Rothschild, O'Neal = Signed for 2 More Years

[abuck1220]

“Despite our problems on the field,” Hendry said, “Larry Rothschild is one of the best pitching coaches in major-league baseball — two World Series rings under his belt and the chance that he would have had to be involved in a third one this year if he chose to leave.”

 

this might be hendry's most entertaining stretch yet.

 

hell, let's just go ahead and say he's got three. you know what...let's say that he won with the white sox last year too...and one with the 1957 milwaukee braves.

[Wilson A2000]

For all of the flack Rothschild got over the towel drill, I did it in high school and I thought it was a good training device. You can simulate actually throwign the ball, but using a towel puts lets strain on your arm so you can work on mechanics and the throwing motion while decreasing stress. Those who bash it have never tried it.

[goonys evil twin]

For all of the flack Rothschild got over the towel drill, I did it in high school and I thought it was a good training device. You can simulate actually throwign the ball, but using a towel puts lets strain on your arm so you can work on mechanics and the throwing motion while decreasing stress. Those who bash it have never tried it.

 

Is it really a matter of people giving Rothschild flak for the towel drill, or people just being frustrated that Prior spent more time doing that than anything else? I never got the impression that people were bashing Larry on this issue. I hold Larry accountable for the results, not the towel drill becoming an issue.

[baseball7897]

Bruce at least said that was the front-office view.

 

I do think Rothschild gets blamed for some things that he didn't institute, like the towel drill. It's a USC thing!

 

My point of view is that everyone should have been fired from the top-down. Even Yosh!! (And including the Tribune Company as owner, which I know is impossible) (I would have kept whoever was responsible for the Cardinals cold water shower in April, though). That isn't going to happen.

 

I don't know anymore if medical problems -- Prior and Wood as shorthand examples -- like the medical problems that have plagued the Cubs are even curable anymore. If neither of them were around, would we be having these debates?

 

The problem for me is that I suspect that they were pitched to death in '03. Not everyone agrees. Hence the arguements about when to cut them loose from a business standpoint, from a fan standpoint, from whatever standpoint.

 

I was told the Chicago Cubs teach their pitchers to use the towel drill. Not just at the major league level, but at all levels.

Edited October 18, 2006 by baseball7897

[baseball7897]

For all of the flack Rothschild got over the towel drill, I did it in high school and I thought it was a good training device. You can simulate actually throwign the ball, but using a towel puts lets strain on your arm so you can work on mechanics and the throwing motion while decreasing stress. Those who bash it have never tried it.

 

The towel drill is designed to help the pitcher with adding extension so he is closer to the plate at ball release.

 

There are two things I dont like about the towel drill. One is that a towel is used not a baseball. A towel not only does not feel anything like a baseball but it is held onto after the arm gets to a normal release point. That can only build in a faulty release point feeling. If you do not hold onto the ball after the release point you should never practice that. Secondly, the only way to get more extension toward the plate is to lengthen your stride toward the plate. The towel drill also promotes trunk flexion before trunk rotation because the pitcher is focusing only on extending his body out toward landing. This is a velocity killer.

 

I have experienced some shoulder discomfort using the towel drill in the past. If you dont do the drill correctly, you're putting alot of stress on your rotator cuff/elbow.

[cubfan1955]

My biggest problem with Larry is not the injuries but the high walk totals and the high pitch counts in relative few innings. A lot of time we'll see our pitchers at 90 pitches in 5 innings or less. While I'm sure he isn't instructing the pitchers to walk batters it seems all of our pitchers do try to nibble at the corners going for the almighty strikout which leads to the walks and high pitch counts (and high homerun totals after falling behind hitters). I'm willing (because I have no other choice) to wipe the slate clean and see if it's better with Piniella running the show.

[Laura]

I was told the Chicago Cubs teach their pitchers to use the towel drill. Not just at the major league level, but at all levels.

 

Maybe I was incorrect ... I have friends who like to think that Rothschild invented and implemented it in an insidious plot to prevent Cubs pitchers from ever pitching again.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I was told the Chicago Cubs teach their pitchers to use the towel drill. Not just at the major league level, but at all levels.

 

Where did you hear that?

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

I agree with everything that Bruce Miles said. I could be wrong on this, but if you were to poll some of the top baseball people, and ask them, who are the top pitching coaches in the game...I gues is that he is highly respected. Remember that Leyland wanted him in Detroit but Rothschild decided to stay with the Cubs (stupid move!). Also, it was Baker calling on shots, not Rothschild. Piniella is certainly high on him and I am too.

[goonys evil twin]

I agree with everything that Bruce Miles said. I could be wrong on this, but if you were to poll some of the top baseball people, and ask them, who are the top pitching coaches in the game...I gues is that he is highly respected. Remember that Leyland wanted him in Detroit but Rothschild decided to stay with the Cubs (stupid move!). Also, it was Baker calling on shots, not Rothschild. Piniella is certainly high on him and I am too.

 

I don't doubt that baseball people respect Larry. In fact, I know they do, since they've said so over and over. My problems is there is no evidence to support it, at least not with the Cubs. I want proof, not opinion. Larry's pitchers have stunk under Larry.

[Bruce Miles]

I agree with everything that Bruce Miles said. I could be wrong on this, but if you were to poll some of the top baseball people, and ask them, who are the top pitching coaches in the game...I gues is that he is highly respected. Remember that Leyland wanted him in Detroit but Rothschild decided to stay with the Cubs (stupid move!). Also, it was Baker calling on shots, not Rothschild. Piniella is certainly high on him and I am too.

 

I don't doubt that baseball people respect Larry. In fact, I know they do, since they've said so over and over. My problems is there is no evidence to support it, at least not with the Cubs. I want proof, not opinion. Larry's pitchers have stunk under Larry.

 

Some have stunk . Some haven't. This year, some of Leo's pitchers stunk under Leo in Baltimore. This is the same pitching coach who was a genius in Atlanta. If you have good pitchers, most of the time they do well. Bad pitchers will do poorly most of the time. A pitching coach can lift some pitchers from bad to mediocre or even good. Once again, if the Cubs had fired Larry, I could see it. Is he a bad pitching coach per se? No.

[CuseCubFan69]

The Cubs fired one trainer after 2003, another and an assistant after '04. Why the rush to fire Mark O'Neal, who does a pretty good job?

 

I don't know if he's done a good job or not, but I'm not interested in O'Neal's head on a platter, for the very reason that Bruce points out in the first sentence. This is the 3rd guy in 4 years. I don't think you solve health issues by constantly turning over the training staff.

 

Besides, I blame Dusty's abuse for the health problems much more than a trainer that came on after these guys were hurt.

 

I think it might be more of Baker not backing O'Neil. Dusty let the players do what they wanted and my best guess is if the players didn't want to listen to O'Neil, they didn't have too.

[CuseCubFan69]

I was told the Chicago Cubs teach their pitchers to use the towel drill. Not just at the major league level, but at all levels.

 

Maybe I was incorrect ... I have friends who like to think that Rothschild invented and implemented it in an insidious plot to prevent Cubs pitchers from ever pitching again.

 

I thought Tom House was the guy who first used it?