Another thing that doesn't get much mention is what many of those guys did earlier in life. A lot of ballplayers started doing what we'd think of now as adult jobs in their early teens. Usually farming, but Aaron worked on an ice truck. Manual labor may not prepare someone to throw 90mph plus, but it does get you used to working long hours, and to adjust to working through all but the worst injuries. Especially farming. If you have to get a crop in before bad weather, and that crop represents a fair portion of your food, or nearly all the family income for the year, you can't really stop because your shoulder is sore, or you've slung 300 hay bales into the truck.
Compare that to some kids now, who may have excellent coaching to develop good mechanics, but are limited in innings/pitches from the earliest age, and don't have to work, and wouldn't be allowed to work some of the manual labor jobs. They may be throwing 5 mph+ faster, but if your body hasn't been trained to overuse you'll do far more damage trying.
Steve B
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