OnlyBucs

5C697E7E754C7E7E75727E1B0 wrote: I was too young, and haven't read as much about Koufax and his decision to retire.  I thought Sandy retired because his arm was arthritic and was too painful for him to pitch.  Do I have that wrong?



At any rate, if it was true that he had an arthritic arm, then I wouldn't know whether today's medicine would have been helpful if it was available to him in his time.



I agree with your overall point- that some of yesterday's pitchers- for all we know- could have extended their careers if they came along later. 



I'm not a big proponent on comparing guys from so long ago.  Life was so much different then that it's not the fairest of comparisons.  It's not fair to the guys from back then.  It's not fair to the more modern guys, either. 



To use a football analogy, "The lineman of yesterday (1940s)...is a placekicker today."  I'm not going to cite the reference.


Koufax definitely had arthritis but he had also had cortisone shots in his elbow. I need to read the Jane Leavy bio (I thought her bio on Mickey Mantle was very good).

Pirates that seemed to get injured often were Luke Walker, Larry McWilliams, Tommie Sisk.

4D786F6F645D6F6F64636F0A0 wrote: I was too young, and haven't read as much about Koufax and his decision to retire.  I thought Sandy retired because his arm was arthritic and was too painful for him to pitch.  Do I have that wrong?
You have it right. Koufax retired due to arthritis pain in his arm.

And Sandy took his share of opponent "hitters" right with him- early, too!

Those pitchers weren't routinely throwing as hard as modern pitchers are, nor for as many games a year.

24263C3A2C490 wrote: Those pitchers weren't routinely throwing as hard as modern pitchers are, nor for as many games a year.
Actually, starting pitchers in the days of Koufax made more starts and pitched more innings than starters of today. Although I believe few of them threw as hard as most pitchers today.

More guys go out (with injury) today because we have more GUYS (today.)



How many teams? How many on rosters? How many pitchers?



Then, the other factors, some of which have been mentioned.

6154434348714343484F43260 wrote: More guys go out (with injury) today because we have more GUYS (today.) 



How many teams?  How many on rosters?  How many pitchers?



Then, the other factors, some of which have been mentioned.
Good point. For most of the 1960s there were 20 teams with 10 pitchers (200). Now there are 30 teams with about 14 pitchers (420). Not to mention more minor league teams full of pitchers for more MLB teams.

The quest to regularly throw 95+ has clearly taken a toll.

0D21292E2502352333400 wrote: The quest to regularly throw 95+ has clearly taken a toll.
Yeah, pitchers now are usually bigger and more muscular and throw harder. But I don't think tendons have become stronger or able to take the strain.

604D40515647501013220 wrote: The quest to regularly throw 95+ has clearly taken a toll.
Yeah, pitchers now are usually bigger and more muscular and throw harder. But I don't think tendons have become stronger or able to take the strain.


I don't know if this is accurate but you used to hear a lot of pitchers described as throwers who still had to learn how to pitch.



With so many relievers these days and starters rarely going through the line up three times there may be more throwers today.