I like the concept of the WBC ... the problem is here is no good time of the year to do it.

 

If I was a major league GM, I wouldn't want my team's pitchers participating in it.

 

If I was an owner I'd demand MLB to pay my players salary for any time missed. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of to have your season depending on guys who play and more importantly pitch too hard too early. It's absolutely nuts to me.

Has anyone done any kind of study on how the WBC pitchers are holding up?

 

Off the top of my head right now I'm thinking Dice K, Volquez, Peavy, Oswalt, and there are probably more. I know there was a closer who was injured there. I know these guys could have been injured anyway and I know that pitchers were injured that didn't go there, but it's atrocious to send guys there before they're ready or for guys to get ready too early.

Peavy got hurt running the bases. Nothing to do with the WBC. Oswalt's injury is not arm related.

Off the top of my head right now I'm thinking Dice K, Volquez, Peavy, Oswalt, and there are probably more. I know there was a closer who was injured there. I know these guys could have been injured anyway and I know that pitchers were injured that didn't go there, but it's atrocious to send guys there before they're ready or for guys to get ready too early.

 

Dice K was throwing 200 pitches a day in Japan, I don't think the WBC is what has caused his issues. His innings per game have slowly deline since signing with the Sox.

I think Dick Pole should get more blame than Dusty

 

After taking over as pitching coach, the ERAs dropped initially dropped in stops in Chicago, San Francisco, and Cleveland before rising before his exit.

 

Among the starters who were considered healthy before landing on the DL while Pole was the pitching coach?

 

Mike Harkey, Shawn Boskie, and Danny Jackson when he was with the Cubs. None were ever the same

 

William Van Landingham, Bill Swift, and Osvaldo Fernandez with the Giants

 

Charles Nagy and Steve Woodard in one season with the Indians

 

Tony Armas in one season with the Expos

 

In two seasons with the Reds, Eric Milton imploded with an arm injury. Was a decent rotation option prior to his arrival. Eddie Guardado was shut down two years ago with the Reds. He's somehow healthy with the Rangers. Volquez. Harang is iffy. Look what Coffey has done in Milwaukee compared to Cincy.

 

Is Dick Pole to blame for all of these? Probably not. But that's a decent list of starting pitchers who broke down under the tutiledge of Pole. We're not talking about short stints on the DL. We're talking career-ending injuries or pitchers who were never the same once they pitched under Pole.

 

The jury is still out on the Reds pitchers. A lot of people (myself included) have blasted Dusty and his handling of the pitchers, but Pole's hands are dirty also. He's the one who designs the off-day throwing routines, bullpen sessions, etc.

 

Solid pitchers such as Danny Jackson, Bill Swift, Charles Nagy, Tony Armas, and Eric Milton had immediate injuries after Pole took over.

 

Coincidence? Conspiracy? Much ado about nothing?

Danny Jackson's problems probably had more to do with his huge 1988 season ... 260 innings and eight starts of more than 120 pitches.

 

If I recall, didn't a lot of Milton's problems have more to do with his knee than his arm?

 

I don't think you can blame Dusty and Dicky for every one of the above-mentioned pitchers, and probably not even most of them. Pitchers get hurt ... it's an occupational hazard.

 

But I think there is clearly blood on their hands in the cases of Wood and Prior, particularly because of their pitch counts late in the 2003 season.

Dick Poole and Dusty ruined arms in Chicago. Wood and Pryor ring a bell. .

 

You're wrong. Pryor clearly had flaws in his mechanics and everyone knew it. It caught up to him.

Peavy got hurt running the bases. Nothing to do with the WBC. Oswalt's injury is not arm related.

 

Fine, but he's still out and pitched in the WBC. That's all I was pointing out. His injury is another issue of mine. It's dumb to have pitchers hit in one league and not the other.

Dice K was throwing 200 pitches a day in Japan, I don't think the WBC is what has caused his issues. His innings per game have slowly deline since signing with the Sox.

 

He says his innings are in decline b/c the Sox won't let him throw enough in off days. No matter what he pitched in the WBC and is out w/ an arm injury as is Volquez.

You're wrong. Pryor clearly had flaws in his mechanics and everyone knew it. It caught up to him.

Really? There were some baseball people that thought Prior might survive the overwork because his mechanics were so sound.

 

Now Wood ... that's another story.

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Volquez to have surgery Monday

Posted by TomGroeschen at 8/1/2009 2:52 PM EDT on Cincinnati.com

RHP Edinson Volquez will have right elbow surgery Monday, the Reds just announced. On the DL since June 2, Volquez yesterday complained of elbow stiffness and soreness after throwing 20 pitches of a scheduled 80-pitch simulated game.

He could be done as a starter, maybe relief,ala Wood.

He could be done as a starter, maybe relief,ala Wood.

Has Volquez had surgery before? There are a lot of starting pitchers in the major leagues that have had surgery at one time or another.

 

Kerry Wood had repeated problems and surgeries over a period of several years before he was moved to the bullpen ... Volquez isn't to that stage yet.

How is that trade now?

Has Volquez had surgery before? There are a lot of starting pitchers in the major leagues that have had surgery at one time or another.

 

Kerry Wood had repeated problems and surgeries over a period of several years before he was moved to the bullpen ... Volquez isn't to that stage yet.

 

The key word was 'could'. Just something to be prepared for,never goog when a pitcher or QB gets cut on

How is that trade now?

 

That is the danger of a young pitcher. It does sound like Tommy John. A young pitcher vs a young bat, the bat is always gonna be safer but the Reds needed pitching. You win some and ya lose some. Hopefully he can come back.