What Rushing Looks Like:
Cole Hamels

7/2/2006

Just this morning I was looking at a clip of Cole Hamels pitching...

I saw something I don't like in that clip, and for that reason I added his name to a list of people that I suspect may have shoulder problems...

- Patterns of Injuries to Pitchers

Just now I read a report that Hamels is having shoulder problems.
     The thing that I see in that clip, and that I think may be related to his shoulder problems, is that he (like Kerry Wood) appears to start turning his shoulders before his forearm is vertical (which I define as rushing). I believe that this will increase the force with which his upper arm will externally rotate and will place a higher than average load on his shoulder.

1.

2.

3.

4.

The thing to notice is that he starts to rotate his shoulders between frames 2 and 3 (notice how you can see his numbers in frame 3 but not in frame 2), before his forearm is vertical.
     He also appears to stride fairly closed, which causes him to throw back across his body.