RHP Paul Young

[War Machine Dawg]

When 1 in 7 MLB pitchers are having to get this procedure done, it's about time to take a look at what's going on. Something is off with the mechanics we teach today to put that much stress on the elbow and shoulder. Guarantee you Chris Stratton won't ever have to have this surgery, look how smooth his delivery is.

Really, chief? It has very little to do with a pitcher's mechanics, as others have pointed out. The simple act of pitching puts more stress on the elbow.

I'd argue the major reason for the increase in the number of TJ surgeries is twofold. First and foremost, I think the early specialization of kids in a sport is wearing out their arms faster. Kids are playing baseball and pitching year-round now from the time they're like 10. It's ridiculous. Until the last 10 years or so, kids played the Big 3 sports as the season dictated. They took a break from stressing their arms and played other sports, allowing the body to heal over the course of several months. But now they're being told you have to "focus" on one sport to be elite at it and parents trying to live vicariously through their kids' athletic achievements are pushing them to play the sport year-round. Throw in a coach who doesn't know what he's doing or rides a kid too hard, and you get what we're seeing with the increase in TJ surgeries.

I'd say the second reason for the increase in TJ surgeries is better medical awareness and diagnosis. In the old days if a pitcher suddenly lost velocity, he'd just "lost it" as far as baseball and medicine were concerned. You couldn't get an MRI and see that he'd torn up his elbow. And even when you could get an MRI, the procedure itself was highly experimental and a monumental risk. Now it's been done so much that the vast majority of guys are coming back better than they were before the TJ surgery. Look at ACL tears as an example. In 1992, Sleepy tearing an ACL was a career ender. Now we see guys tearing ACLs and coming back in 8 months better than before because of how routine the procedure is. Same thing is happening with TJ surgery.

[Todd4State]

Really, chief? It has very little to do with a pitcher's mechanics, as others have pointed out. The simple act of pitching puts more stress on the elbow.

I'd argue the major reason for the increase in the number of TJ surgeries is twofold. First and foremost, I think the early specialization of kids in a sport is wearing out their arms faster. Kids are playing baseball and pitching year-round now from the time they're like 10. It's ridiculous. Until the last 10 years or so, kids played the Big 3 sports as the season dictated. They took a break from stressing their arms and played other sports, allowing the body to heal over the course of several months. But now they're being told you have to "focus" on one sport to be elite at it and parents trying to live vicariously through their kids' athletic achievements are pushing them to play the sport year-round. Throw in a coach who doesn't know what he's doing or rides a kid too hard, and you get what we're seeing with the increase in TJ surgeries.

I'd say the second reason for the increase in TJ surgeries is better medical awareness and diagnosis. In the old days if a pitcher suddenly lost velocity, he'd just "lost it" as far as baseball and medicine were concerned. You couldn't get an MRI and see that he'd torn up his elbow. And even when you could get an MRI, the procedure itself was highly experimental and a monumental risk. Now it's been done so much that the vast majority of guys are coming back better than they were before the TJ surgery. Look at ACL tears as an example. In 1992, Sleepy tearing an ACL was a career ender. Now we see guys tearing ACLs and coming back in 8 months better than before because of how routine the procedure is. Same thing is happening with TJ surgery.

Well said.

[Homedawg]

Can't get two red shirts like that. He gets a redshirt this year bc he didn't play. That's it.

[Todd4State]

You expect a kid to sit out 2 WHOLE years?? He'll be like 25 the next time he plays in a game. We'll be lucky if he ever pitches here

I'm not saying he will have to sit out for two years, but it's possible. The rehab phase lasts between 12-14 months. If he had the surgery done today, then do the math. Especially when you consider how we schedule most of our OOC games early. That's why I said the earlier that he has it done, the better.

More than likely he will sit out this year of course and then be back next year- but I don't expect him to be sharp. See Adam Wainwright in 2012 or Brandon Woodruff right now. But then after that, he should be good. I think he's only 19 or 20 right now, so we're talking 21-22 by the time he is back.

[Todd4State]

Can't get two red shirts like that. He gets a redshirt this year bc he didn't play. That's it.

Ole Miss had a pitcher a couple of years ago that was there for six seasons. He had an injury and then he had also redshirted. As stupid as the NCAA is, I can't see them not giving Young a medical redshirt.

[Homedawg]

Ole Miss had a pitcher a couple of years ago that was there for six seasons. He had an injury and then he had also redshirted. As stupid as the NCAA is, I can't see them not giving Young a medical redshirt.

He can get a sixth year. However you don't apply for that until after his 5th year is over. Not likely he's here and if he is we probably will want his scholarship money to spend elsewhere because that means he wasn't a pro prospect at that point. Also, that means he must be physically unable to pitch the entire year next year due to injury. That's a maybe at this point. Either way, the odds of young being here for a 6th year are less than likely.

[Goat Holder]

Ha, you wish.

Obviously kids are pitching too much. I mean, DUH? All that means is that their arms wear out before the MLB guys, because they are bigger and stronger. It's a fact that most of the guys who have TJ surgery have deliveries that snap their arm more than normal.

Form is everything. I wouldn't expect people like you and Todd4State, who have never played the game on any meaningful level, to know this.