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January 30, 2013
Youth Movement
Respect the 8
Even as baseball fans and those within the industry gain a deeper understanding of statistics, one number remains largely misinterpreted and misunderstood. The elite post atop the traditional 2-8 (or 20-80) scouting scale, the 8 represents the territory so far to the right on the scouting bell curve that few scouts dare to tread there. It represents only the most elite of tools and should always be respected.
As a young scout learning the ropes in the mid-2000s, I didn't immediately understand the significance of this extreme end of the scouting scale. But gradually, my respect for it grew as I began to understand its scarcity. In 2012, I watched countless games from high school to the pros. I spoke to scouts and industry insiders at all levels of baseball. And only very rarely did I hear mention of an elite-level tool.
Given the nature of scouting, elite grades are most often placed on fastball velocity and running speed. These are the only two traditional scouting categories that offer a standardized, empirical measurement-based scale by which grades are assigned. Pump your fastball consistently in the 97-plus-mph range, and you're going to get an 8. Get down the line to first in less than 4.0 seconds from the right side (3.9 seconds from the left), and you're going to get an 8.
The benefit of such a scale is that the risk of tossing around bold grades evaporates. But when grading all other tools, evaluators aren't afforded that luxury, which makes the 8 grade far more nerve-wracking to commit to.
For the past couple of years, Billy Hamilton's speed has fascinated us all. He's raced to first fast enough to make stopwatches explode and routine groundballs become an adventure. Hamilton deserves something better than the top of the scale. He breaks the scale.
When I discussed players with scouts last year, two others were routinely cited as having legitimately elite speed: Toronto's D.J. Davis and Philadelphia's Roman Quinn. Of course, burners are relatively easy to find, and there are additional players with 8 speed in the minor leagues. But none was mentioned with the frequency reserved for Hamilton, Davis, and Quinn.
Elite fastballs are not as common as elite speed, but they are just as easily quantified, and players who possess them can be found in any season. While players like Gerrit Cole, Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal and others may reach the elite levels of the velocity scale at times, earning the occasional future 8 grade, no player exhibits extreme velocity like Detroit's Bruce Rondon.
Rondon's velocity is so consistently exceptional that I could select nearly any outing to highlight. I could discuss his famed showing in the 2012 Futures Game, or any of a dozen amusing exchanges with scouts after they saw him pitch for the first time. Instead, I want to explain what I saw in early August, the last time I saw Rondon live.
Entering the game in the ninth inning, Rondon threw 11 pitches; only five were strikes, but that's not what's important here. In those 11 pitches, he pumped eight fastballs with the following velocities: 98, 100, 101, 101, 99, 100, 102, 102. My gun isn't hot, I promise. That, my friends, is an 8 fastball if there ever was one.
This is the point at which we exit the soothing confines of the shallow end of the pool and enter the murky waters that can make an evaluator look like an idiot. No longer do we have a defined scale to fall back on. Instead, we must venture into an abstract realm where observations and opinions can vary like the New England weather. This is where scouts get uneasy about putting 8's on anything.
Elite power can stand out in any crowd, whether in batting practice or in game situations. It tends to be obvious. It also tends to be quite rare in today's game. While scouts will occasionally mention players like Joey Gallo as having the raw potential to reach the heights of 8 power, rarely in recent times have we seen a stretch with so few classic power prospects.
There was only one viable name that came up last year as a candidate for 8 raw power: Minnesota's Miguel Sano, who has immense raw. In the opinion of several front office officials I spoke to, Sano's truly elite power stands alone in the minor leagues.
Defensive evaluations also struggle to reach the far right of the scouting scale. Not a single outfielder received present or future 8 scores from the scouts I spoke to last year. Similarly, not a single catcher earned an 8 for his defense. In fact, only San Diego's Austin Hedges received a mention as a player with a remote chance of achieving such a score at some point down the line.
Among infielders, only the incomparable Jose Iglesias earned elite marks for his ability to flash the leather. His defense reminds scouts of Rey Ordonez. The only time scouts stop discussing his defensive prowess is to mention how weak his bat is, before quickly jumping back to the discussion of his almost pornographic defensive abilities.
Classically elite arm strength—like that of Shawon Dunston and Raul Mondesi—can also stand out in a crowd. Few arms in the minor leagues can reach such levels. Aaron Hicks' name comes up on occasion as having an elite outfield arm, but that opinion is hardly held uniformly across the industry. Cubs infielder Junior Lake has an almost unanimous 8 arm, with some scouts suggesting he should move to the mound if he doesn't hit enough to pull off a big-league career as a position player.
