Since pitchers also used steroids, Why have pitchers stats declined over the last 25 years?

Question

I am talking about stats like IP, K's, SO's. Seems like there are more injuries too. I thought roids were supposed to make you recover faster but the pitchers of today sure dont have the stamina of pitchers before 1980.

I dont know what expansion has to do with how many innings a pitcher can throw.

4 man rotations used to be the norm. Now its always 5.

Were getting off track. The sprit of the question is if batters stats benifitted so much from steroids why not pitchers? I get the expansion thing but why are the pitchers that could have made rosters before expansion not going longer in games or striking out more batters. Do the steroids not also help them as much as the batters?

Answer 1

Smaller ballparks. It's harder to record an out. There are more likely to be homeruns and foul balls that used to be outs. Pitchers have to play longer, which takes a toll on them. Just a theory.

Answer 2

Expansion, expansion, expansion. Oh yeah, and expansion.

Clarification: This effects pitch counts and the number of pitchers in a rotation. Each team only has 2, or at the most 3, quality starters who can get through 7 innings. Specialization takes care of the last 2-3 innings. If there were fewer teams, each would probably have 4-5 good starters.

I don't think pitchers gain as much of an advantage from steroids. Their fastball might gain a littlle speed, but I can't see how steroids would make a curve break any harder. I'd take a pitcher with good mechanics over one who is just strong any day. Like Greg Maddux, or Jamie Moyer. I should have consulted my Dad before answering this question because I'm sure he would have reminded me about how small ballparks have become in the last 25 years. I'd say that' probably right up there with expansion for the reason why pitching seems to be suffering lately.

Answer 3

Expansion is mostly as red herring.
Umpiring has much more to do with this decline of pitching than any other element. There has been an emphasis on offense, and a major part of that has been the called strike zone. In particular, look at what is a called strike to a "star" as opposed to the strike zone called to a journeyman or rookie player. You can even hear it referenced by the announcers in that the journeyman or rookie hasn't "earned" that call yet. This shrinking of the strike zone makes it harder for pitchers to find the zone, especially with breaking pitches and forces them to throw more fastballs.

Countering the steroids claim is the nonstop year that players are facing now. As soon as the season is done, its off to winter ball which lasts until Spring training, and then it's back to the season long grind. This year round training and playing has worked its way down to the high school level, so there is no time for a full recovery; just get healed enough to get back out there and get back to work. In the long term this will more than counter any gain from steroids.

Answer 4

Not only over the last 25 years.

Those stats have been declining since the 19th century (save the occassional Nolan Ryan-type freak)

I remember reading articles from the 1920's lamenting how modern pitchers were babied because they only pitched every third day, and back in the day, two or three pitchers were enough for a complete season.

Baseball has been slowly evolving to the point where we now have lefty specialists in relief.

Besides older pitchers didnt have the slider and other ones that strain the elbow and lead to more injuries.

Big salaries are another factor because team owners and managers are more reluctant to risk a pricey player to an injury, unless your name is Dusty B.

Besides, what is really dangerous to a pitcher, is the number of pitches you make AFTER the arm/elbow is tired, because it's then more susceptible to injury. That's why it makes sense to have a rested reliever ready. How many Mark Fidrych's flamed out early when modern day surgery could have helped them have a decent career?

Answer 5

well i don't think that steriods can really give a pitcher much of an advantage at all. Steriods help the hitters out a lot more. For the Innings pitched i think because today we are so worried about pitch count. Look at Dice-k in japan in one game he through 250 pitches. In the united states that is un-heard of. I coached and played little league over the span of from 1997 to 2005 the amount of innings in a week the pitcher could pitch went from 9 to 5 in order to protect their arms. I think the strikeouts go along with that, the less game time expirence the less strikeouts. Also my last thought on the Innings pitched is that today so much money is tied into these players that the owners don't want to blow their money in the late innings of a game if they don't have too. They are protecting their investments.

Answer 6

If you believe what the players that took steroids or hgh are saying, they only took these things to heal faster after injuries. You don't see many bulky pitchers. Some of the best pitchers were little guys. Pitching is all about technique.

With that in mind, the fact that pitchers now pitch in 5 man rotations and are used less innings means that they have less opportunity.

Answer 7

Expansion has had less of an effect than most think, though it has had a small, real effect. If it had been only two teams and not four it wouldn't even be noticeable by now.

Ballparks have much favored hitters, especially the tsunami that was Coors Field (pre-humidor, though the effect has been mitigated, not eliminated). Petco is the primary exception, heavily favoring pitchers.

Answer 8

Because steroids do more recovery for pitcher than anything else. It really doesn't give them an advantage over hitters.

Answer 9

Pitchers "benefited" with increased velocity, but the increase in velocity was accompanied by a decrease in movement. The loss of movement made the ball easier to hit and the increase in velocity led to an increase in power numbers.

Answer 10

1.) Juiced ball
2.) Steroids
3.) pitch counts
4.) Dubyah