Braves Quote For The Day ... College Starting Pitchers Adjusting To The Pros

I came across this article on Sean Gilmartin, the Atlanta Braves 2011 first round draft pick. It's the usual local sports interview article, but in it there is an interesting point made about how Gilmartin is adjusting to pitching every fifth day:

Gilmartin is still adjusting to the pro game.

Giving his best on the mound after five days rest instead of seven is something his body has yet to acclimate to doing. He's also been extremely conscious of his health and avoids anything that could slow his development.

That means no pick-up basketball games, no skateboards and definitely no motorcycles.

"I'm not going to do anything that hinders my chances at getting to the big leagues," Gilmartin said. "If something happens where I'm out there doing something stupid, I wouldn't have anybody to blame but myself.

"I want to play 15-plus years in the big leagues and that's all on me."

We often want these guys to come right out of college and be Major League ready, and while their stuff in any given start may be able to challenge Major League hitters, there is a lot more that goes into being ready to endure a long professional baseball season.

I like his candor here about his body catching up, and his acknowledgement that he needs to take care of it. Everything I've read about Gilmartin seems to point to him being a very smart player.

We as fans need to keep this physical curve in mind when projecting a player's progress through the system.