THE 6 YEAR, $155 MILLION 'DEAD ARM'

It's unbelievable how it happens, but it does.  Dead Arm.  Now, I've heard the term for years, and never really understood it.  Here's the best way to describe Dead Arm.

"Dead arm syndrome starts with repetitive motion and forces on the posterior capsule of the shoulder. The posterior capsule is a band of fibrous tissue that interconnects with tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Four muscles and their tendons make up the rotator cuff. They cover the outside of the shoulder to hold, protect and move the joint.

Overuse can lead to a buildup of tissue around the posterior capsule called hypertrophy. The next step is tightness of the posterior capsule called posterior capsular contracture. 

This type of problem reduces the amount the shoulder can rotate inwardly. Over time, with enough force, a tear may develop in the labrum."

That's Wikipedia and it's pretty accurate. 

Speaking of Dead arm... Jon Lester has it.  Amazing.  6 years, $155 Million and the dude has dead arm. Not exactly the time to get it, Huh?  According to Hardball Talk:

"Gearing up for the first season of a six-year, $155 million deal with the Cubs, left-hander Jon Lester has been scratched from his scheduled Saturday start with what the team is calling a “dead arm period... Joe Maddon expressed confidence that Lester will be able to take his next turn in the rotation and make the Opening Day start as planned."

Will Lester recover? I have no doubt, but it's fascinating to me how this kind of stuff happens so often.  Tommy John surgery. Dead Arm.  Is this kind of stuff just because pitchers are babied or what?   Who knows... just interesting I guess.

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