[Merkle923]

Every time I've heard a pitcher from the '50s, '60s, or '70s complain about the low innings counts of their "modern" equivalent and how they kept themselves off the injured list by throwing more and how they coddle pitchers today and that's why they get hurt so often (Seaver never stopped with this) I think of the Orioles' star twirlers of the 1960's.

Their rotation that year was led by 22-year old Chuck Estrada (who tied for the A.L. lead with 18 wins), 21-year old Jack Fisher (a 12-game winner that year), Milt Pappas (who recorded his third double-digit win season that year) and Jerry Walker (an All-Star at age 19) and 22-year old Steve Barber (101 wins in his first 8 years)

Barber was on a possible HOF trajectory when his arm went dead in 1967 and he wound up pitching for seven teams in his last eight years. Fisher would hurt his arm and be out of the majors by age 30. Pappas threw 3186 innings and the arm basically shut off at 34. The 19-year old All-Star Walker was no longer able to hold a starting job in the Kansas City rotation at age 33. And Estrada was hurt at 25 and never recovered.

The Orioles sent Estrada to the Angels in '66 - and they sent him back. They gave him to the Cubs in June and he struck out five men in 12 games and was released. The Mets grabbed him and actually looked strong in a start before it was rained out in the fourth inning. In nine games that counted he had a 9.41 ERA. The end came in June, 1967. He had a successful career as a coach and minor league instructor.

George Brace got him in both his farewell cameos. Seaver once mentioned himself and Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman and I mentioned Gary Gentry and Dick Rusteck and Dennis Musgraves and Rob Gardner and Bill Denehy and Les Rohr and Estrada and and... and he said he had to go prepare for the game telecast.