A player I've had ample exposure to, Detroit shortstop Dixon Machado, teeters on the precipice of owning an 8 arm. His slight frame can fire lasers across the diamond, and after watching a sequence of his throws during instructs last year, I engaged several scouts in a discussion of whether or not Machado's arm warranted the rarest of rare grades. In the end, despite dissenting opinions from some of the other scouts in attendance, a few of us retained the belief that his arm was in fact elite. These are the murky waters I previously discussed, and we haven't even approached the good stuff yet.
For many scouts, elite hitters don't exist at the minor-league level; not as a projection, and certainly not in the here and now. Last year, for the first time in my career, multiple scouts were bold enough to suggest that a minor-league player might have the potential for a truly elite hit tool. Each of them, with a healthy dose of hesitation mixed in, squeaked out the name Oscar Taveras when the subject came up. That's a seriously bold statement and one that led to open admissions of uneasiness when brought up with the BP Prospect Team.
A true 8 isn't just the best tool relative to those of other current players—it has to stand up to the best of the best across the history of scouting. For that reason, not every tool will be represented in an annual survey of this nature. Given the variable nature of player development, a tool that previously rated as elite might not even sustain that designation the following year. I've made no mention of outfield defense, command, curveballs, sliders or change-ups in this discussion, because no player rated an 8 in those areas despite inquiries devoted to each.
We don't get to live in the rarified air of elite tools. We only get to visit on occasion and cherish it while we have the chance. So don't get discouraged if your favorite player isn't mentioned as having an elite tool or elite potential. Instead, remember one rule: respect the 8.
Special thanks to Jason Cole, Chris Mellen, and Jason Parks for their contributions to the discussion of elite tools.
Mark Anderson is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @ProspectMark
47 comments have been left for this article.
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i have trouble understanding how an 8 defense even could be put on most players. It seems like defense is the most context-specific of these skills, and the opportunities to show 8 defense are most dependent on so many factors. If you think a guy in high school could be an 8 defensive outfielder, do you call him that or do you wait for him to show it at A, AA, etc before being so bold? Of all these tools, I would expect defense to be the one that reveals itself more in retrospect and is the hardest to judge on the 20-80 scale. Is that a fair assessment?
Jan 30, 2013 06:49 AM
Thanks for the question.
Jan 30, 2013 10:29 AM
to clarify- how do you separate, say, a 5 from a 7 in defense? i would think hit tool, arm strength, etc show themselves at all levels and even in batting practice. a 22 year old making flashy defensive plays in the outfield, though, would mean something different at high-A than it would at AA (i would assume). i wonder if context plays more into evaluating defense than other tools.
Jan 30, 2013 16:20 PM
To quote Joe Sheehan, I am not a scout. However, my understanding of scouting defense is that there is significant emphasis on the pre-pitch setup and first step of the defender. The outfielder who consistently has a good start on a route is going to project better than one who seems to be guessing half the time. Also, the one who's always making the diving catch may be doing so because of a weak first step. His youthful speed may hide that deficiency in the minors, but the future projection would suffer.
Jan 30, 2013 19:10 PM
Makes perfect sense. Thanks. Still seems hard to evaluate the difference between a 6 and 7 here, but this explains a lot
Jan 31, 2013 04:48 AM
I think Rosenthal has to be considered an 8 arm as well, and not just "at times" as you say. Derrick Goold, now chief baseball writer for the St. Louis paper that covers him, has written this: "Of his 81 pitches this postseason, Rosenthal has thrown 43 at 99 mph or faster, and his fastball has averaged 98.9 mph." And unlike Rondon, he's thrown them for strikes. His record for the whole post season (he added to the count after Goold's article) was: 142 pitches thrown; 101 strikes, for a 71% strike percentage. That's almost too good.
Jan 30, 2013 06:57 AM
Arm Side Run
I think "at times" is a fair way to put it. He was a reliver in the playoffs and in the regular season, and going max effort. But as a starter, its obviously a lot harder to maintain that velocity
Jan 30, 2013 07:57 AM
Rondon is a relief pitcher, is he not? Rosenthal was a relief pitcher at the Major League level but not at the Minor League Level, where he threw approximately 110 innings (roughly twice what Rondon threw last year). And, theoretically at least, hitting 99 mph or better is going to be more difficult in October, when temperatures are considerably cooler than they are in August.
