July 1972, Seaver talks about a sore arm:
After a few days, the shock of his injury diminished and Seaver’s voice lost its panic. It became curt and passionless as he forced himself to approach his injury as he did all things relating to his talent—as an experience to be understood and absorbed for future use. His questions to the doctor became less pleas and more interrogations. “Which muscle is bruised? How did it get bruised? Will it get worse if I throw?” And finally, when it had healed and he had once again taken his place on the mound to pitch batting practice, he would be able to say: “I don’t know many parts of my shoulder and arm, but I know this muscle, the teres major. It was bruised because I began throwing too hard too soon. I had not taken into consideration that I am getting older. I can’t proceed during the spring at the same pace I did at 23. I have to expect my body to break down a little with each year. After all, I’ve pitched almost 1,400 innings in five years. I can’t go on forever without a sore arm. I just have to be more careful in the future.”
More here:
The pitching wonders he works did not come swiftly or – 07.24.72 – SI Vault
