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X-Factor: Injuries

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy:

Curt Schilling has an undisclosed injury in his right shoulder, and the pitcher has been squabbling with the Boston Red Sox over whether he should have surgery that could cost him the season or try something less drastic.
I saw this on the television at a bar last night, and I'll admit, a part of me was glad.
1) I don't like Curt Schilling.
2) I don't like the Red Sox.
3) It was long overdue.

I'm not wishing injury upon anyone. I want Schilling on the mound so we can pound the tar out of him and make him cry the way he did during that June game in 2004. By overdue I mean that the nature of pitching- of throwing a ball overhand at 90 mph invites injuries, and the Red Sox didn't have their share last season.

Ronster had a great post a few weeks ago where he blamed the lowering of the mound before the 1969 season for the increase in injuries to pitchers.

I know this is a point I've harped on as the core of success, but I'm going to do it again.
Last season, the Red Sox used only 7 different starters; 5 men started more than 20 games. The 2006 Red Sox used 14 starters; only 3 made 20 starts.

That second set of numbers (14 starters, 3 with 20 GS) lines up exactly with the 2007 Yankees.

There are things you can to try limit injuries (like not hire unqualified trainers who think blown hammies are a good thing), but at some point it comes down to dumb luck. The Sox had a ton of injuries at the end of '06, the Yanks had a ton at the start of '07. Maybe in '08 the shoe will be back on the other foot.

And for our Theo lovers around. Imagine knowing that a guy you're depending on for 150-180 innings is going to miss the whole season, and then not finding a way to get the Santana deal done.
Asleep at the switch?