Jan 30, 2013 11:22 AM
Arm Side Run
Yes, Rondon is a relief pitcher, but its hard to look at Rosenthal's relief numbers and try to grade out the fastball if you think he's a starter. What's an 8 FB in the bullpen isn't necessarily an 8 FB in the rotation (in fact conventional wisdom says that's likely in most cases). Mark pretty clearly says that if you consistently hit 97, you're likely going to get an elite grade velocity wise. I don't think its a moving scale. Kevin and Jason talked about, almost ad nauseam, how the scale doesn't move on the old podcast and that its essentially set in stone so that when one scout to another "its an 8," they know exactly what it is.
Jan 30, 2013 17:02 PM
To add to my above comment, this trend of increasing player size and pitch velocity raises some interesting questions, in my opinion. At some point, doesn't Major League Baseball have to consider either moving the pitching rubber back or deadening the baseball? The thought of a batter being hit by a 105+ mph fastball, or a pitcher throwing that hard getting hit in the head by a line drive is frightening.
Jan 30, 2013 11:37 AM
You have to bring up Yordano Ventura as well, then, as he regularly hits 100 as a starter, and can take it up a notch or two from there if he wants.
Jan 30, 2013 08:16 AM
I think it is tough to put an 80 grade on a guy named Trevor from the Midwest. This is a joke. (sort of)
Jan 30, 2013 08:37 AM
For the purposes of this piece, my goal was to represent actual grades and discussions. In the case of Rosenthal, the scouts I spoke with saw him during the MiLB season and saw him hit those velocities at times and projected that he could get there more regularly in short bursts...which is exactly what we saw in the post season.
Jan 30, 2013 10:37 AM
I'd love to hear of players on the other end of the scale (who still have some prospect potential). Presumably there are lots of 2 runners out there, but what about the other tools?
Jan 30, 2013 08:13 AM
That's an interesting idea and not something I have tradutionamly concerned myself with. I will start asking around as I continue to talk to folks and see if it generates enough data for a reasonable article.
Jan 30, 2013 10:39 AM
I doubt there are any 2 bats. But otherwise there are a ton of 2 speed guys just looking at 1B/DH types, less than that number but certainly some are your 2 glove guys. Plenty of 2 power guys and some 2 arms. For example Juan Pierre has a 2 arm and 2 power, I don't know how many other guys have multiple 2 tools.
Jan 30, 2013 14:12 PM
I guess that's my question, does Pierre really have a 2 arm? I would think a 2 arm couldn't play outfield at the MLB level.
Jan 30, 2013 15:24 PM
Does Taveras need to display better strike zone awareness to earn an 80 grade? His approach seems a little vulnerable at higher levels...at least to the point where he's making weaker contact. I still think he's an All-Star in the near future.
Jan 30, 2013 08:45 AM
As I alluded to in the piece, it wasn't easy to find scouts that would go that aggressive with Taveras' bat. The concerns weren't over hic approach, buy rather just the daunting nature of projecting a guy as an elite hitter.
Jan 30, 2013 10:41 AM
It's great to have an 8 but in Iglesias's case it might not transform into much but a late inning def replacement because of his lack of hit tool. And even if you can throw 105 but you can't command and locate it what's the point. I think too often grades are just that grades. Sure X player has 8 speed but what else can he do. Even in Hamilton's case the guy could be even better if he read pitcher's better and got better jumps- I mean this kid is otherworldly. He needs to learn how to use it properly. I'm not saying scrap the scale but has anyone published a list of all these players year by year that get 8 grades and how they turned out?
Jan 30, 2013 08:52 AM
I'm not aware of any data compilation similar to what you mentioned. It may exist within the industry, but don't know.
Jan 30, 2013 10:48 AM
I think the easiest example of this is the Usain Bolt would get an '8' grade on speed, but is probably a horrible baseball player.
Jan 30, 2013 11:32 AM
I love this line...
Jan 30, 2013 11:57 AM
Love the article, and not JUST because 3 of my hometown team boys get a mention for potential elite tools . Another example of my concerns being alleviated regarding BP content quality post-KG being alleviated. It's possible, however, that I had "KG tunnel vision" and failed to fully appreciate the other high quality content in the past. Either way, you guys are killing it this year and looking forward to more of the same. Money well spent.
Jan 30, 2013 12:18 PM
On the subject of fans becoming more familiar with the 20-80 (2-8) scale, even Mayo at MLB.com is using them for his top 100 this year. He probably has a BP subscription so I'll withhold my commentary on him...
Jan 30, 2013 13:22 PM
It would be interesting & helpful to hear which active MLB players have '8' tools.
