Saving the Pitcher

I have to say I found this book griping. It was well written and as odd as this might sound, I found it hard to put down. Will Carroll while not a medical professional is the top writer in the field of baseball injuries, writing both for "Under the Knife" for Baseball Prospectus website and his own blog The Juice. He makes it his business to know and understand baseball injuries and has a style that explains very complicated medical issues to lay people like myself. This book makes a fascinating read, and I would highly recommend it for baseball fans (anyone interested in learning more about the game within the game), parents of young pitchers or anyone involved in the teaching of baseball skills.

This book has the potential to change the face of baseball, if only everyone would take the time to read it. The fact that so many teams still do not understand the basic principles laid forth in this book is downright sad.

While Mr. Carroll is not a doctor nor an athletic trainer - hs has a skill set that is unmatched in modern baseball. He has a network of connections in MLB that makes his online column a must-read, he is a good writer and has a tremendous knowledge of the history of sports medicine. These skills come forth in this book. It's a quick read that is accessible to fans and useful to coaches and players. The chapter on Velocity Loss shows how mindless fans like myself can see when a player is truly fatiguing on the hill.I found this book to be interesting, informative and one of the top baseball books released this year. I would love to see my favorite team apply a lot of things that Will recommends here and even try the 4-man rotation out. A great first book, Mr. Carroll, I look forward to number two.

Mr. Carroll does a marvelous job assembling and disseminating the evolving body of knowledge on this topic in a manner which is accessible and engaging. Contrary to the statements made by another recent reviewer, Mr. Carroll _does_ have a background in sports medicine. He relies up on this, but never loses sight of his audience. This book is invaluable reading for both experts and neophytes alike. Few areas are more misunderstood than the health and training of pitchers, and knowledge of and adherence to the principles espoused by Carroll and his subjects would go a long way toward improving pitchers' health and the overall quality of baseball. If you love baseball, read it.

Anyone who has read Will Carroll's work for Baseball Prospectus or even his weblog has learned more about injuries from him than from every baseball broadcast combined. Unfortunately, he is baseball's only "medhead" so it will take some time to spread the knowledge. Writing a book is the first step."Saving The Pitcher" finally gives us a starting point for discussing injuries. It breaks down every component of the pitching motion--that is, what each body part contributes to the motion and proper technique for doing so. Carroll also informs us of what contributes to injuries, warning signs (velocity loss=shoulder; control loss=elbow) and the right training and exercise programs.While STP is well written, it sometimes reads as a textbook. Although, when you think about it, it really is a textbook of sorts. That isn't to say it's like taking a biology class; Carroll's enthusiasm for baseball shines through to make the book quite enjoyable.I also would have liked it if he went more in-depth on V-Loss. I suppose he wants to gather more data on it first before formally presenting it, perhaps in a book of its own.That quibble aside, STP is a great book. Baseball fans should check it out, and every professional, college, high school, and (most importantly) Little League coach should be mandated to read it before being allowed near a young pitcher. Hopefully this is the first of many more volumes from Will Carroll.