Why are baseball players so poorly conditioned ? MLB should be embarrassed

WorldNumberOne · Apr 15, 2007

So many guys on the DL before the season even starts . Then another bunch go on within the first 2 weeks.

It cracks me up to watch guys pull muscles running out a grounder to first base.

League is a joke.

I'm 44 years old and can play 3 to 5 sets of tennis and somehow get up to do it again the next day . And the next day ...... And on and on and on....

Oh and I'm not talking about standing around. I run down everything..

themanej2001 · Apr 15, 2007

World Number One said:
So many guys on the DL before the season even starts . Then another bunch go on within the first 2 weeks.

It cracks me up to watch guys pull muscles running out a grounder to first base.

League is a joke.

I'm 44 years old and can play 3 to 5 sets of tennis and somehow get up to do it again the next day . And the next day ...... And on and on and on....

Oh and I'm not talking about standing around. I run down everything..

Ok, but can you take the physical and mental grind of a 162 baseball season. No chance what so ever. These guys don't run back and forth all the time so their muscles are not loose like a tennis players. So when they go balls out on a ground out they can pull something.

Their off season work outs are intense. Something probably none of us could do.

CaptainBone · Apr 15, 2007

themanej2001 said:
Ok, but can you take the physical and mental grind of a 162 baseball season. No chance what so ever. These guys don't run back and forth all the time so their muscles are not loose like a tennis players. So when they go balls out on a ground out they can pull something.

Their off season work outs are intense. Something probably none of us could do.

Mark this down as one of the few times I agree with you. Good points made.

WorldNumberOne · Apr 15, 2007

if those workouts were so intense they wouldnt be breaking down so much. i doubt more than 10 % of all players work out like roger clemens does. look at some of their bodies . obviously they dont.

mental and physical grind of playing baseball for 2 1/2 hours a night 162 nights a year.

ya , if i were 25 i think i could handle it.

themanej2001 · Apr 15, 2007

World Number One said:
if those workouts were so intense they wouldnt be breaking down so much. i doubt more than 10 % of all players work out like roger clemens does. look at some of their bodies . obviously they dont.

mental and physical grind of playing baseball for 2 1/2 hours a night 162 nights a year.

ya , if i were 25 i think i could handle it.

You are dreaming man. You could not handle that grind. I played 80 games in a summer as a 16 year old and it was exhausting and very mentally and physically grinding and demanding...

You are dreaming man.

WorldNumberOne · Apr 15, 2007

maybe to keep those muscles loose , they should have a row of exercise bikes in the dugout instead of a bench .

no excuse at all to blow out a hammy running out a grounder.

themanej2001 · Apr 15, 2007

Dsethi said:
only exhausting thing about playing summer baseball were doubleheaders in 100 95-100 degree weather. Other than that, playing back to back days was just plain fun. and if you're a competitor then the mental grind is nonexistant and the physical grind is overlooked.

Playing sports is the cure for all sorts of illnesses, colds, coughs, flus. Have found that when you're out on the diamond or the basketball court, it all dissapears for those few hours.

Dude you are underestimating the mental grind of a 162 game season. True as a kid I played triple headers that started at 10 AM and on occasion went until 11 PM... pure exhaustion...

But the focus that is needed to succeed in baseball each and every day is harder then any other sport. Baseball is a sport where you need to be 100% there both mentally and physically and that is what makes it so damn hard. That is why they use uppers often.

themanej2001 · Apr 15, 2007

Dsethi said:
I'm not saying it isn't the hardest mental grind of all sports. I'm saying that when you're out on the field, it's not hard to concentrate.

I think it is harder to get up every day and play baseball then it is to do anything else in sports. Every time you are at the plate you need to try and concentrate 100% otherwise the odds are you won't succeed.

As a kid it is one thing, but damn baseball is tough when you get to that level.

themanej2001 · Apr 15, 2007

Dsethi said:
this is the case with most challeninging tasks, focusing 100% so i don't buy that.
And toughness is relative. If you're 13 playing baseball and facing pitching at that level, it's just as tough to hit then as it is for a major leaguer to hit in the majors. It is completely relative.

Aagain, not saying it's not one of the harder sports to play, i think it's amazingly difficult, but it's not amazingly difficult to focus every AB and every pitch.

Trust me man, it is very very very tough. That is why these guys have to take uppers to play every day. Because it is hard to go 100% every single day. Most people never do this at their jobs...

And no it is far from relative.

That is why kids in HS, College, and LL can hit like .400 and .500 because it isn't relative. But no one in the big leagues will ever hit .400 again.

The Big Leagues is a different deal and a different show, so tough.

Baseball is so so so frustrating and so tought o focus every AB and every play.

LogansRun · Apr 15, 2007

I wonder what it must be like to make $8 mill a year but your team is 22 GBL on a late August Sunday with the temperature 100F in the shade with 95% humidity. Might be hard to run all out on a routine grounder to the SS despite the $$$.

