Giants concern that 3 levels of post season play and shorter off season may affect pitchers' regular season

3/5/11, Bill Madden, "It remains to be seen if it's nothing to be concerned about, but the concern about the innings toll on the Giants' young starters during their world championship run last year is already being realized with Matt Cain being scratched from his second spring start last Thursday because of elbow inflammation. Cain led the Giants staff with 223 1/3 innings, then added 21 1/3 shutout innings in the postseason. Such is the price teams pay with their starting pitchers, going through

• three rounds of the postseason on top of 200-plus innings in the regular season."...

3/5/11, Bill Madden, "New Atlanta Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez might have enough pitching to challenge the Phillies," NY Daily News, "It's a Madd, Madd World"

• Bill Madden's note follows a Jan. 14 MLB.com article:

1/14/11, MLB.com, "Giants' pitchers arming themselves against short offseason," by Chris Haft

• MLB expresses concern that Giants' pitchers have had to work an extra month in the post season.

However, teams have been in this situation since 1995

• when 3 levels of post season play became standard.

If it's such a concern now, why are they talking about adding even more games to the post season?

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