Yesterday, after throwing his first bullpen session of the spring, Mariano Rivera, a timeless fixture in the Yankees bullpen, discussed a topic which he rarely needs to address—his own fragility. The 40-year old Rivera underwent surgery prior to the 2009 season in order to remove a bothersome calcification from his right shoulder. When asked about the shoulder last spring, Rivera would flash a smile to reporters and and say that he was alright. However, after firing 21 fastballs yesterday, Rivera and his manager, Joe Girardi, finally admitted that, as a result of the calcification procedure, the greatest closer of all time did struggle to develop his arm strength well into the regular season.
“It was hard, but it wasn’t impossible,” Rivera noted when asked about the surgery’s strength-sucking affect on him last year. “I took the challenge and it worked,” he said, adding that his rehab was done during the regular season as opposed to Spring Training. Girardi furthered Rivera’s story, saying that it took “a good six weeks to two months” before Rivera’s arm strength had fully returned. “I know he’s a lot further along than he was at this time last year,” Girardi stated. “At times he couldn’t extend [his arm] early on in camp. He had none of those issues [Monday].”
This news, of course, should please Yankee fans, mainly because it helps to lessen the concern some might have regarding the velocity issues Rivera experienced a year ago. In 2009, after Rivera’s four-seam fastball and cutter had averaged 93.1 mph and 92.8 mph in 2008, the average velocity of his four-seamer dipped to 91.8 mph and the average velocity of his cutter fell to 91.3 mph (the lowest velocities on record for Rivera). When one considers Rivera’s age, the loss in velocity is significant, and could indicate a continued loss of velocity going forward. A lack of arm strength certainly gives a reason for the velocity decrease though (in part, age could still be a relevant factor), and when you look at a month-to-month view of his average velocity, Rivera’s fastball saw an uptick in speed in September and October (the cutter did not). Even if the lack of velocity is real, Rivera locates well and generates great movement to get outs. Still, we can be optimistic about his pitch velocity going forward as he is a full year removed from shoulder surgery and he will likely have better arm strength for the entire season, whereas that was not the case for 2009.
Photo by the AP
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12 Responses to Mo's lack of arm strength in 2009
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TIQ IQ
I think this won’t be an issue until he either loses movement on his cutter or starts throwing in the mid-80′s. At that point, he’ll have to either develop a change or be done. Thing is, I wouldn’t count on that happening in the next few years
Due to the shoulder injury, it’s hard to necessarily find a trend. It’s worth looking at closely, particularly as his contract is up this year. I wonder at what point the loss of velocity would catch up with him, even if he’s still gaining the same degree of movement and location. It seems like things still work at 91 but what happens if it’s at 89?
Location>Movement>Velocity
Greg Maddux pitched forever due to his great command but he had nothing on Mo in the fastball movement department.
Rivera’s cutter last season moved horizontally about the same amount as Joba’s slider for a little bit of reference
Agreed on the order of importance. I was merely thinking aloud. I’m not sure Greg Maddux is a very pertinent example. He threw many different pitches, and, for what it’s worth, as he got older his H/9 went up and his K/9 declined. The walks were pretty consistent, but velocity does matter, especially if you’re only throwing one pitch. If someone were keen to do the research I suppose they could find instances in which pitchers had one pitch with the same peripherals and movement, but a decline in velocity. What were the effects?
The movement on the cutter is late-action, so if he’s (just throwing arbitrary numbers) pitching at 87, there’s more reaction time before the movement can even fully take place. That would likely lead to better contact rates.
Very true. Mo actually had the highest contact rate of any American League reliever on pitches swung at outside of the zone (over 70%). That’s got to be velocity related.
Yup. I meant to say “hard contact” rates, but all of that is true. If they can turn on a pitch before it breaks at 87 mph, it’s going far.
If and as he loses velocity his command and cut will keep him effective, tho maybe will impair his unhittability, and God=like status.
I would expect his velocity to be back to 93 again this season.
JMK – “The movement on the cutter is late-action, so if he’s (just throwing arbitrary numbers) pitching at 87, there’s more reaction time before the movement can even fully take place. That would likely lead to better contact rates.”
Even if the ball gets there at 80 (which I doubt< I think Lefty maybe righty), the cut is what's late to the plate, not the swing or the pitch, so much. Now that may decline with age, but if it doesn't, the batter will just get a chance to guess where the ball will be, he still can't see it.
Although, JMK, now that I’m thinking, when the other pitch gets that slow, so that he’s confined to one pitch, he, too, will fall. Unless he comes up with a second miracle! But, I agree with Lefty: he doesn’t have to age fast from all that clean living.
Hmmm.if he could repeat last years lack of arm strength ,i’ll take at least 3 more years of it.. he was great….hitters looked back at him in amazement. boy are we going to miss this yankee
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