Jake Arrieta has transformed his career since the Cubs traded starter Scott Feldman, a rental player, to the Orioles, for their former prospect.
Arrieta not only got better - - - he has become the best in baseball. Two no-hitters in 11 starts is proof of a totally different pitcher than the one the Orioles decided was not in their future.
But now, the public whispers suspicions that Arrieta could not have gotten this good, this quick, without some artificial help. Baseball was in denial for most of the steroid era. It recaptured fans with the McGwire-Sosa juiced home run race. Light hitting utility infielders were suddenly hitting 25 home runs. Player contracts skyrocketed in value under new cable television deals. There was plenty of incentive for all sides to look the other way when the topic of PEDs came up in the game.
Arrieta denies he takes any banned substance.
He responded to a USA Today story that highlighted suspicions
PEDs helped his transformation from an inconsistent, uncertain pitcher
with the Orioles into an absolutely dominant force on the
mound.
“I know there has been situations where somebody took something maybe
unknowingly,” Arrieta said. “Due process was taken and they found out
maybe it wasn’t what they thought it was. But if it’s a blatant attempt
to cheat the system with a serious steroid, then I think maybe (a
zero-tolerance policy would work).
“If you’re going to put your career in jeopardy, then you’re willing
to take that chance. There’s food and supplements that you can take
legally that will better your body and help you stay healthy and perform
throughout the course of the season.
“Shortcuts are something that’s always been around in all sports. But
as a union, we’re trying to do everything we can to weed those guys out
of this game,” he said.
With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire after this
season, labor negotiations between MLB and the players’ union have
already begun. Arrieta isn’t sure if the answer is adding to the list of
banned substances.
“The list is ridiculously long,” Arrieta said. “I eat plants and I
eat lean protein and that’s my gig. That’s what I do. I watch what I eat
and I train properly. That’s no secret. My mom’s 6-1 and my dad’s 6-4,
so I’m going to be big. I do Pilates – and I strength-train with heavy
weights occasionally – and this is the result.”
The biggest change in Arrieta's pitching was that he came to Chicago and asked his coaches if he could go back to his original pitching mechanics. Those mechanics of throwing across his body usually causes extreme torque on a pitcher's shoulder and elbow. That motion has ruined the careers of many pitchers, including Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, whose former straight line motion scouts called the perfect release and throw. But under the pressure and work load of a major league starter, the arm starts to weaken and drop across the chest. Arrieta's unconventional delivery is what makes hitting against him very difficult. The ball to a right handed hitter appears to be coming directly at him - - - then breaks over the plate. That moment freezes a hitter, which messes up the hitter's timing, and makes Arrieta a dominating pitcher.
Arrieta's work out routine is famous. He stretches constantly which keeps his muscles and ligaments loose (just as lanky pitchers from past eras could pitch complete games without pitch counts). He keeps himself in shape. He has the mental toughness to be a professional at his craft. He takes at least 10 tests a year. There is no report that he has failed any one.
But the rumors will always surround baseball. Fans had been lied to for a long time to be cynical about the purity of the game.
