Does anyone know why pitchers don't go the distance as much as they used to?

Question

When I say used to,I mean from the late 1970's and before.

Answer 1

Specialization. With bullpens the way they are now, a fresh bullpen pitcher is way better than a good starter who is tired.

In the old days, money wasn't spent on bullpens and there weren't that many good pitchers. Nobody in college specialized in relieving or closing, they were all starters. So bullpens were stocked with mediocre pitchers who came in if starters were hurt or the game was out of control (or, in the National League, he was pinch hit for). The starting pitcher was always the best available pitcher, so they let them keep pitching if at all possible.

Answer 2

Pitch counts, pitch counts and more pitch counts.

It's ridiculous the way pitch counts are now the determining factor in how long a pitcher stays in the game. Especially since there are some days when a pitcher can go longer than he can on other days (for some unknown reason).

And managers are OBSESSED with getting lefty/righty matchups they want in the late innings...so they'll make 3 or 4 pitching changes in a couple of innings just to get the 'matchups' they want... even with all that, the combined W/L percentage of the major leagues is still .500, just as it always has been.

Baseball was more fun to watch when the games could be played in 2 hours and 20 minutes...now, thanks in large part to the ridiculous number of pitching changes, they can't get a game in in under 3 hours...

It used to be that the opposing hitters would let a pitcher (and manager) know when that pitcher had had enough for the day... now, regardless of the situation, it's all pitch counts.

Someone who earlier said "specialization" hit it right on the head. But having everyone be a specialist doesn't necessarily equate to a more exciting game for fans to watch...

Answer 3

With the advent of all the specialists, (L vs L, R vs R) etc, there has been an epidemic of pitching changes. One thing that has happened however is that you don't get a lot of "tired arms" among the starting pitchers that you used to get back in days gone by. Just think about how many guys who threw 300-400 innings in the early part of the 20th century. Many of them had years where they developed what were then termed tired arms, when in fact some of them had torn or partially torn rotator cuffs etc, that were not able to be diagnosed at the time. Now, with guys only pitching 6 or 7 innings, arms last longer, and you get guys relievers in the 8th and 9th innings throwing 90+, where a pitcher in his 140th+ toss can't have that velocity.

Answer 4

RADAR GUNS!! - Pitchers no longer pitch, they throw. The art of changing speeds and moving the ball around is being lost..It hasn't helped that pitchers can't throw inside anymore..Or that for a long time the strike zone was the size of a postage stamp..

It would help if baseball would raise the mound back to where it was before 1969...Move the fences back to a more reasonable distance..It takes its toll on pitchers when a 5'9" right handed hitting shortstop takes a pitch on the outside corner and hits it out in right center..

Answer 5

1. Specialty/relief pitchers
2. Pitch count
3. Fear of injuries
Many pitchers COULDN'T go the distance any more. Managers have it designed for them to go six or seven innings, bring in the set up, ninth belongs to the relief artist.
What I find sux is the amount of combined no hitters surfacing in the last ten years. Why can't they just let the pitcher go for it?
Some pitchers are not trained properly or taught to throw certain pitches that take their toll on the arm if thrown too many times. Mark Prior, Kerry wood and AJ Burkett make that point clear.

Answer 6

It's just the way the game is now managed and has evolved. Pitch counts play a huge part. You'll see guys complete the few games they do usually because their pitch counts are low by the 9th inning.

I much prefer the Bob Gibson tough it out and finish it but even if a pitcher wanted to, the manager has the final say and it's all about the pen these days.

Answer 7

Because it doesn't make sense to do so. The more a pitcher goes the greater risk of injury or simply wearing out before the season is over.

Also, there are more teams with fewer quality pitchers, so teams don't want to risk the top 1 or 2 pitchers, they'd rather bring in fresh middle relievers and closers...

Answer 8

Because today managers know that is unhealthy for their pitchers and there are plenty of excellent closers and relief pitchers in this era.

Answer 9

The coaches dont let them, so they never get used to it. In the old days even in Nolan Ryans time 9 innnig games were common, now you have to be pitching inceredibly well for the coach to let you keep going, and even then they usually don't

Answer 10

Because relief pitchers have become so specialized