Commentary: Durbin’s 132 Pitches: That’s Abuse

The Royals have gotten two very good pitching performances in a row, but frankly, Royals fans should not be glad. They should be very concerned. You may have heard earlier this season that the Cardinals were involved in a minor tiff with agent for Rick Ankiel, their young phenom pitcher. Ankiel’s agent became a bit queasy whenever the young lad went beyond 100 pitches. While the agent may have been a bit overbearing, his point is salient: pitchers, especially young, developing pitchers, must be worked carefully. Many a young arm has been blown out by overuse before its time. Which brings us back to the Royals. Jay Witasick threw 120 pitches in his complete game Wednesday. That’s a lot, but not horrible, considering Witasick is 27 years old. But Thursday, Tony Muser let 22-year old Chad Durbin throw 132 pitches in a quest for a shutout. That is obscene. Tony Muser should be fired if he ever lets a young Royal pitcher do that again. This team will depend on the strong healthy arms of its pitching prospects for the next decade. Muser is risking their futures and the Royals.