HOW DID THE PITCH COUNT BECOME SUCH AN ISSUE?

I have been a broadcaster for the Minnesota Twins Baseball Team now for 20 seasons and have seen the pitch count for starting pitchers become such a factor that teams have to carry 12 to 14 pitchers on their roster to get through the long 162-game baseball schedule.  

My pitching career spanned from 1970 to 1992 and the only thing I witnessed was going from a 4-man starting staff to a 5-man staff, which started in the late 70’s, and the addition of the designated hitter rule in the American League.  In the early 70’s, with a 4-man staff, clubs would carry between 9 and 10 pitchers on their 25-man roster.  Think about this!  Managers had 6 or 7 extra players on his bench to make necessary moves throughout a game.  In todays’ game a manager has 3 or 4 extra players on his bench.

Beginning the 1973 season the American League adopted the designated hitter rule.  This was put into play because the League wanted more offense and also allowed the starting pitcher to go deeper into the game as they didn’t need to come to bat throughout the game, which I loved!  Quality starters were averaging 270 to 300+ innings a season.  There was no pitch count then!  Usually the opposing hitters let you know when your day was done, not a pitch count!

I do believe athletes today are bigger and stronger and in NO WAY am I downgrading todays starting pitchers in this article.

Starters today are now conditioned to accept the fact that the 100-pitch count has made most of them 6 or 7 inning pitchers.  Should a starter accept this and/or are there ways to get back to complete games?  I believe there is a way.

I always believed that the first (3) innings were the most important innings for a pitcher to be able to go deeper into the game.  First you have to establish your fastball and show the home plate umpire that you could hit your spots, meaning hitting your catcher’s glove wherever he sat up behind the plate.  You have to attack early in the game because your fastball should be at its highest velocity.  Your breaking ball and changeup usually are your secondary pitches and you need to get ahead in the count to make them more effective.  As I mentioned above we didn’t have pitch counts but I would imagine I wanted to end 3 innings by using between 30 - 40 pitches.  

If a pitcher can control his first 3 innings with a low pitch count there is a good chance he can pitch deeper into the game and keep the relievers in the bullpen! 
    

I personally have watched too many pitchers run out of gas in the 5^th and 6^th innings.  Why?  Too many pitches in a short amount of time or is it because they cannot find their 2^nd or 3^rd wind?  You throw a baseball with your arm but it’s your leg strength that controls how long you last in a game!  I always felt that my arm never got tired as long as my legs didn’t get tired.  Running distance was my conditioning for my legs.  If I had a bad outing I would run more between starts to make sure my legs didn’t get tired.  Believe me I ran a lot over my career!   Riding a stationary bike never helped me.  I started and finished in the same place!  Go outside and run!  That is the best way to build up leg strength and endurance for the needed 2^nd or 3^rd wind throughout a game!

 I also believe it has become more of a mental game for starters then a physical game.  Whoever came up with the 100-pitch count was probably someone who never pitched.  I only wish, whoever they are, would have said 120 pitches.  Why?

Let’s say a starter has pitched 5 innings and has thrown between 80 and 85 pitches.  I guarantee you that he looks up at the scoreboard, after the inning, and sees his pitch count in the low 80’s.  Don’t you think he images that he has only one more inning left?  He may have retired the last 6 batters in order but the thought of his pitch count overtakes his thought of going deeper into the game.  If the pitch count was at 120 he wouldn’t even look to see where his pitch count was!

I know that clubs and pitching coaches protect starter arms with the 100-pitch count.  There is so much money invested in starting pitching today and they are looking for all 5 starters to pitch at least 200 innings throughout the season.  Baseball has also protected pitchers by saying that a “Quality Start” is when a starter pitches 6 innings or more and gives up 3 earned runs or less.  Let’s see; 6 innings and 3 earned runs is a 4.50 era!  Calvin Griffith is rolling over in his grave!   To me, a “Quality Start” is 7 innings and 2 earned runs or less.

Guess the part that upsets me the most is that pitchers have accepted the current pitch count.  Very seldom do we read of a starter upset about coming out of a game.  All I hear is that “I did my job”!  Going to work from 8 to 2 is a great job, isn’t it?  I want the guy that wants to go to work from 8 to 5.

    

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WHY HAVE THERE BEEN SO MANY TOMMY JOHN SURGERIES?

Why in this generation of baseball pitchers are there so many Tommy John surgeries?     

