Tommy John Surgery: A Rising Epidemic?
If you follow professional baseball, I am sure you have observed an alarming rate of pitchers who underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (“Tommy John surgery”) already this year. Miami Marlin’s rising star, Jose Fernandez, became the 18th professional pitcher in 2014 to undergo this surgery, equaling the total number of pitchers to have Tommy John surgery all of last year.1
Why does this trend continue to rise? (more…)
Video Throwing Analysis: The 6th Tool for the Baseball Player
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…)
