Does anyone think the reason for 5-man rotations has to do with the possibility that the way pitchers pitch has changed? This is sort of playing off deadringer's comment from near the top of the thread. I agree that the calculation of risk and reward militates against using your $20M/yr starter too often (although, considering the amount you put in him . . . .
) but I also wonder whether pitchers today might not be over-trained, so that, like thoroughbreds, they "break" more often. There's a similar concern about having middle-school and high-school kids train only for one sport. Some doctors are saying that isn't good for their overall physical well-being.