I am writing this about my individual feelings of what I have personally seen over the years and why I believe pitchers have had elbow problems that eventually lead to the Tommy John surgery.

more info: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/08/27/GR2010082705582.html

I fell in love with the game of baseball at about the age of ten.  I was always throwing the ball to my dad, my family members and friends or just against a block wall.  There was never a pitch count in Little League or high school at the time of my growing up.  Actually some think I have never grown up!  

image: www.statsdad.com

I believed that the more I threw a baseball the stronger my arm would become.  It wasn’t until high school that I learned that throwing was not enough to become a consistent pitcher.  Conditioning my body, especially my foundation, which where my legs, is what eventually got me to the Major Leagues at the age of 19.

I learned over the years that you have to have a good foundation and most importantly you have to rely on the elasticity in your arm to be consistent.  Elasticity means your arm has to be elastic, flexible and resilient to throw a baseball.  Heavy weights, I believe in time, constricts that elasticity!  Your elbow ligaments are like a rubber band.  Heavy weights contract those ligaments and to throw a baseball is the complete opposite.  I believe that is why the rubber band is breaking on so many pitchers today. 

This isn’t the only reason that there are so many Tommy John surgeries.  Also poor pitching deliveries and stress cause ligaments to fail.  I will discuss those issues at another time. 

image: http://munfitnessblog.com/review-of-true-fitness-at-taipan-1/

What was my conditioning?  Simple: distance running and lifting light weights for my shoulders and arms!  The distance running for me was running cross country in high school and carrying that running into my pitching career.  Distance running built leg strength and especially builds endurance.  I was never a believer of riding a stationary bike.  Get outside and hit the pavement!  The light weights where between 5 to 8 pounds and doing different exercises, in reps of 10 to 20, to strengthen mainly my shoulder area.

The late Dr. Jobe, who performed the first Tommy John surgery, of course on left-handed pitcher Tommy John, came out with a post-surgery weight training manual that I followed throughout my career. 

Baseball stadiums back in the 1970’s and earlier didn’t have weight rooms like they have today.  Usually back then there were only weighted dumbbells, not me, in the trainer’s room that everyone, who wanted to, could use.  Now each stadium has a weight room that looks like Gold’s Gym.

I am not saying not to lift weights if you are a pitcher or want to become a pitcher.  I am saying control your weight limit and rely on strengthening your arm with more reps with lighter weights. 

Good luck and stay healthy,

Bert Blyleven

Let's Play Ball!

First of all let’s put the 2011 Twins baseball season behind us.  In baseball terms, last season was last season.  This is a whole new season!

Baseball should be a game of positives.  Grown men playing a kid's game doesn’t always mean things go the same way throughout a 162-game schedule, but you get a fresh start the next season.

On Friday, April 6, at 3:05 est., the Minnesota Twins will take on the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore.  Plus it’s my BIRTHDAY!  How great is that!!!!!

The starting pitcher for the Twins will be Carl Pavano, who is making his 3rd career Opening Day start, against the Orioles' Jake Arrieta, who will be making his 1st career Opening Day start.

You cannot imagine the excitement and the adrenaline that the players will have on Opening Day.  It’s like getting ready for your first day of high school or college, or your first real date, or driving a vehicle for the first time.  No matter how many Opening Days a player or coaching staff has been involved in, every Opening Day is exciting and special.  It’s also a very nervous day, because both teams want to start on the right track to a good year with a win!

For the Twins there will be 13 of the 25-man roster making their first Opening Day appearance in a Twins uniform.  They are:

position players
Sean Burroughs, Jamey Carroll, Ryan Doumit, Luke Hughes, Chris Parmelee, Trevor Plouffe, Ben Revere, Josh Willingham

pitchers
Jared Burton, Jeff Gray, Liam Hendriks, Matt Maloney and Anthony Swarzak. 

The Twins are starting with two of their key starting pitchers not on their Opening Day roster.  Scott Baker is on the 15-day disabled list with a tender right elbow, and Jason Marquis was optioned to the minors so he could get some innings in before he rejoins the big club.  He missed time in spring training to be with his daughter, who was in a serious accident.  Our prayers go out to his daughter for a speedy recovery. 

Keys to the Twins getting back into post-season are easy for me predict.  The everyday players and their pitchers need to stay healthy the entire season.  I believe that there are so many players on this roster that are on a mission.  Some are with the Twins for the first time and they want to fit in by producing on an every day basis, and some are coming off an injury-plagued season and want to proove to themselves that they can stay healthy and become All-Star players again, or for the first time.

Thank you for reading my blog and please follow me throughout the season on future blogs and on my twitter account @circlemebertHOF.

