Hershiser Confident in Smoltz, Despite ’09 Struggles

Watching John Smoltz pitch this year has not been a pleasant experience. His 1-4 record and 7.04 ERA haven't exactly ensured confidence for Red Sox fans, who had hoped Smoltz would be the secret weapon for the Sox in the postseason.

Despite the struggles, one baseball expert — who certainly knows what he's talking about — believes Smoltz will be fine.

Writing on ESPN.com, former Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser said that a 42-year-old returning from major shoulder surgery should expect to have some setbacks, but that Smoltz has shown enough positive signs to believe he's got something whorthwhile left in the tank.

Citing "inconsistent execution" as Smoltz's biggest issue through six starts, Hershiser recommended a tip that could help the surefire Hall of Famer:

Looking at him on film, I have a lot of confidence in saying that Smoltz will bounce back. His mechanics look the same. What he needs now — the one thing that will bring the ball down in the strike zone and make hitters miss more — is extension: the act of reaching down the mound and releasing the ball a little later as you throw. This hides the ball longer and brings you closer to the batter, so you seem more sneaky-fast.

Hershiser knows a thing or two about pitching at an advanced age. Though his final season with the Dodgers in 2000 was somewhat disastrous (1-5, 13.14 ERA), he pitched effectively the year earlier for the Mets, going 13-12 with a 4.58 ERA in 179 innings.

Hershiser said that a lot of pitchers returning from surgery have trouble with extension. The reason is that prior to surgery, "pitchers will compensate for pain by cutting their delivery off short. It's a tough habit to break, but a necessary one in order to get back to that level of extension where quality pitchers live."

Throughout his 18-year career, Hershiser proved to be a model of consistency. Excluding his first and last seasons, he averaged 193 2/3 innings per season, missing extended time only in 1990 due to a torn rotator cuff. After missing a full year, Hershiser went 7-2 with a 3.46 ERA during the 1991 season.

"It's frustrating, though, when you work so hard to get back on the hill and you just continue to struggle out there," wrote Hershiser. "But Smoltz can still hurl his fastballs in the 90s, and his slider remains sharp. If he can just make those minor adjustments to his location, Smoltz will return to form soon. … It's only a matter of time."