When you say wait for your pitch and don’t swing until you get your Pitch….
Your basically saying WAIT,DON’T SWING until you get something you like…
Which works provided your not waiting and not swinging when what you like comes!

Plate discipline is not the art of what NOT to swing at it should be taught as the art of knowing WHAT to swing at!

So to say WAIT for your pitch, Don’t Swing till you get what you can hit means an awful lot of strikes are going to go buy you! And it only takes 3 of them with no guarantee that one of them is going to be the pitch you like to hit!

You think they are teaching Discipline but they are really teaching Passive acts (Wait, Don’t Swing UNTIL), When what they should be teaching is situational hitting and count strategy!

What they need to be teaching them is what to DO with 0 Strikes, 1 Strike, 2 Strikes in the count!
Not what NOT TO DO unless it’s a pitch you like to hit!

and Ike actually was swinging at first pitches all the time this year. He just wasn’t coming close to hitting them, since most of them were not close to the zone. So getting a few hits now means his eye/timing are improving, or pitchers decided to throw fat “get ahead” pitches to start the AB. And if that is the case, guess what he won’t be seeing again.

Your right there is more to it for one the type of Pitcher itself.

We all talk about the difference between a Pitcher and a Thrower. Santana didn’t win that Cy Young he has merely because he was a great physical specimen. He is a Pitcher not a thrower and Pitchers can lose a few MPH and still succeed.
Sure he has a good arm but he also has the Head to go with it!

So all of that plus Medicine advances more from year to year these days than it used to advance in decades have probably all contributed to some of the success.

But like you said we really won’t know anything until he makes it through the season and doesn’t have any setbacks.

I didn’t know Wheeler had some mechanical issues. Hope that doesn’t become a problem with durability.

Maine had arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue, similar to the one Santana had in 09′ to remove bone chips.

If I remember correctly, Maine had the tissue removed from around his rotator cuff/shoulder while Santana’s had to do with his elbow. But I don’t think Maine had the type of surgery Santana is coming back from.

The surgery that Santana had, the tear of the capsule, was basically the same one Prior had (and Wang, of course).

All of this is based off my basic memories, so if anyone has more accurate information, please correct me if needed.

Attitude and toughness probably play a major role, but I wonder if there is more to this. For example, there are undoubtedly small anatomical differences between the three guys. Also, the injuries may be extremely similar but not be identical. The surgeon’s technique(s) may not have varied a bit

I hope Young comes back strong too. Yet his pitching style, with his contorted delivery, may not allow him the same success. But if my wishes, and I’m certain yours, play out he too will return to form and help the team.

I noticed you said that there are only three cases you know about. Medical advances attributable to MRI and CAT scans in past few decades now allow very precise diagnoses. So we’re in a new era with better technology and better procedures. Whether there were similar injuries before these advances is something we’ll never know for sure. My money says there probably were. Anyway, here’s to Wang, Santana and Young!!!

P.S.: Wang was reinstated from the disabled list on Tuesday. He gave up one run in three innings of relief to earn the win in his season debut.

Now that these guys are starting to swing the bat maybe we’ll see a few more HRs now.

Wang (he was first)
Santana and Young

Wang struggled coming back from it but I have to wonder if that really has to do with the injury/surgery or more to do with Wang himself…

Cause I have seen nothing about Santana except maybe a loss of 2 or 3 MPH to say it has affected him at all.
Young I guess will break the tie here soon enough.

Santana has gone way beyond my expectations. Over the years I’ve learned most players don’t come back from devastating injuries, so I temper my optimism. Santana is the exception to the rule. Santana rocks!!!

Maybe Dickey can continue the streak on Sunday. Here’s hoping!!!