AUTOGRAPHS

Did the Cubs Ruin Kerry Wood and Mark Prior with how many pitches they had them throw at a young age?

I heard that today from someone.
“Never Threw More than a140 pitches”?! one of them threw 140 pitches when they were young int he Majors for the Cubs in a game? As hardand max effort as they were, they let them throw 140 pitches in a game?

A part of that is true, a pitcher should not increase there pitching load more than 30 to 40 innings from one season to another. This was the big issue:

In 2002 Prior threw 116.2 major league innings + 51.0 minor league = 167.2
In 2003 Prior threw 211.1 regular season innings + 23.1 post season innings = 234.2

A difference of 67 innings – look over time of young pitchers coming up that have a difference of that many innings and see how they do the next years. (I.e. Cole Hamels this year, look how he started)

Then in 2004 118 innings
2005 – 166.2
This isn’t as bad as looks because of the injury in 2004, but needless to say when a pitcher increases there innings like that from one season to the next injuries are bound to happen.

In the case of Wood:

Wood is just a power pitcher, and power pitchers arms can go. There was no major innings jump, Wood had multiple operations on his arm it is quite possible. I wouldn’t blame the Cubs for that one though.

Mark Prior pitching for OC Flyers