test; and that’s without doing anything out of the normal. Enter competitive athletes and the desire to throw harder, run faster, jump higher, etc. Then do this all year long, play on two teams, throw in a
UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS
WINTER ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS:
• DECEMBER 28–30 • JANUARY 18–20 • FEBRUARY 15–17
WWW.TEXASBASEBALLRANCH.COM/EVENTS
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,
USE PROMO CODE: TBR5
3
Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow!
PHONE (936) 588-6762
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator