Torre Did Not Overuse Proctor

Marshall, Lyle, Tekulve and Many of Today's Pitchers Pitched More

Aug 24, 2007

Joe has been criticized for the demise of Scott Proctor, who had been an effective Yankees' relief pitcher during the first half of 2006 but not the second half.

Joe Torre has been criticized for the demise of Scott Proctor, who had been an effective Yankees’ relief pitcher during the first half of 2006. Proctor was much less effective the second half of the season, and was recently traded to Los Angeles. The experts (exactly who ARE the experts and how does one BECOME an expert?) concluded that JoeTorre used Proctor too much, which is wrong. Proctor appeared in 83 games in 2006, pitching 102 2/3 innings. In today’s game, that is high, but four National Leagues pitchers had more appearances than Proctor, and a number of pitchers were in at least 70 games in 2006.

Many pitchers have made more appearances than Scott Proctor did in 2006, both in the not too distant pass as well as fairly recently. In 1974, Mike Marshall made 106 relief appearances for the Los Angeles National League team. He worked 208 1/3 innings, faced 857 batters, won 15 games, appeared in relief in 13 consecutive games, and received the National League Cy Young Award. He was the first pitcher to finish every game of a World Series.

Sparky Lyle Really Pitched in the Playoffs

In 1977, Sparky Lyle won the Cy Young Award. He appeared in 72 games, pitched 137 innings, won 13 games, and had a 2.17 ERA compared to the league’s 3.95 ERA, but it was in the playoffs that Lyle really pitched. He pitched 1 /3 of an inning in Game 1 and then pitched 2 1/3 innings in Game 3, 5 1/3 innings in Game 4, and 1 1/3 innings in Game 5. There were no off days.

Kent Tekulve made at least 90 relief appearances in three seasons as did Mike Marshall. More recently, Salomon Torres appeared in 94 games in 2006, while since the turn of the century, Steve Kline (89), Paul Quantrill (89, 86, 86), Scott Eyre (86), Ray King (86), Oscar Villarreal (86), Matt Kapps (85), and Jon Rauch (85) have all made at least 85 relief appearances. While none would be confused with Mariano Rivera, they have had decent careers. The fact that they make so many appearances is a positive when they become free agents or are offered as trade bait.

Hitters Became Familar With Proctor

Joe Torre did not cause Scott Proctor’s problems. Proctor, who is a hard thrower, has had a checkered pitching record. He has appeared in 202 games, pitched 240 2/3 innings, allowed 227 hits, and has allowed 98 walks while striking out 191. Not bad, but nothing outstanding. As the season wore on, Proctor faced hitters he had faced before. It is certainly possible that they became familiar with him, and that might have decreased his effectiveness.

Pitch in One Half of the Games?

The only way to get in shape to pitch is to pitch. The idea that there is a limited number of pitches or throws in a player’s arm is ridiculous. With proper training, and that includes running and proper diet, there is no reason why relief pitchers can’t work at least one half of their team’s games.

The copyright of the article Torre Did Not Overuse Proctor in Major League Baseball is owned by Harold Friend. Permission to republish Torre Did Not Overuse Proctor in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.