February 25, 2006
A Great Big Hand
Tom Krasovic reports on Mike Piazza's hand strength:
When the Padres recently measured the hand strength of all their players, the team's ancient catcher showed the whippersnappers a thing or two.
Mike Piazza, using his right hand, clenched a silver metal handle to send a needle spinning clockwise.
Click.
The needle screeched to a quivering stop. Piazza had maxed out the device, a dynamometer, which measures up to 200 pounds of force.
“I can't recall anyone ever doing that here,” said Todd Hutcheson, the team's head trainer since 1997.
In the show of hands, no other Padre matched Piazza save Mike Cameron, his former Mets teammate. Cameron, a 33-year-old who, like Piazza, is new to the Padres, maxed out the device with each hand.
Piazza's always had great hand strength. Since Cameron did the same thing, I wonder if the Mets emphasized this in training?
Update: I forgot the link.
Posted by David Pinto at
07:55 PM
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What's the functional use of hand strength? I would understand wrist strength as it pertains to control of the bat, but do hands do something extra or just aid in that respect?
I remember a story I read about Piazza doing essentially the same thing with a traning tool while with the Dodgers, and apparently he was the first person to even come close to maxing it out. When Darryl Strawberry had tried to use this contraption several years earlier, he claimed it was either a joke, or broken.
Oh boi, should I being the sexual preference jokes? Ok, Ok, fine, If you beg...
"Hey, you hear Mike Piazza has strong hands?"
"Yea, it's a well known fact among the bathhouse league, where have you been?"
oh jesus, if you're going to make an offensive joke at least make it funny.
Idiot.
Looks like the Pads have already got the best of the brian lawerence for vinny castila trade.
Piazza is going to hit 20 homers and 80+rbi and will win the west. How could this guy be gay, I mean look at his wife.
VIERA, Fla. -- Washington Nationals pitcher Brian Lawrence has a torn right shoulder and will be sidelined until the All-Star break.
Brian Lawrence
Starting Pitcher
Washington Nationals
Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM W L BB K ERA
33 7 15 57 109 4.83
The tear was diagnosed after an MRI test, team doctor Bruce Thomas said Saturday.
Lawrence came into training camp hoping to make the starting rotation. Now it's likely he won't return until midseason or later, Thomas said.
"Injuries have never been an issue with me," Lawrence said. "I never felt any pain until the first day I showed up here."
Lawrence started throwing the day before workouts officially began. He said he felt good, but something went wrong after his first bullpen session.
"I threw and it was hurting. I actually felt decent, but then the next day it wasn't there," he said.
The MRI test showed a split in his labrum, "a small washer-shaped shock absorber in the shoulder" Thomas said.
The Nationals acquired Lawrence from the San Diego Padres for third baseman Vinny Castilla at the end of last season. Lawrence went 7-15 with a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts for the Padres in 2005. He struck out 109 batters and walked 57 in 195 2/3 innings.
I don't think anyone said anything about the Braves..
Yeah, I'm thoroughly confused.
Hand strength is vital because it means he'll fumble less.