Well, if you don't already know that, you'd better learn that lesson beforeit's too late. Look what happened to last year's clear-cut most valuable startingpitchers, Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux. Johnson missed most of the season toinjury and Maddux was barely more than a .500 pitcher. And neither of those circumstances were their fault. Why, when Maddux pitched on the road, he rarely had more than one run's worth ofsupport.
Every year there are dozens of pitchers who either get hurt or are thevictims of a lack of support.
Guys like Hideo Nomo, JimmyKey, Chuck Finley, Pete Schourek, Ismael Valdes, Jack McDowell and RogerClemens, to name just a few. You see, you just never know with these guys. You still have to take it seriously. When trying to figure out which starting pitchers to go after and which tostay away from, you need to look at all the factors. What you have to do isuse a combination of past performances, future potential, medical history,strength of his team, the team's bullpen, the patience of the managerand, last but not least, hunches.