2012 TWINS CARAVAN AND TWINSFEST

I had a great time during the Twins caravan last week. It started for me on Tuesday, January 24 and ran through Thursday. Throughout the 3 days I had a chance to spend time with Cory Provus, Twins new play-by-play radio announcer, Danny Valencia, Drew Butera, Denard Span, Rene Tosoni, Tony Oliva and TC the Bear.



We had school and radio station visits and evening stops in Owatonna, Mankato and Little Falls. We met so many great Twins fans throughout the caravan. Thank you to everyone that showed their support for the Twins team and staff.

photo:bringmethenews.com

Friday through Sunday was TwinsFest at the Metrodome. It was reported that over 30,000 fans came to this year’s fundraiser for the Twins Community Fund. I had the opportunity to sign for the fans and when I wasn’t signing at Corner 5, I went to our “Circle Me Bert” booth located at field level.Thank you to all the fans who purchased some our “Circle Me Bert” apparel. Part of the proceeds raised is going to Parkinson’s and the Wounded Warriors Project.

Spring Training is just a few weeks away for the Twins. First the pitchers and catchers report and then about 4 days later the everyday players report. This will be a very interesting spring as 66 players are reporting to camp.To me the most important thing to watch is how much the team works on their defense. The 2011 season was very frustrating for the team and what we saw was not typical Twins baseball. For a winning season they need to pitch better all around and play better defense.



One more thing that’s very important is the everyday players need to play in spring training. Too many injuries last spring put the team at a disadvantage for Opening Day and that can’t happen this spring.



Thank you for reading this column. Have a great day and Go Twins.



Bert Blyleven

TWINS RETIRE #28 ON BERT BLYLEVEN DAY

It all started on January 5 of this year, when I got the call from Jack O’Connell, President of the Baseball Writers Association of America, informing me that I had been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Since that phone call it has been a roller coaster ride for my wife Gayle and me. How can I describe the excitement that Gayle and I just went through over the past 2 weeks? It will be difficult but I will give it my best.



On Saturday, July 16, the Minnesota Twins organization honored me with the retirement of my uniform #28. My number is only the 6th number retired by the Twins, along with baseball great Jackie Robinson’s #42.

It is my honor to join Harmon Killebrew #3, Rod Carew #29, Kirby Puckett #34, Tony Oliva #6 and Kent Hrbek #14. I only wished that Harmon and Kirby were able to be there for my ceremony.



The Twins organization did a great job and I want to thank everyone involved, especially Andy Price, Senior Director, Broadcasting and Game Presentation, and Patrick Klinger, Vice President of Marketing, for their help. Even my wife Gayle was involved in a surprise that the Twins presented me that day.



The Twins first had Hrbek, Oliva, Carew and myself walk (or for me, try to run) from left center field into the infield where the ceremony took place. Gayle and most of our children and 2 of our 6 grandchildren were already there waiting.



Dick Bremer and John Gordon did the announcing for the ceremony and did a great job.

First the Twins invited some diplomats from Zeist, Holland, where I was born, and a gentleman from the Dutch Embassy, in Washington, DC, who presented me with some nice gifts: a few framed letters, a photo from Zeist and some Dutch wooden shoes. Of course, I removed my own shoes and wore them the rest of the ceremony.



After that, with the help of Rod, Tony and Kent, the Twins presented me with 3 framed Twins jerseys that were worn during my time with the organization. Dave St. Peter, President of the Twins, then presented me with a new set of Callaway golf clubs that were brought onto the field from the Twins dugout by former Twins manager Tom Kelly.



Jim Pohlad, Chief Executive Officer, then presented Gayle with a beautiful charm bracelet - and presented us with a check for $10,000 from the Twins Community Fund, to contribute to the fight against Parkinson’s, the disease that took my pop’s life in 2004.

And what a surprise when the current Twins players all came out on the field and presented me with a “Circle Me” number 28 that all the players, coaches and manager had signed. WOW! All the gifts are priceless.

After I had a chance to thank the Twins for retiring my number, and for all the gifts, I had the honor of throwing out the first pitch. George Mitterwald, my first Major League catcher in 1970, flew all the way from Florida with his wife Susan, and was at home plate to catch the pitch. Just to let you know : I made it all the way in the air to George.



What a great day - and again, thank you to the Twins organization for retiring my number #28!

Please check out our NEW updated website at www.bertblyleven.com or our other site at www.circlemebert.com. Through these sites we are raising funds for Parkinson’s and other charitable organizations.

Thank you and you are all “Hereby Circled”

Bert Blyleven,
HOF 2011

P.S. Check out our journey to Cooperstown in my next blog