[baseball1974]

They asked this same question to Dr. Andrews and Nolan Ryan in a round table discussion. Nolan Ryan once threw over 200+ pitches in a game. The next day before the game he was in the outfield throwing. He never had surgery but threw more than anybody. Dr. Andrews attributed it to two things; no rest, and not enough "playing catch." He said nowadays they just get loose and go straight to the mound. The same can be said for any sport really, especially the rest part. When you see football teams out on the field in January or even April and May, you can best bet they aren't getting enough rest. They have young bodies that are still developing, and without rest and a balanced progression with their body, injuries are going to happen more frequently. Coaches think they will get behind if they don't practice as much as everybody else so until that changes nothing can change. Even the language over the past 40 years has changed. No longer are you "practicing to play a sport." You are now "working to get better at a sport." Big difference between "work" and "play."