pitchers different 100 years ago?

[hot4tx]

If any of today's pitchers needed to pace themselves for possibly 150-200 pitches in some games they would back off on their speed also. There is a different approach when you go as hard as you can for 5-7 innings or know you have to complete the game even if it goes 12 or more innings.

That is why most early pitchers did not throw the ball as hard as they were capable of very often. They had to save their arms.

+1

Think about pitchers using different approaches as a starter or when they are in the bullpen. If you just have to get 1+ innings pitched, you can let it all hang out, but if you know you need to go 6+ innings you save a little. Well before the bullpens were used as they are today you were expected to go the distance if possible, so you approached the game that way. Now we have more specialization, where its more beneficial for a team to get 6 innings out of a guy and use relievers for the other 3 than have that starter try to hold back and throw 9.

I think another factor is conditioning, alot of players up to the 60's were farm boys and spent time doing farm work and other manual labor and when they got hurt doing it they still went back out did their jobs because their families depended o it. players today do general exercises that only work after certian muscles and etc. and when they get a small boo boo they choose to sit out awhile, but the other big difference as well, is baseball doesnt draft big ol country boys anymore, its all prospects whose paents pay for them to go to academies and spend money on conditiong and supplements, not the kids who learn by hitting rocks with a rake handle. I am not a country boy, but I learned to hit that wa and had 3 year high school average of .527 average 59/112 with 15hrs 57doubles but was ignored cuz I lived in a rural area and was only 5'6"

-1

The notion that its just a lack of conditioning is silly. This is a billion dollar industry and if all you had to do was get in shape and you could make an eight figure salary I would be doing that right now. The "farm boy" conditioning myth doesn't hold water. If bailing hay were better conditioning than weights, throwing programs, and other specialized workout programs you would see teams implementing hay bailing off-season training programs. If that made the difference between guys being able to throw 150-200 pitches every game, every one would be doing that from high school to college to minors to MLB. Every. One.

[Koko B Ware]

who said they probably didn't take any type of PED's back then? Cocaine was legal until 1914 and pot was legal into the 30's...must be why babe ruth ate so many hot dogs before games

[Yoda]

I didn't read through the thread but:
1. Pitchers did not throw max effort every pitch 50 years ago. This is due to the specialization of pitching. The bullpen is deep with pitchers who typically throw 90+
2. There were lots of injuries, probably more so compared to today due to the lack of medicine (i.e. elbow ligament damage prior to TJ). You just don't hear about pitchers who blow out their arm in their mid 20s versus HOFers who are successful for a long time. History is written for those who conquer not defeated.

[swyck]

I didn't read through the thread but:
1. Pitchers did not throw max effort every pitch 50 years ago. This is due to the specialization of pitching. The bullpen is deep with pitchers who typically throw 90+
2. There were lots of injuries, probably more so compared to today due to the lack of medicine (i.e. elbow ligament damage prior to TJ). You just don't hear about pitchers who blow out their arm in their mid 20s versus HOFers who are successful for a long time. History is written for those who conquer not defeated.

Pitchers in the 30s grew up watching the pitchers in the 20s, pitchers in the 60s grew up watching and learning from the pitchers in the 50s. This also goes for training methods and nutrition, which have helped to improve players over the years. Players also don't need factory jobs in the off season to pay the bills, and can dedicate themselves to their craft.

IMO you can't compare players now to players then since player development was very different. Apples and Oranges.

[JTWood]

I think another factor is conditioning, alot of players up to the 60's were farm boys and spent time doing farm work and other manual labor and when they got hurt doing it they still went back out did their jobs because their families depended o it. players today do general exercises that only work after certian muscles and etc. and when they get a small boo boo they choose to sit out awhile, but the other big difference as well, is baseball doesnt draft big ol country boys anymore, its all prospects whose paents pay for them to go to academies and spend money on conditiong and supplements, not the kids who learn by hitting rocks with a rake handle. I am not a country boy, but I learned to hit that wa and had 3 year high school average of .527 average 59/112 with 15hrs 57doubles but was ignored cuz I lived in a rural area and was only 5'6"

Add them up...15 HRs and 57 doubles equals 72 hits.... Despite going 59 for 112...

lol... busted.

[Esen]

Wow, great interesting thread

[Padres Fan]

I think another factor is conditioning, alot of players up to the 60's were farm boys and spent time doing farm work and other manual labor and when they got hurt doing it they still went back out did their jobs because their families depended o it. players today do general exercises that only work after certian muscles and etc. and when they get a small boo boo they choose to sit out awhile, but the other big difference as well, is baseball doesnt draft big ol country boys anymore, its all prospects whose paents pay for them to go to academies and spend money on conditiong and supplements, not the kids who learn by hitting rocks with a rake handle. I am not a country boy, but I learned to hit that wa and had 3 year high school average of .527 average 59/112 with 15hrs 57doubles but was ignored cuz I lived in a rural area and was only 5'6"

Add them up...15 HRs and 57 doubles equals 72 hits.... Despite going 59 for 112...

lol... busted.

lol I meant 12 doubles, thats what I get for goofing around here at work, need to check my work I may have a 12 somewhere.