Gordon Whittenmeyer asks a dumb question

I?m not sure there are any more incompetent writers than Gordon Whittenmeyer. This morning he asks why the Cubs just don?t hold Harden back until May. MESA, Ariz. - As the Cubs finally prepare to hand shoulder-challenged pitcher Rich Harden the ball for his first spring training start next week, the issue of how long he?ll last at a peak level this season raises the natural question: Why not hold him out the first month or so of the season if only to assure fewer miles on the shoulder and to maximize the chance he?ll remain strong into September and October? Why not? There could be several reasons and most of them are fairly obvious. Mainly the Cubs would have every reason to believe he?s healthy or he would not start the season with the Cubs. This is also a contract year for Rich Harden and given his shoulder issues, this may be his one shot to get the big free agent contract. Also, you have to have the player?s approval to not use him. Furthermore, you have to be able to show the guy is injured to put him on the DL. This isn?t the only problem with this article. Even in one of his better seasons and one in which he was more durable?-he made 25 starts last year - he required a late-season cortisone shot and was not nearly as strong by his Game 3 playoff start (throwing 90 mph) as he was upon his arrival in Chicago in July (when he was throwing 97). When information is this easy to find there is no excuse to lie. Rich Harden wasn?t throwing as hard then as he was when the Cubs acquired him, but he wasn?t throwing an average of 97 mph either. In fact, his average fastball in the first game he pitched with the Cubs on July 12th against the Giants was 92.85 mph. In his 2nd game on the 21st of July at Arizona he averaged 91.58 mph. And just to show those are pretty solid guesses for his fastball velocity, his 3rd start averaged 92.23 mph. Let?s just keep doing this. July 31 @ Brewers: 91.88 mph August 5 vs. Houston: 92.02 mph August 13 @ Atlanta: 90.38 mph August 19 vs. Cincy: 90.69 mph August 24 vs. Washington: 91.79 mph August 29 vs. Philly: 89.61 mph September 11 @ St. Louis: 89.91 mph September 18 vs. Milwaukee: 92.12 mph September 25 @ Mets: 89.40 mph Harden?s playoff game @ Los Angels on October 4: 90.35 mph There?s no mistaking the guy lost velocity during the season. Graphs are pretty so here?s one for Rich Harden?s fastball velocity per start with the Cubs in 2008: There?s an obvious decline in velocity from just under 93 to just over 90. Gordon Whittenmeyer got the 90 mph right, but the 97 mph he pulled out of his ass. I looked at the first inning of the Dodgers playoff game on Gameday (link above) and 4 or 5 pitches hit 94 mph and a couple others hit 93. He didn?t have the max velocity then that he did in July, but Gordon conveniently went with his max velocity in July and his average velocity at the end of the season. There?s more. Gordo still can?t figure out why the Cubs wouldn?t hold Harden back until May despite them not actually being able to do so according to the rules of Major League Baseball. So why not just delay his season debut and try to make his shoulder feel in the fall like it?s still summer? Because that doesn?t work, the Cubs say. And the Cubs would be right, but it seems that he?s suggesting otherwise. Oh well. Gordon Whittenemeyer is wrong here. ?When you try to prevent somebody from having an injury, that?s when they get hurt,? Piniella said. ?If it?s going to happen, it?s going to happen - unless you?re taking chances by letting them go too long for four or five starts in a row. We don?t do that here with our pitching, so it?s not going to happen that way. ?But if you?re too careful, if it?s not your shoulder, it?s going to be your groin. If it?s not your groin, it?s going to be your knee. Or your back. Something is going to happen.? Me like Lou Piniella. Smarter than most Cubs fans. Not to mention the fact that keeping one of your best pitchers out of games he?s healthy enough to pitch could cost wins in April and prevent the chance to play in October. By all accounts, Harden is looking as strong as the Cubs have ever seen him - stronger than when he arrived in July, according to those who have watched him closest. By all means, let?s not let the guy pitch even though by all indications it appears he?s as strong as ever. Actually, let?s not let Zambrano, Dempster and Lilly pitch either. Wins in April are meaningless so let?s run out a rotation of ace Sean Marshall, Aaron Heilman, Chad Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija and Mitch Atkins. Just for April. That month is only exhibition. The more I think, the more I realize we need to keep those 5 healthy too. Let?s bring in 5 fans from the stands on Opening Day to be be the Cubs rotation in April. When Harden threw a two-inning simulated game Friday, he put himself in line for a 2009 spring training debut Tuesday against Seattle - and on pace to get the six spring training starts the club wants him to have before opening the season. My god, that?s just awful! He put himself in line to get 6 more starts before the meaningless month of April? If anything, the question Piniella and Rothschild want to answer with Harden as they get into the season is where he best fits into the rotation to assure the best pace of his workload. I?m pretty sure the best question for Lou and Larry is one that Gordon Whittenmeyer will never think of. The only thing that seems certain, barring a setback, is he won?t be skipping April. Gordo needs to get a rule book. And some common sense. And a new profession. Rich Harden?s fastball velocity with the Cubs averaged 91.07 mph. In his start in October he averaged 90.35 mph. I think there is an obvious decline in velocity here, but I?m thinking we have to consider that Harden only threw 25.2 innings in 2007 and just 46.2 innings in 2006. He threw 148 innings in 2008 so there was also some tiring likely going on here as well. Since we know he had an injury to his shoulder we can?t dismiss that impact, but I don?t think we can dismiss the impact of throwing twice as many innings in one season as you had the previous 2 years combined. I think we?d also need to know the average variance in velocity for starting pitchers. As a Cub, Rich Harden averaged between 89.4 and 92.85 mph per start. If I had to guess, I?d say that?s more variance than the average pitcher, but how much so I don?t have any idea. I doubt it?s as much as Gordon Whittenmeyer is making this out to be. Then again, Gordo flat out said he was throwing 97 mph when he came to the Cubs and while he did let some fastballs go at 97 mph, he sure as hell wasn?t averaging anywhere close to 97 mph. It?s misleading to imply he was. There is certainly concern with regards to Harden?s health, but the Cubs knew this when they acquired him and appear more than willing to take it easy with him in 2009. They cannot put him on the DL for the month of April without a legitimate injury. If Whittenmeyer had ever read the rules or even read a handful of articles written about Wood and Prior over the last several years, he?d know this. You also don?t just put a guy on the DL for a month hoping he might be stronger later in the season. Yes, games in October are going to be more important, but games in April are also necessary. I?m pretty sure Rich Harden wouldn?t take too kindly to the Cubs putting him on the DL when this is a contract season for him. Asking why the Cubs don?t do this is ridiculously stupid. The answers are obvious and there are many reasons why you don?t do it. When will the city of Chicago have a decent sportswriter?