Jan 30, 2013 13:26 PM
Some of this came out during my research. We are discussing some follow-on articles on this topic as I type this....
Jan 30, 2013 13:38 PM
KG discussed this in a podcast a while back (someday can we get them all transcribed and searchable?). There weren't many. Off the top of my head:
Jan 30, 2013 15:33 PM
Is the power number strictly based on Home Runs? If you hit a bunch of doubles you have to have a certain amount of power. It seems small but how much difference is there between a 6 player and a 7 player? Thanks Scott
Jan 30, 2013 13:40 PM
The way power projection gets communicated is generall in terms of home run numbers, but a more complete picture can be described if you discuss extra-base potential in general. I do it as a part of my reports and that's pretty consistent throughout the industry. Home runs tend to be the piece people lock onto though....
Jan 30, 2013 13:50 PM
Random question for you, Mark. How do you know that your radar gun is properly calibrated? I'm eternally skeptical of those things - nothing to do with my speeding ticket collection, I assure you! But seriously, given the shenanigans that both broadcasters and stadiums obviously and frequently get up to with their readings, why should I trust what scouts are packing?
Jan 30, 2013 15:13 PM
Sorry man, I didn't mean to sound like I was taking aim at you personally. Should have chosen my words more carefully...
Jan 30, 2013 16:59 PM
Mark - great article! Do you think that with the dearth of '8' power prospects, there might one day be a recalibration of what the various grades mean for the power tool? What about for any other tool? Thanks.
Jan 30, 2013 17:36 PM
Richard Bergstrom
I'm surprised an 8 fastball has to do with velocity and not with control or command. Shouldn't it also have something to do with movement?
Jan 30, 2013 20:09 PM
In my reports, fastball grades are written up for velocity, movement and then the overall fastball. Command/control is written up as a separate "tool" and then the totality is thrown in the pot and discussed.
Jan 31, 2013 05:22 AM
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Derahk's Royal Rumble Predictions
by, 01-27-2013 at 12:09 AM (7829 Views)
If WrestleMania is the biggest night in sports entertainment, the Royal Rumble is certainly the most exciting. It's the night that anything can happen, anyone can be a star and gives the fans an idea on where they're going creatively towards WrestleMania. I am going to share with you what I think will happen and also what I hope for as well.
Pre-Show: U.S. Championship Match
The Miz (Challenger) vs Antonio Cesaro (Champion)
With Flair 'passing the torch' recently to the Miz, it seems as though they are giving Miz a push which would lead to a victory here, but I don't think so on this one. I think Miz's push is going to be ok and intact if he loses this one. It's compounded by the fact that this is a pre-show and not as many people will be watching. The only reason, at that point, then would be to get the pre-show over and get people excited about them so they won't miss anything.
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
The Royal Rumble
World Heavyweight Championship Match
The Big Show (Challenger) vs Alberto Del Rio (Champion)
I predict the WHC to open the show. I don't see much going on here. I see ADR trying really hard to get himself over as a bubblegum baby face and as the curtain jerker, trying even harder to have a good match with the Big Show. Paul Wight, having been there-done that, will try to get Del Rio to slow down and have a good match. I don't think that will happen. I predict a kick-out from Show's finisher for a clean victory by Mr. Rio.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Team Rhodes Scholars (Challengers) vs Team Hell No (Champions)
I expect an upset here. the Rhodes Scholars momentum has peaked, if not fallen a little, and it's time for a new level. I am predicting a Bryan vs Kane feud to start here. I see the 'bond' of the champions starting to crack here with them losing the titles, a rematch at the Elimination Chamber and then a match at Mania.
Winner: New Champions, The Rhodes Scholars
WWE Divas Championship Match
Tamina Snuka (Challenger) vs Kaitlyn (Champion)
Tamina has an affinity to making her competitors look good which she doesn't get in return. This match is merely for the piss break and for Tamina to Kaitlyn over.
Winner: Kaitlyn
WWE Championship Match
The Rock (Challenger) vs CM Punk (Champion)
This has schmoz written all over it. For the uninformed, a schmoz is basically when the finish is a cluster fuck. The match is also tainted with the babyface promise. If a babyface makes a promise, he always sticks to his promise. The Rock has promised a victory.
This is what I think will happen. Punk/Rock will have a decent match for about 20 minutes. The Rock will make his comeback, probably going for the People's Elbow, the lights will go out, the ref will be knocked out either before or after, Shield appears, beats up Rock, Ryback comes out, saves Rock with the Rock getting the win.
