For Pitchers WHEN IS IT PAIN AND WHEN IS IT ROUTINE?

Young hurlers trying to make their mark are often reluctant to complain about nagging arm trouble

WHEN YOU LOOK UP THE BIO OF almost any pitcher in a team's press guide, you find the obvious stats that qualify him to be a major leaguer: excellent winning percentage, high numbers of saves or strikeouts and low earned run averages.

Less noticeable is the price many hurlers pay for promotion. Perusal of each playing history reveals health troubles caused by the astonishing stresses of slinging a baseball 60 feet with requisite velocity or spin.

Many veterans have spent time on the disabled list with injuries, even Seattle Mariners pitching coach Bryan Price, and many bear faded scars as a receipt of the cost they paid.

But last spring, arm surgeries on Seattle's Gil Meche and Ryan Anderson put focus on an issue that these men face--usually before they reach the big league roster.

In the salmon-like fight up the organizational stream, what does a youngster do about an arm pain? When does he speak up about it? Or does he take a big gulp, and try to pitch through it?

"There absolutely is a point where a young pitcher learns what is normal pain and what isn't," said Price, whose career in the Anaheim Angels' system was wrecked by shoulder surgery in 1987. "The important part is learning the difference. After every outing there usually is stiffness. But the first time a pitcher feels that extra stiffness sends up a red flag."