Thursday January
8, 2004
DAY OFF
I have made an executive decision to take a day off from writing. Those who know me and how much I write on a typical day, know that a day off for me does not mean that you get nothing, just a lot less than normal. I apologize to those who were hoping for some really exciting analytical or statistical dissertation today. Please check the Archives today for some articles of interest, and then stop back tomorrow for the return of my full-length writing.
OK, first things first, I have to say “What’s Up?” to Carmen (Carmen, in case you were wondering, is a female who looks strikingly similar to Ms. Carmen Electra). Thank you for a lovely evening and some great conversation. I really enjoyed the conversations we had, especially those about the “liver” and well, the development talk was incredibly interesting as well!!! It was fun! You’re cool! Thank you! Have fun with that Micro Biology stuff! E-mail me.
I do want to note just a couple of things today though, before ending this.
First, be sure to go to the Circle Me Bert website. They are selling “Circle Me Bert” Bobbleheads, but in very limited supply. Proceeds from the sales will be going for Parkinson’s Disease research. Bert Blyleven’s father suffers from Parkinson’s. So, be sure to check out the website and if you are interested in the bobblehead, be sure to order one.
The Twins website posts an article on the success of Michael Restovich down at Carolina in the Puerto Rican Winter League. It talks about how he will be given a chance to contribute this year. Well, at this point, Shannon Stewart, Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones are going to contribute a lot. Michael Cuddyer, Lew Ford and Michael Ryan will also likely make contributions to the Twins throughout the season. So where does Michael Restovich fit in? Well, I’m afraid that he will be fighting with the latter three players for any possible playing time at all. (I still think that the signing of Shannon Stewart will hurt the team, unless this whole outfield situation is figured out. Outfield is an area of strength for the Twins. I would rather they have used their limited resources to keep Eddie Guardado and/or LaTroy Hawkins, or go after a quality starting pitcher.)
And finally, Twins fans will remember reliever Mike Marshall from his two-plus seasons in Minnesota from 1978-1980. In that time, he went 21-30 with 54 saves and a 2.99 ERA. In his 14 year major league career, Marshall played for the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets. He was 97-112, with 188 saves and a 3.14 ERA.
Like Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage and Rollie Fingers, Marshall pitched a lot of innings and a lot of games each season in relief. A good example of that is 1974. That season, he won the National League Cy Young Award. In relief, Marshall pitched in a record 106 games, throwing 208 1/3 innings. He went 15-12, with 21 saves and a 2.42 ERA. Can you imagine a pitcher today doing that?
So, what is the 59 year old doing today? Well, be sure to head over to MLB Center today. “Mike” has an excellent interview with Dr. Mike Marshall. He is now a professor of Exercise Physiology at St. Leo’s University, in St. Leo, FL. He has developed a lot of theories on pitching fundamentals. His interview is very interesting. Here are just a couple of excerpts from the interview (again, click here for the full interview):
Mike: For you, was playing in the major leagues a daily grind or an awesome experience?
Dr. Mike Marshall: I loved every minute that I was on the pitchers mound and hated every other minute until the off-season when I could return to my studies and daughters.
Mike: What are some ways teenagers can do to strengthen their arms?
Dr. Mike Marshall: Until the growth plates in their pitching elbow completely mature, teenagers should not do training program. They should spend their two months per year learning the proper way to apply force to their pitches.
Mike: Would you suggest major league teams use a four-man rotation instead of a five-man? If so, why?
Dr. Mike Marshall: With the 'traditional' pitching motions, even five man pitching rotations cannot survive a major league season. However, if I trained them and they mastered my six basic pitches, then four starting pitchers could easily pitch three times through the lineup every four games.
Mike: What is your opinion of setting pitch counts?
Dr. Mike Marshall: The more important variable is times through the lineup. Unless pitchers command fastball, breaking balls and reverse breaking balls, they should not go three times through the lineup. And, even when they do command these three types of pitches, they should not go more than three times through the lineup.
Mike: There are plenty of pitching theories. What makes yours unique?
Dr. Mike Marshall: I do not copy the pitcher du jour. I understand how to correctly apply Sir Isaac Newton's three laws of motion and, because I complete my gross biomed anatomy with medical students and the generosity of people who donated their corpses for dissection, I understand applied anatomy.
These are just a few of Mr. Marshall’s answers to Mike’s questions. For his six basic pitches, theories and much more, be sure to check out the whole interview at MLB Center. This is one of the most interesting interviews I have ever read, and I think you will enjoy it. His theories are not conventional, which makes it really interesting. He has developed a Pitchers Research/Training Center. To find out more, click here.
That’s it for today. Again, I apologize for the brevity. Please stop back tomorrow. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me. Have a great Thursday, and I’ll have much more for you tomorrow!