What I HOPE will happen is, all that I mentioned before, Ryback saves the Rock, fighting the Shield to the back, then cue Brock Lesnar. Brock finishes the Rock, helping Punk retain the title, for an inevitable Brock/Rock match WrestleMania.
Predictions: Winner and new Champion The Rock
30 Man Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is always a hard one to predict, but this years is exponentially harder. There is a handful of contenders with varying degrees of probability. I will attempt to dissect each one individually starting with the most probable and what it would mean for WrestleMania.
John Cena: John Cena is the most likely winner, if not anything else, for the reason that he promised a victory. Cena, while mostly staying on top, didn't have many landmarks last year. A pyrrhic victory with Brock Lesnar and the Money in the Bank winner were his highlights. But Lesnar seemed to have lost the battle, won the war and Cena became the first to not capture the title with the MitB briefcase. The win here would be good for Cena's stock and would inevitably lead to Cena/Rock II at WrestleMania.
Brock Lesnar: A guaranteed surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble. I expect him, whatever his number is, to clean house. If he enters midway, I expect an elimination, most likely coming from his WrestleMania opponent. If he enters post number 25, I would call it a certain victory leading to a match with champion The Rock.
Ryback: Ryback is on a role. A Rumble win would continue him on his big push. It is also very safe creatively. They could go anywhere with Ryback winning, which makes him such a strong contender for a win. A win here would most likely see him going after Big Show for the title at Mania, which obviously would mean Show would have to best Del Rio at some point. We could also see him chasing Punk, Rock, Del Rio or Ziggler. On the flipside, I could see him losing and fighting Show in a non-title match at Mania or getting his revenge on the Shield.
The Miz: The Miz is still a possibility here. He's hot off his Flair push, and a Cesaro loss wouldn't affect anything. It would give that WrestleMania X feel when Bret lost to Owen in the first match, only to win the title in the last match. This would mostly likely lead to a Ziggler or Punk match.
Randy Orton: Orton is in that surprise/fringe area. If he's in the final four, his victory will be possible in the back of your mind but will be quickly be discounted. Watch out for a victory here, then to chase Del Rio or Ziggler for the WHC title.
The Undertaker: There has been talk of a Streak vs Streak match at Mania between Punk and the Dead Man. Those rumors have died down as of late. An appearance is almost certain, but a win is slight.
Dolph Ziggler: Ole Zig Zag is a huge underdog here and everyone loves an underdog. A win here would be huge for Mr. Platinum Doo. I would be most excited for him winning the Rumble. Creatively this would be a gem also. The most likely course being him cashing the MitB briefcase to win the WHC and chasing Punk for the WWE titles at Mania to unify the titles. This is highly unlikely, if anything else, because this would be putting a huge amount of stock in Ziggler, which would be insane for a pseudo-heel that Ziggler is. Insanity that I would love.
Zack Ryder: I know you're scratching your heads here. His story is an odd one. He was immensely over at the start of 2012 and then fizzled into oblivion by the end of it. It may have been deliberate. They could be retooling him. His name is also not listed as one of the participants, but there are a few slots open. A win would be 'Where in the world did that come from?' zone but not unfounded. It's highly unlikely but it's there in the back of my mind. A win would most likely see him chasing Ziggler, which was a match they've wanted for a year now.
Prediction: Ryback
I hope you enjoyed my predictions. We'll see happens. I'll catch you guys after the Rumble.
Edit: I've been informed that the Del Rio/Big Show match has a Last Man Standing stipulation. I have the same prediction as before, but more specifically, Del Rio recovering from the KO by Show to make the 10 count. This would put over Rio as having a never-say-die attitude. It also makes it even more likely for Ziggler to cash in his briefcase, since both participants should be decimated after the bout.
Also, I didn't remember that the Shield cannot interfere with the WWE Title match because CM Punk would be stripped of the Championship. That will lead to two possible outcomes. First, is my previous hope of Brock interfering in the match, possibly costing Rock of the title, leading to a Mania match. The second is the Shield STILL interfering, costing Punk the title. I would then lead this to an angle with CM Punk trying to figure out who is the man pulling the strings of the Shield. I am actually going to write a whole blog dedicated to an angle that there is a leader of the Shield and who it would be, at a later time, unless, of course, that is revealed at the Rumble.
Lastly, I hope there is some good testing 'spots' in the Rumble to get crowd reaction. I would LOVE to see a Ryback and Lesnar showdown. This would make a lot of sense. If they were to be face-to-face, and crickets chirping, I would question Ryback's star power, but if there was a pop, with no Goldberg chants, I would anticipate a possible Summerslam showdown between the two.
