Athletico Health Resources

With winter in full effect, it is time to shift the focus of training for our throwers toward preparation for the spring. As the demand for increased pitch speed increases, it is important that throwing athletes make the most of the winter to reduce their risk of injury before ramping up their throwing in preseason training. Although most throwing injuries occur in the arm, athletes can minimize injury risk and increase pitch count by focusing on leg strength and core stability in addition to mechanics.

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Henry Chadwick is credited with creating the first baseball statistics in the late 1800’s.¹ To gauge a batter’s success, he formulated the batting average (hits divided by at-bats), and for pitchers, the ERA (earned runs given up per 9 innings pitched). Today, with groups like Fangraphs.com and the Society for American Baseball Research, there are mind boggling ways to analyze and predict the performance of baseball players.

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Some discomfort in the throwing arm is common after a pitching session. After all, consistent overhead throwing is hard on the shoulder and elbow. But what is normal discomfort? What pains should be concerning to baseball/softball athletes? What pains should be examined by a professional? Find out more with the guide below:

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Today’s blog post is written by guest blogger, Ryan Mertz, PT, DPT, CSCS. Ryan is also the Team Physical Therapist for the Chicago Cubs.

Much has remained constant in the game of professional baseball over the last 100 years, such as the distance from the pitching rubber to the plate, but significantly more has changed. Players are bigger, faster and stronger. Spectators know the speed and break of every pitch and that a ballpark hotdog costs an arm and a leg. With the progression of the game through technology, research and physical development standards, much of the lessons learned at the pro level have now trickled down into amateur baseball. (more…)