"Well, for starters..."

"...we'll have to fix the wind-up."
"What's wrong with my wind-up?"
"It's long, it's drawn-out, it's murder on your elbow and it makes Tom Seaver roll over in his grave."
"Tom Seaver's not dead!"
"You're missing my point. You need a new angle, something to fool the hitters. I don't know if you've noticed this, but you're not overpowering anyone."

Brian Dufresne didn't need to be told he wasn't overpowering. After changing radar guns three times, he had to face the facts: His fastball, which had lived in the mid-90's his entire career and even tickled 100 in the thin air of Coors, was hovering around 90. His splitter's velocity and movement had pretty much stayed the same, but both of his other breaking pitches had totally vanished. His elbow ached when he threw the slider or the curve, and neither one of them did anything. Except get hit very hard and far, as a rehabbing Clint Barmes had been kind enough to demonstrate. He had been experimenting with a change, but it wasn't going that well.

Rick Matthews and Bob Apodaca both watched as Brian labored through another simulated game. Matthews kept his eye on the ball as it flew all around the park, while Apodaca watched Brian's various reactions. "Fastball, double into the gap."
"Profanity."
"Hanging curveball, home run."
"More profanity. And he slammed his glove down." Matthews put his head in his hands, sighing dejectedly.
"He's done, isn't he Bob?"
"Looks like it. You wanna tell him, or should I?" Brian threw his glove to the ground again, kicking and stomping on it.
"I'm not telling him."

The Bubble

"Here comes the 1-2 to Bonds...and it's lined up the middle, right off Dufresne! Dufresne is crumpled in a heap on the mound, and he's holding his right elbow!"

Brian Dufresne wanted to punch the ground in fury, but the pain was too much. He couldn't move his right arm, and he couldn't take his left hand off of his elbow. He could feel the thousands of tiny pieces that steroid-aided line drive had reduced his elbow to, and it was the worst feeling he had ever felt. He couldn't even register the standing ovation the fans were giving him as he was helped off the field; the only thing he felt was pain.