*Surprise entrant spoilers ahead*
If you've ever seen him in a Rumble or MitB situation, you know that Shelton Benjamin can do some amazing acrobatics in these types of events. It will be hard to top Morrison's Spider-Man impression from a few years ago, but it will be great to see Benjamin try. I'm hoping for a spot with him and Ziggler. If they run a program with the two, they could rewrite history.
One last prediction I failed to mention the first time.
Stone Cold Steve Austin: This would make sense if the Championship goes on last. The long gestating Austin/Punk feud would culminate but Austin/Rock IV would also be possible and would add more suspense to the match. I know the overall feeling is that they will wait for Austin/Punk for WM30, but as of right now, win or lose, Punk doesn't have a strong opponent, in my mind, for WrestleMania (I know Taker has been batted around).

subset: commoncrawl


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A WINCHESTER paramedic is preparing for the jump of a lifetime next month.
Jules Cavalier, of Wales Street, works as an Emergency Care Practitioner for the South Central Ambulance Service, and will be abseiling from the top of the 170m tall Spinnaker Tower in aid of the Stroke Association – despite admitting that he is terrified of heights.
The charity, which provides care and support for stroke victims, is one close to 41-year-old Mr Cavalier's heart.
He said: "I have chosen the Stroke Association because they do research and have got us to where we are now.
"I have worked with stroke patients since I was 17, and we have got to the point now where we can reach them within 20 minutes, get them to a unit within an hour, and actually reverse their symptoms."
Mr Cavalier's mother developed a condition that resulted in her waking up blind, and his family cared for her for two years until she passed away.
"The strength she had is what has made me do this," he said.
"It's to make her proud.
"We don't know if she had some sort of brain episode that caused it. I want to do this so that no one else has to go through it."
The abseil, at 9.30am on March 15, will see Mr Cavalier 'walk the plank' out of a top floor window to begin his descent.
He is expecting his father and around 25 others to be waiting for him at the bottom.
To sponsor him, text CAVA66 £(amount) to 70070.


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Our Thoughts
The Sidi Traffic Air and their waterproof counterparts, the Sidi Traffic Rain Boots are about as simple as simple gets for motorcycle boots. That simplicity lends a utility that is instantiated in their ease of use, and that means you'll probably find yourself choosing this pair for riding more often than not. Open the zipper, pull 'em on, zip 'em up and go. No muss; no fuss. You can just as easily wear them with a pair of jeans as you can with a pair of textile motorcycle pants. The full-length side zipper and the shorter height means the boots will fit under jeans and other lightweight warm-weather pants.


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Changes More Accurately Reflect Medical Center's New System of Care
JUPITER, Fla. (July 23, 2012) – Jupiter Medical Center recently announced changes within their organization to more accurately reflect their system of care - focusing on providing a continuum of care for patients in the ambulatory, acute care and post-acute care settings. Jupiter Medical Center's administrative team includes:
Terri Wentz, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Dale Hocking, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Steven Seeley, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
Betsy Heartfield, Vice President of Post-Acute Care & Rehab Services, Pavilion Administrator
Mike Fehr, Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Peter Gloggner, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Paula Zalucki, Vice President of Physician Services
Cathy Bush, Vice President of Marketing & Communications
Stacey Brandt, Assistant Administrator
"The changes made within our organization were done so to align our leadership team with our system of care - Jupiter Medical Center's new healthcare delivery model," said John D. Couris, President/CEO of Jupiter Medical Center. "This model supports Jupiter Medical Center's mission to deliver excellent and compassionate healthcare advancing the well-being of the people we serve."
About Jupiter Medical Center
A not-for-profit 283-bed community medical center consisting of 163 private acute care hospital beds and 120 long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation and Hospice beds, Jupiter Medical Center provides a broad range of services with specialty concentrations in orthopedics and spine, geriatrics, minimally- invasive surgical procedures including robotic surgery, emergency services, cardiac services, obstetrics, cancer care and advanced diagnostics. Founded in 1979, Jupiter Medical Center has approximately 1,500 team members, 520 physicians and 700 volunteers. For more information on Jupiter Medical Center, please call (561) 263-2234 or visit www.jupitermed.com.


