The first time Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson faces Braves hitters at spring training this month, they might not recognize him.
Gone is the distinctive pause in the right-hander’s throwing motion, the unusual hitch that perhaps contributed to a shoulder injury that wiped out much of the second half of his promising 2011 season.
“Some of the fatigue that he had, some of the back issues and shoulder issues, we wanted to see if we could make some adjustments and do some delivery work that would take that stress off,” said pitching coach Roger McDowell, who worked with Hanson to modify his delivery.
Hanson, a rangy 6-foot-6, has honed a more conventional throwing motion that better utilizes the power of his long legs instead of relying so much on the short-arm, whip-action delivery he featured in the past.
“I like it a lot,” McDowell said. When asked if he thinks the change might also benefit Hanson’s performance, he said, “That remains to be seen, but anytime you use your legs, for me, it’s going to help because those are the strongest muscles in our body.”
Hanson went 10-4 with a 2.44 ERA and a .190 opponents’ average in 17 starts before the All-Star break. Then the shoulder went from nagging to aching, and he was 1-3 with an 8.10 ERA and a .313 opponents’ average in five starts after the break. And that was it. He didn’t pitch again after Aug. 6.
He was diagnosed with a small undersurface rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder in late August, an injury that many veteran major leaguer pitchers develop through normal wear and tear. Surgery can usually be avoided unless the tear worsens.
Hanson tried a few times to get back in the rotation late in the season, but each time the pain returned when he got back on the mound and ramped up the intensity of his throwing sessions. As soon as the season ended he took preventive measures to avoid worsening damage, beginning with a rigorous conditioning program designed to strengthen the back and shoulder muscles.
During a month-long stint working out at Braves training camp in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Hanson listened to physical therapist Troy Jones’ suggestion that he tweak his pitching mechanics in order to preserve his health. Hanson made the decision to do it when he resumed his throwing program in Atlanta after Christmas.
Hanson said he has felt strong since he resumed throwing, and some teammates and Braves officials liked what they saw when he unveiled the new delivery during the team’s 15-day early pitching camp that ended Monday at Turner Field.
“The shoulder feels good, and I don’t feel like there’s going to be any restrictions or anything like that” at spring training, Hanson said. “I feel like I’m going to be ready to go.”
Health was the reason for the change, but as an added, important byproduct of his more compact delivery, Hanson should be in better position to hold runners at first base. In the past two seasons, he has allowed more steals (63) than any big league pitcher. Opponents have been successful in 90 percent of their attempts against him in that span, one of the five highest rates in baseball.
Although Hanson and the Braves had discussed in the past couple of years the possibility of eventually altering his delivery, McDowell said the decision to do it now came from the pitcher and not from McDowell.
“It was Tommy’s idea,” McDowell said. “He came in and wanted to make some adjustments and changes. I told him my ideas and thoughts, and collectively we came up with a plan, and hopefully it’ll work.”
So far everyone likes what they’ve seen from Hanson. McDowell, manager Fredi Gonzalez and bullpen catcher Alan Butts all remarked on how thoroughly Hanson has smoothed out his mechanics in a relatively short period.
“I like it a lot,” Gonzalez said. “He is going to be faster to the plate, which should help him hold runners better.”
Hanson allowed a National League-high 33 steals in 2010, and last year he had a majors-leading 30 steals allowed in 22 starts at the time when he went down with what turned out to be a season-ending injury.
“It’s kind of like killing two birds with one stone,” McDowell said of the streamlined mechanics. “You can work on your delivery and hopefully that has a better result, as far as his times to the plate and getting his arm in a good position and getting him in a strong position to hold [runners].”
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