"Are we blaming McDowell for injuries? Honest question"
I find it too coincidental - perhaps it is organizational pitching philosophy. Training, off day routines etc
But,
9 years into his tenure he should have more than a little input
even stretching to the model of pitcher he wants to coach.
Or, he is nothing more than Fredi's drinking buddy like Art Fowler was to Billy Martin.
My sense is those days are gone
I'm just not sure how he could be even partially responsible for the injuries.
He changed the throwing program left by Leo rather dramatically. Leo'd guys stayed pretty healthy if I recall
At some point, we have to look at Mcdowell for the injuries. They have been quite substantial during his tenure
This makes all the sense in the world, no???
Of course using this line of thinking means several organizations need to fire their Pitching Coaches too.
It's GOT to be Dan Warthen's fault that Matt Harvey and Zach Wheeler blew their elbows out. He was bound to be behind Buddy Carlyle's torn labrum and Rafael Montero's shoulder inflamation. You just KNOW his program caused Bobby Parnell's injury and inability to get his velocity back. Jerry Blevins? No doubt Warthen had a hand in that.
The Rangers ought to run Mike Maddux out of town in a hurry. After all, it's HIS fault Derek Holland's never healthy. Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, Neftali Feliz - Maddux has done his dead-level best to make sure Texas never gets anything out of their Pitchers. Won't be long before he ends Hamels' career. *ell, he's probably the real reason Jurickson Profar's gone from consensus #1 prospect in the game to bust since he's overseeing HIS throwing program, and he's not even a Pitcher.
Blaming the Pitching Coach for injuries is almost as comical as blaming a sitting President for the stock market's ups-and-downs. Or gas prices. Or any of another countless many things for that matter.
Leo had a very unique throwing program and had a nice stable of healthy pitchers for over a decade.
Pretty much every pitcher we've had in the last few years has had a major injury
Also point out there have been turnover at the 3rd Base coaching box, 1B coaching box. 3 different sets of Hitting coaches, manager and bench coach
I'm not advocating firing McD, though I think a thorough house cleaning is warranted, I just wonder how he's gotten a free pass all these years.
End of last season when I first put up the notion of firing the entire coaching staff it was as if I asked Taylor Swift to show her tits
Leo also had a stable of superb athletes on his pitching staff plus Glavine and Maddux weren't power pitchers. Leo's two most notable power pitchers--Avery and Smoltz--ended up having arm problems and Pete Smith also had arm trouble while under Leo's tutelage. Leo was a very good pitching coach, but he didn't walk on water.
Leo also had a stable of superb athletes on his pitching staff plus Glavine and Maddux weren't power pitchers. Leo's two most notable power pitchers--Avery and Smoltz--ended up having arm problems and Pete Smith also had arm trouble while under Leo's tutelage. Leo was a very good pitching coach, but he didn't walk on water.
The Braves had an all-time-bad 20-game span going 1-19 with a run differential of negative-100 in that period. But manager Fredi Gonzalez, who received a one-year extension through 2016 during this season, is said to be in no jeopardy. Things have not been good around the Braves, obviously, but they are committed to Gonzalez
Shoulda fired him for that, no? (Following the "it's the Coach's fault" mantra of course.)
There's no concrete evidence for anyone to point to, but I don't think I'm going out on a limb when I say that there's very little chance today's power pitches could possibly handle Leo's throwing program. They've got way too many miles on their arms at younger ages and the high school and college levels when the Coaches have either no clue what the long-term harm they're doing to them is or they simply don't care.
Many of the Pitchers who excel at the college level are often allowed to throw 130-150 pitches regularly. Their Coaches get paid to win games, not baby Pitchers. I watched Andrew Miller and Carlos Rodon closely when they were at Carolina and State, and the way the were abused bordered on criminal negligence. It ruined Miller - he's no longer capable of being a starter no matter how successful he is out of the pen at this level. He's been extremely lucky that he made it to last offseason so he could score at least one good contract. At one point during the College World Series, he was used on 2 days rest after throwing 140+ pitches. It's just a matter of time for Rodon too.
He changed the throwing program left by Leo rather dramatically. Leo'd guys stayed pretty healthy if I recall
Leo also had a stable of superb athletes on his pitching staff plus Glavine and Maddux weren't power pitchers. Leo's two most notable power pitchers--Avery and Smoltz--ended up having arm problems and Pete Smith also had arm trouble while under Leo's tutelage. Leo was a very good pitching coach, but he didn't walk on water.
Leo had the benefit of having a stable of amazing pitchers.
Maddux had perfect Mechanics, Glavine had good mechanics. Smoltz had arm issues, Millwood had solid mechanics. How many other guys did he have for multiple years? Avery who's arm was wrecked. After those 5, every other pitcher Mazzone had for under 500 innings. Which is basically less than 2 and a half years. Tommy Hanson looked like a healthy starter for 2 and a half years.
Yes, if a pitcher excelled under Leo, he had nothing to do with it. If a pitcher spent time on the DL, it was entirely Leo's fault.
Never said that even a little.
I think pitching coaches have little effect on a pitchers health unless they alter someone's mechanics. The main job of a pitchign coach is essentially to be a psychiatrist and watch for changes in mechanics. And a few other things of course as well.