Ratto: Giants' Righetti wary after early MLB injuries

Feb. 23, 2011RATTO ARCHIVEGIANTS PAGEGIANTS VIDEO
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In Jupiter, Florida, 2285 miles from Galactic Central Point (i.e., the pitching mound at Scottsdale Stadium), St. Louis Cardinal and Cy Young runner-up Adam Wainwright apparently blew out a tendon in his business elbow throwing a bullpen session and is looking at season-ending Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, in Glendale, Arizona, 2293 miles from Jupiter and 20 miles from Giantsville, Vicente Padilla is having elbow surgery tomorrow and may be lost for at least half the Los Angeles Dodgers season. Good news for the Giants, right? Of course, until you look at pitching coach Dave Righettis eyes and see the look of complete there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-us in his eyes. Sure you knock wood, he said. But thats every day. Especially now, because thats the thing everybody wants to talk about. Righetti is by nature a guy who goes for his morning walk and keeps an eye out for bear traps, but as a pitching coach he knows it is the only way to be. He understands as few do that too much starting pitching is just code for soon to be not enough starting pitching. And general manager Brian Sabean knows that what the Giants had last year was in fact just enough starting pitching.
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Thats the thing people forget in all the hoopla and everything, he said. We had to win the last day (over the Padres in Game 162) just to get to the postseason. We had all that pitching and just barely squeaked in. Which is why Righetti, more than anyone, views Wainwright and Padilla going down not as boons to the Giants cause but cautionary tales about the rash act of counting the unhatched hen. He is and will as long as he has the job always be one pitch away from Jesse Foppert. Thats the one I remember, Righetti said of the one-time Giants farmhand, highly regarded as a potential mainstay of the early 2000s before developing neuritis in his throwing elbow, having TJ surgery and, after a subsequent knee injury that essentially ended his career before it began. He was throwing a simulated game, and then ping, done. So it goes. Pitchers disappear at a moments notice, and Righetti knows the questions about the Giants rotation are out there as well because . . . well, because, thats why. Oh, I think theyre aware that the questions are out there too, he said. I actually think they might go out with a little chip on their shoulder because theyre not going to want to hear those questions either. Its natural because theyre all young, but really, how young are they? Timmy (Lincecum) is in his fourth year, (Matt) Cain is what, four years, (Jonathan) Sanchez is 28, Bummy (Madison Bumgarner) is still a baby in terms of innings pitched. But the other three guys, other than Bum, I at least have a pretty good track record on knowing how theyre doing, and Barry (Zito) has what, 2,000-some-odd innings (actually a scoche over 2,400 when you include minors and postseason). But thats why I always want to be out there just making sure. Thats why I dont want them throwing downhill to a catcher until I think theyre ready, and why when they say, One more pitch, Im usually thinking Thats the one thats going to do it and I sometimes say no. There is not a lot of science to this, ultimately. There is a bit of when its your time its your time about pitching injuries, and it is more acute when your staff is made up of phenomssay, like in Oakland, where all five starters combined dont have as many major league innings as Zito. Thus, Ron Romanick, the new Oakland pitching coach, has all the same knots in his stomach that Righetti has, plus his team has a far richer injury history and therefore a greatly heightened sense of there-but-for-the-grace-of-God . . . Indeed, almost every pitching coach in the game has that sense. Only Dave Duncan, who had Wainwright on Monday and today does not, isnt talking about either grace or God. He knows what a lie too much pitching really is.Follow Ray on Twitter @RattoCSN