Does anybody think that mlb teams should change to a 4 men starting rotation?

Question

Most teams have an ace pitcher, two good ones, a decent one and a average one. Does anybody think that teams have a better chance starting an ace every 3 games than starting a mediocre one.

Answer 1

Three days in between starts is not enough rest to protect the pitchers arm. Before the 1970's all, or most, teams used a four man rotation and history has shown that it shortened the career of many pitchers, including Sandy Koufax. Just look at some of these young pitchers, Felix Hernandez, Phil Hughes and many others, who go down every year with arm problems. Years ago every good starting pitcher would throw between 300 and 400 innings per season, and now 200+ innings is the upper limit. Teams today take much better care of their investment in pitching than at any time in the past and it should stay that way.

Answer 2

They should and some do. The Twins will pitch Johan Santana every 5 games, so sometimes we don't use the 5th starter. However everyone these days is worried about pitch count, and wearing their pitchers arms out. Which team, I understand, but at the same time, when people were winning 25-30 games a season, most had 3-4 man rotations and also the majority of them were complete games. I think managers and general managers are too worried about all the money they are spending. I would love to see a lot of teams shorten the rotation, but I just don't see it happening anytime soon.

Answer 3

Actually, studies have shown that it's regular rest, good conditioning, and lower pitch counts above all that protect a pitcher's arm rather than the 4 or sometimes 5 days of rest that today's pitchers get.

Felix Hernandez isn't having injury problems because of wear and tear, it's because he has a bad delivery. Look at Jeremy Bonderman or even Justin Verlander of the Tigers; Bonderman's only 24 and he's already in his 4th season; he's never had any major arm or shoulder trouble, because he has an easy, repeatable delivery, because he doesn't routinely throw 110, 120, 130+ pitch outings, and because the Tigers have an excellent training & conditioning team. The Mariners have one of the worst reputations, backed up by their history, for keeping pitchers healthy.

So to answer your question, yes, many teams would be benefited by at least trying to go back to a 4 or 4+ man rotation rather than a 5-man rotation. Many teams would be benefited by cutting back from 12 (sometimes 13!) pitchers on the roster back to 10 and bringing back the true "long man" or "swing man" role. But it will never happen because nobody in the baseball industry likes trying "new" things (even though the 5-man rotation is a very recent development in baseball's history. The "closer" didn't come into vogue until the late 70's and already 'conventional wisdom' says that a team is doomed without one. Look at the reaction the 2003 Red Sox got by trying to go with smarts and good policy rather than following the herd).

Answer 4

The ace and good pitchers would probably wear their arms out by the end of the season. Also this would probably shorten their careers by a few years. So no I don't think a 4 man rotation is is the way to go.

Answer 5

awwwwwww some of them do, but its up to the manager to decide how much to use his staff. You wouldnt have a ace pitcher in august after his arm fell off because of a 4 man rotation. Also if you watch the playoffs for a 7 game series they go to 3 man rotations.

Answer 6

i might could consider many of the persons in this one. i think of San Diego has the main suitable interior the NL and the Detroit Tigers have the main suitable interior the AL. popular, i think of the Tigers have a greater advantageous rotation. David Wells kinda holds San Diego down. The Tigers have a maximum advantageous SP from a million to 5. I additionally want to throw the Brewers rotation in there. it isn't the main suitable, yet whilst they placed Claudio Vargas or David Bush interior the bullpen, and adjusted that pitcher with Yovani Gallardo and had Chris Capuano back from the DL, i think that 5-guy rotation might contend for the identify. they have good skills, yet a number of their adult men are decrease than-performing, and that they surely might desire to come across a place for Gallardo in that rotation. i might could say the Giants have between the main suitable skill 5-guy rotations. Morris, Lowry, Cain, Lincecum and Zito are all good, and different than for Morris, they're all surprisingly youthful. i might could say they're doing the least with the main skills.

Answer 7

Its a good idea but pitching that much would tear his arm up and he would no longer be your ace.

Answer 8

i totally agree
but they probably wont change that rule because the arms of pitchers will get worn out easily