Here is the kids aren't as tough as they once were argument. All through baseball lore is the young flamethrower that doesn't work out and got a "dead arm" or "sore elbow". No one was sitting around and collecting data on how many of these guys were hanging around in the 40's, 50's and 60's while they "pitched through the pain" and destroyed their arms.
Given the fact that the players were not as valuable it was much easier to toss them overboard and get the next 22 year old farm boy. A few turned into Feller, Ryan, Ford etc. But many times those numbers just got flushed.
The old days were never as good as we remember them to be and the current time will become the good old days in 2025 or 2030. By then we'll be having the debate about the bionic arms the pitchers have and when it used to be a flesh and bone game and that todays kids are wimps compared to Verlander or Strausberg.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I could not agree with you more.