1
Earl's Fourth Law: the place for a rookie starter is in long relief.
1. He learns the league.
1a. The lack of pressure allows him to think and actually learn.
2. He doesn't hurt the team while he's learning.
3. The lack of stress on his arm is good for his career. (Earl kept SP's healthy for 250 IP at a crack.)
As against Earl's opinion, you have the opinions of 90% of the baseball world -- who believe precisely this, that starters need to be 'stretched out'. Lou Piniella was particularly in this camp.
For me, the factor that trumps others is --- > a period of light usage during that critical under-age-25 phase.