text: Treatment By Mayo Clinic Staff Print To manage your muscle contractions, your doctor might recommend a combination of medications, therapy or surgery. MedicationsBotulinum toxin (Botox) that's injected into specific muscles might reduce or eliminate your muscle contractions and improve your abnormal postures. Injections are usually repeated every three to four months. Side effects are generally mild and temporary. They can include neck weakness, dry mouth or voice changes. Other medications target signaling chemicals in your brain (neurotransmitters) that affect muscle movement. The options include: Carbidopa-levodopa (Parcopa, Sinemet). This combination medication can increase levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Trihexyphenidyl, benztropine. These medications act on other neurotransmitters. Side effects can include memory loss, blurred vision, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation. Tetrabenazine (Xenazine). This medication blocks dopamine. Side effects can include sedation, nervousness, depression or insomnia. Diazepam (Valium), clonazepam (Klonopin), baclofen (Lioresal). These medications reduce neurotransmission and might help some forms of dystonia. These medications may cause side effects, such as drowsiness. TherapyYour doctor might suggest: Physical therapy to help ease your symptoms Speech therapy if dystonia affects your voice Stretching or massage to ease muscle pain Sensory tricks that involve touching your affected body part, which might help reduce your contractions SurgeryIf your symptoms are severe, your doctor might recommend: Deep brain stimulation. Electrodes are surgically implanted into a specific part of your brain and connected to a generator implanted in your chest. The generator sends electrical pulses to your brain that might help control your muscle contractions. The settings on the generator can be adjusted to treat your specific condition. Selective denervation surgery. This procedure, which involves cutting the nerves that control muscle spasms, might be an option to treat some types of dystonia that haven't been successfully treated using other therapies. Alternative medicineAlternative treatments for dystonia haven't been well-studied. Ask your doctor about complementary treatments before you start. Consider: Meditation and deep breathing. Both might ease stress that can worsen spasms. Biofeedback. Electronic devices monitor your body's functions, such as muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure. You then learn how to control your body responses, which might help reduce muscle tension and stress. Yoga. Yoga combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation or relaxation. Stretching or massage. These can ease muscle pain. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic DiagnosisDepartments & specialties Nov. 25, 2015 Print Share on: FacebookTwitter References Comella C. Classification and evaluation of dystonia. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Flint PW, ed. Neurologic disorders of the larynx. In: Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2015. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Jinnah HA, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of dystonia. Neurologic Clinics. 2015;33:77. Comella C. Treatment of dystonia. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Frontera WR, et al., eds. Cervical dystonia. In: Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2015. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Yanoff M, et al., eds. Essential blepharospasm. In: Ophthalmology. 4th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier;; 2014. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Khan J, et al. Oromandibular dystonia: Differential diagnosis and management. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015;146:690. AskMayoExpert. Cervical dystonia. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2015. Ferri FF. Neurology. In: Ferri's Practical Guide: Fast Facts for Patient Care. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2014. http://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Prudenta CN, et al. Dystonia as a network disorder: What is the role of the cerebellum? Neuroscience. 2014;260:23. Dystonias fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dystonias/detail_dystonias.htm. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Mills KA, et al. Neuromodulation for dystonia: Target and patient selection. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. 2014;25:59. Yoga. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga. Accessed Sept. 30, 2015. Riggin EA. Allscripts EPSi. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 18, 2015. 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There's an interesting situation unraveling in the Bronx with Mike Mussina. If the Yankees decide to stick with Ian Kennedy, then there is a good chance that Mussina will be dealt, as he is not a viable an option in the bullpen. In his entire MLB career, Mussina has never pitched even a single inning as a reliever. Given the possibility that the Yankees want to move Mussina and the Reds perpetual need for another quality starting pitcher, the situation begs the question of whether the Reds should attempt to acquire Mussina.
Given that the waiver trade deadline is approaching, it would seem to make sense for the Reds to attempt to acquire Mussina now. Given his lower level of performance in 2007 and his high salary, Mussina would likely clear waivers. That would enable him to be traded before the deadline on August 31.
The Yankee bullpen currently lacks lefthanded pitching. Given that, the Reds could try to trade Mike Stanton to the Yankees for Mike Mussina. Mike Stanton also is likely to clear waivers, as his performance does not justify his salary. Also, Stanton has a long history of pitching for the Yankees, so he might prove to be an attractive option.
The Yankees would be able to shed payroll in the deal and *possibly* improve their bullpen, by adding an left-hander with substantial post-season experience to the team. Given that the Yankees are pushing for the playoffs, Stanton is someone who could improve their chances of reaching the post-season.
Maybe the Reds would have to add something else to the deal (a second tier prospect?) for it to make sense for the Yankees, but I think those should be the two principle players. Both teams subtract a player they don't need, improve their salary situation, and add a player who may be able to help them reach their respective goals.
