David Wells Calls Rob Manfred The Worst Commissioner Of All Time For His Handling Of Starting Pitching

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s new culture and changes to the league are raising concerns about the longevity of pitchers.

On the latest episode of OutKick’s “The Ricky Cobb Show,” former New York Yankees pitcher David Wells didn’t hold back as he discussed the changing game for new pitchers in the league. 

Wells didn’t mince words as he called out “the worst commissioner” in baseball for contributing to the problem. 

Jul 9, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the first round of the MLB Draft at Lumen Field. (Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports)

The two-time World Series champ credited his “rubber arm” with the longevity of his 21 major league seasons (nine teams).

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Ricky spoke with Wells: “Starting pitchers are throwing fewer innings than ever before. Pitch counts are more restrictive. …

“What are we doing, David? I mean, how do you feel about it when you see that, you know, obviously your arm didn’t explode at 100 pitches … how would you view it in terms of protecting your assets?”

Wells responded: “I was blessed with a rubber arm. But, you know, a lot of guys in my era, we played a lot in long toss. I mean, we played catch every day. … 

“To me, all those years of playing long toss was what got me through those long seasons. Usually, you get a dead-arm period through the season where you’re just tired. You don’t want to do it. But, you know, I think that the long toss paid off.”

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 23:  (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT)  Former New York Yankee David Wells attends the teams 67th Old Timers Day prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on SeptemberJune 23, 2013 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Rays defeated the Yankees 3-1.  (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 09: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. smiles during a press conference at MLB Headquarters. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The fearless former ace dug into Manfred, who’s long been criticized for making bad decisions, such as moving the MLB All-Star Game out of Atlanta in 2021 over political outrage.

“They’re trying to change the game,” Wells added. “To me, they got the worst Commissioner of all time. They’re trying to change the game of baseball when, you know, the history of the game for 150-plus years has been the same.”

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