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Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

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Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#3
post #2

I must not understand Baseball well, because it strikes me as one of the least fatiguing sports that there are.

Here is what I'd recommend: for four hours, alternate sitting and standing every ten minutes in a sunny park. When standing, once every thirty seconds or so tense into a squat position and concentrate as hard as you can on something about 100 feet away. Every 10th time, sprint all out in a random direction. Every 20th time, throw a rock as hard as you can as far as you can.

What you will find is that you, a normal human, can keep this up for about one hour, before you collapse of exhaustion or hurt yourself.

That the super humans who play professional baseball are able to do this day in and day out for more than half a year is insane.

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#4
post #2

I must not understand Baseball well, because it strikes me as one of the least fatiguing sports that there are.

I've had a few conversations with friends about which sport I'd choose to play if I could be a professional in any sport. I think baseball would be at the bottom of my list.

You have to go to the ballpark nearly every single day for almost 8 months. I'm from Detroit and I'm looking at the Tiger's schedule right now. In September they have TWO days in the entire month without a game. By that time they will also be playing doubleheaders or make up games because of weather. In May they go 21 consecutive days with a game. Even if it's not as physically demanding as hockey or american football, that's exhausting. Imagine having to go to the office that much.

On top of that you're playing until nearly November if you're in the World Series and then spring training starts in Feb (it's already started). There's nearly no offseason.

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#5
post #2

I must not understand Baseball well, because it strikes me as one of the least fatiguing sports that there are.

Here is what I'd recommend: for four hours, alternate sitting and standing every ten minutes in a sunny park. When standing, once every thirty seconds or so tense into a squat position and concentrate as hard as you can on something about 100 feet away. Every 10th time, sprint all out in a random direction. Every 20th time, throw a rock as hard as you can as far as you can. What you will find is that you, a normal hu…

No, if you're a professional athlete this should not be all that difficult. Boring but not difficult.

Look at the average baseball player. So many of them are plump or overweight. I'd argue that soccer players running 10-15 miles every game have a bit more to deal with.

baseball needs some yoga and proper nutrition.

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#6
post #2

I must not understand Baseball well, because it strikes me as one of the least fatiguing sports that there are.

Here is what I'd recommend: for four hours, alternate sitting and standing every ten minutes in a sunny park. When standing, once every thirty seconds or so tense into a squat position and concentrate as hard as you can on something about 100 feet away. Every 10th time, sprint all out in a random direction. Every 20th time, throw a rock as hard as you can as far as you can. What you will find is that you, a normal hu…

The people who pick your coffee probably have as exhaustive a routine. Doesn't make it a spectator sport.

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#7
post #4
post #2

I must not understand Baseball well, because it strikes me as one of the least fatiguing sports that there are.

I've had a few conversations with friends about which sport I'd choose to play if I could be a professional in any sport. I think baseball would be at the bottom of my list. You have to go to the ballpark nearly every single day for almost 8 months. I'm from Detroit and I'm looking at the Tiger's schedule right now. In September they have TWO days in the entire month without a game. By that time they will also be pla…

And the average salary is $3.8 million.

[1]http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/major-league-...

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here is what I'd recommend: for four hours, alternate sitting and standing every ten minutes in a sunny park. When standing, once every thirty seconds or so tense into a squat position and concentrate as hard as you can on something about 100 feet away. Every 10th time, sprint all out in a random direction. Every 20th time, throw a rock as hard as you can as far as you can. What you will find is that you, a normal hu…

No, if you're a professional athlete this should not be all that difficult. Boring but not difficult. Look at the average baseball player. So many of them are plump or overweight. I'd argue that soccer players running 10-15 miles every game have a bit more to deal with. baseball needs some yoga and proper nutrition.

>I'd argue that soccer players running 10-15 miles every game have a bit more to deal with.

You mean kilometers, not miles.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/06...

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#9
Interesting ideas by the Marlins, but I'd like to see the MLB take this further by cutting down the number of games from 162 to 100, and trimming the inning count from 9 to 7. Sure, the historical data won't match up, but it would be better for the players and more entertaining for the fans to watch shorter, less frequent games.

On an unrelated note, it would be nice if they expanded the playoffs to include 16 teams with the first two rounds being a best out of 5, concluding with the NLCS/ALCS and World Series being a best out of 7, of course. It would get more fanbases interested in their team if they at least made a playoff appearance more often.

The sport could use a shot in the arm in terms of viewership as the average age of your typical MLB viewer is ~54 years.

[1]http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-04-01/fixing-baseb...

Re: Baseball’s Fight with Fatigue

#10
post #9

Interesting ideas by the Marlins, but I'd like to see the MLB take this further by cutting down the number of games from 162 to 100, and trimming the inning count from 9 to 7. Sure, the historical data won't match up, but it would be better for the players and more entertaining for the fans to watch shorter, less frequent games. On an unrelated note, it would be nice if they expanded the playoffs to include 16 teams…

Personally, I've always thought they should put a speed limit on pitching. These days watching baseball feels like watching two guys play catch.
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