Given that the structure of the deal makes some degree of sense, the question then becomes, is Mike Mussina a good bet to bounce back in 2008?
Mussina's performance in 2007 has not been stellar, but is it indicative of a poor 2008 season?
Mussina has maintained his walk rate, groundball/flyball ratio, and his homerun rate. His ERA and WHIP have skyrocketed because his strikeout rate has fallen. His K/9 is currently about 1.5 strikeouts per nine innings below his career rate. A 5.5 K/9 is still high enough for a pitcher to maintain long-term success, but clearly Mussina would like to miss a few more bats.
Given that Mussina's strikeout rate has fallen by ~1.5 K/9, you would expect some increase in hits allowed. However, Mussina is giving up almost 3 more hits per nine innings than before, which seems too high.
Year:___H/9__Strand Rate
That said, Mussina is suffering from some poor hit luck. Mussina's BABIP for 2007 is high at .348. Another problem with his 2007 performance is his 63.5% Strand Rate, which is well below his career rate of 71.9%. If BABIP is a measure of how many balls in play will fall in for hits, then Strand Rate is a measure of how those hits are distributed. Obviously, clusters of hits will result in more runs allowed than a more well dispersed pattern. Mussina has suffered from both poor hit luck and poor distribution of hits in 2007.
If you look at his pitch data, his 2007 season has seen him throw a similar amount of both strikes (66%) and first pitch strikes (64%). He's also been consistent in the types of counts in which he has worked, as 2% of the Plate Appearances he has seen have been 3-0 counts and 19% have been 0-2 counts. All of those rates are in line with his career performance, but the one statistic that stands out is his Contact Rate.
This season, Mussina has just been more hittable. He is getting fewer swings and misses than in years past. In 2007, when batters have swung at Mussina's pitches they have made contact 86% of the time, which is up from his 81% career and 81% 2006 mark. It's difficult to be successful in the majors if you aren't missing more bats than that, so it is cause for concern.
So, the $10M question is whether the decreasing strikeout rate is a sign of father time catching up to him or is it something that he can bounce back from?
In the offseason, the Yankees signed Mike Mussina to a two year contract extension. The terms of the contract included salaries of $11,000,000 in 2007 and $11,000,000 in 2008.
The Reds signed Mike Stanton to a contract which included a $2,000,000 salary in 2007, a $3,000,000 in 2008, and a $2,500,000 club option for 2009. The 2009 option comes with a $500,000 buyout.
So, if the Reds could use Mike Stanton and his contract to reduce the amount of money and the inherent risk in acquiring Mike Mussina. If the Reds swapped Stanton for Mussina, then they would save around $3.75M on Stanton, which would reduce their net salary obligation on Mussina to $7,250,000 for 2008. Given the contracts handed out to free agent pitchers last offseason, $7.25M could be a bargain for a pitcher of Mussina's caliber.
By lowering the amount owed to Mussina in 2008, the Reds would also be reducing the inherent risk that he won't provide the amount of production needed for his salary. The lower the salary, the more likely the Reds will get their money's worth out of Mussina.
Another factor at work in determining the risk on Mussina is the switch from the AL East to the NL Central. Given the payroll explosion in the AL East and the existence of the DH, there are some strong offenses in that division. By moving from the AL East to the NL Central, Mussina would be facing weaker offensive lineups and his numbers would likely improve.
In 2007, the non-Yankee AL East teams have scored 4.8 runs per game (2528/528). The non-Reds NL Central teams have scored 4.5 runs per game (2981/657). A switch from the Yankees to the Reds would allow Mussina to face offenses that score fewer runs per game. It worked with Bronson, maybe it'll work again with Moose.
Given the needs of both teams, this might be a deal worth considering. The offseason free agent starting pitcher pool is weak and the Reds may need to look elsewhere to fill out their rotation. The Yankees have three young starters in Phillip Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy who could be ready to fill out the rotation with Andy Pettite and Chien-Ming Wang in 2008. Accordingly, they may not have much need for Mike Mussina. However, the Yankees could be interested in fan favorite Mike Stanton as a situational lefty to help them out in October.
Mike Mussina does have no trade protection, but with some convincing maybe he'd be willing to hang his hat in Cincy. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Mussina as the waiver trade deadline approaches, but a 1-2-3 of Harang, Mussina, and Arroyo could be a big improvement in Cincy in 2008.
For the Reds, it all depends on risk and Mussina would seem to be a lesser risk than throwing ~$10,000,000 at a league average starting pitcher in free agency.