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YouTube: Daniel Bard, Pitch Counts, And Bobby Valentine

By Marc Normandin
Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Daniel Bard (51) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during first the inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE
Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Daniel Bard (51) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during first the inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

The Red Sox are in the midst of converting Daniel Bard from relief work to starting. It's a process that shouldn't be rushed, as Bard's arm isn't automatically ready for 100-plus pitches in his starts just because he's a starting pitcher now. That didn't stop manager Bobby Valentine from leaving Bard out far too long in Monday's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, though, even when it was clear that he was fatigued given the erratic nature of his four-seamer.

High pitch counts are not inherently a bad thing on their own. Context is important: if Bard had maintained his mechanics through all 111 of his pitches, then there is no problem with leaving him in the game for that amount of time. That wasn't the case, though, as discussed in the latest Over The Monster YouTube video.

You can find more videos either on the right sidebar of Over the Monster, or at the official Over the Monster YouTube channel.

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