TPG,
I answered your question in a post, but as I look back it appears to have disappeared. (Was I censored?)
As you suggested, I did check you out by reviewing your resume on
www.chrisoleary.comYou have an interesting and diverse background. Unfortunately it is not very deep in the field of baseball. I'm all for intensive self-study and book learnin', but some experience in the trenches (above the 7th grade) would be helpful.
In particular, I now think I understand your concern with the "down L" position. It is, quite candidly, because you do not seem to understand how the rest of the baseball world uses the term. I suspect this is a result of your lack of practical baseball experience.
You say Maddux does not use the "down L" position, but in fact photos posted on your site show him in exactly that position, and the interview excerpt posted on your site explains exactly how he gets to that position. The standard usage of "down L" refers to when the pitcher's hand leaves the glove and reaches down and back. This precedes the back & up reach (on a fastball, ball actually faces second base) into the "up L" position.
What YOU are referring to as the "down L" is NOT what Maddux was talking about. What you are concerned about is when a pitcher reaches more straight down, then pulls the ball up into a c*o*c*k*e*d position with a path that has the hand traveling inside the elbow, closer to the body. This is the freeze frame you have of B.J. Ryan, above. Mark Prior is a severe example of this.
I would concur with you that this type of arm action increases tension and stress on both the elbow and shoulder and should be avoided. I also agree with your opinion that Prior's severe inward flip is a chief cause of his repeated breakdowns. But please be more careful in your use of terminology, to avoid confusing the issue.
BTW, on your site you also assail what you call the "inverted W" position. That is a term I've not heard before, but perhaps you can coin the phrase. I would point out, however, that the problem with the "inverted W" is the exact same problem you see in B.J. Ryan and Prior -- the use of the "inward flip" to the c*o*c*k*e*d position, as opposed to the more fluid "down, back & up" motion. It is not a separate issue at all.