WorldNumberOne · Apr 15, 2007

ya , it has to be just hell trying to concentrate for all of about 15 minutes of action during the 9 innings you are out there .

what does any of this have to do with conditioning one's body so as not to break down so often.

i would say baseball ranks 4th out of the big 4 when it comes to the physical grind of a season .

even though they play 162 games in a 185 day stretch , they still arent expanding as much energy as a football , hockey or basketball player.

let me know the next time a baseball player loses 10 pounds during a game ..

themanej2001 · Apr 15, 2007

World Number One said:
ya , it has to be just hell trying to concentrate for all of about 15 minutes of action during the 9 innings you are out there .

what does any of this have to do with conditioning one's body so as not to break down so often.

i would say baseball ranks 4th out of the big 4 when it comes to the physical grind of a season .

even though they play 162 games in a 185 day stretch , they still arent expanding as much energy as a football , hockey or basketball player.

let me know the next time a baseball player loses 10 pounds during a game ..

I'll let you know the next time they lose 20 pounds through out a season. Through the stresses of every day baseball...

I have said it here b4 and I'll say it again..

Baseball is the only sport in the world where failing 65% of the time makes you great. The mental side of sports is much harder then the physical side and most people can't deal with it.

To say baseball players aren't in good shape makes no sense. Being stationary and then busting all out is very bad on the human body. The fact that you think you could go through the 162 game grind at any point in your life is just flat out wrong man. You take a beating in baseball and it is far from a non physically demanding sport.

lander · Apr 15, 2007

Papi is in great shape. He's got his dugout to vending machine time down from 6.4 seconds in the offseason to 6.35 in spring training.

dominicdg · Apr 15, 2007

themanej2001 said:
Ok, but can you take the physical and mental grind of a 162 baseball season. No chance what so ever. These guys don't run back and forth all the time so their muscles are not loose like a tennis players. So when they go balls out on a ground out they can pull something.

Their off season work outs are intense. Something probably none of us could do.

I agree with what you are saying but it really doesnt make sense to what the guy who started the thread is saying. I totally agree 162 games is a total grind but most of these guys havent played more then 12 games. There are people hurt and out of shape everywhere. Im not going to be cocky and say i could handle it cause i cant. But as far as offseason conditioning baseball players are the worst by far. I mean espn did a special on overweight players in the league. I doubt u would see that in any other sport. Know if we were 50- 70 games in and people where being put on the DL i would totally understand but this has to be one of the biggest DL lists this eary in a season i have ever seen. The Cubs and Yankees pitchers alone is a big number

gtc08 · Apr 15, 2007

162 MLB games is the equivalent of 41 NBA games conditioning wise.

dominicdg · Apr 16, 2007

Dsethi said:
why should i trust your opinion over my own? I know this is where you say "well i've played baseball my whole life at a high level." Yes, so have I.

Haha it is so funny when u discussing something with somebody and they say trust me i know. Like the other person is going to be like oh ok ill trust you. My opinion was wrong and u right. Hahaha

Illini · Apr 16, 2007

themanej2001 said:
Dude you are underestimating the mental grind of a 162 game season. True as a kid I played triple headers that started at 10 AM and on occasion went until 11 PM... pure exhaustion...

But the focus that is needed to succeed in baseball each and every day is harder then any other sport. Baseball is a sport where you need to be 100% there both mentally and physically and that is what makes it so damn hard. That is why they use uppers often.

Get real. Working 5 hours a day, playing a game, making millions, beer in the clubhouse, strip clubs on the road, 5 star hotels, and 6 months off a year is anything but a grind. Grind? Get the fuck outta here. That's a goddam vacation of a life.

themanej2001 · Apr 16, 2007

Illini said:
Get real. Working 5 hours a day, playing a game, making millions, and 6 months off a year is anything but a grind. Grind? Get the fuck outta here.

The greats take 0 months off a year... Hell I would guess 90% of baseball players take 0 months off a year.

If a kid that is playing college ball only gets 3 weeks off... what do you think they get off in the pro's. Sure there are some that are poorly conditioned and come in over weight, but for everyone one of those that there is I would say there are 10 that are hard workers who keep their body in peek physical shape. There is a reason baseball players can play into their forties now.

Not only that but it is extremely cold right now.

It is funny when people call it a game and say it isn't a grind and they are making millions. You need to be really close to someone who is going through that grind to truly understand. The pressure they feel and the aches and pains they have every day. Until you are around someone like that you will not understand.

It is a serious grind. It isn't a game to them, to a few it may be, but it is their job. They have been playing baseball their whole lives, and eventually you feel burned out at times.

Illini · Apr 16, 2007

themanej2001 said:
The greats take 0 months off a year... Hell I would guess 90% of baseball players take 0 months off a year.

If a kid that is playing college ball only gets 3 weeks off... what do you think they get off in the pro's. Sure there are some that are poorly conditioned and come in over weight, but for everyone one of those that there is I would say there are 10 that are hard workers who keep their body in peek physical shape. There is a reason baseball players can play into their forties now.

Not only that but it is extremely cold right now.

I know people in the big leagues. They party like rock stars, sleep till noon, and know how easy they have it. There is nothing about that lifestyle that says "grind."

You want to talk grind. A grind is when you're a minor league umpire making 10K a year, getting 12 bucks a day for food, and driving 14 hours between games.

themanej2001 · Apr 16, 2007

Illini said:
I know people in the big leagues. They party like rock stars, sleep till noon, and know how easy they have it. There is nothing about that lifestyle that says "grind."

I find that very very very hard to believe. I am best friends with a kid in the minors and another kid playing big time college ball. They stress every fucking day they don't succeed. They work their asses off 11 months of the year and they know players in the big leagues and get calls from them a lot talking about how nerve wrecking it is and how hard it is to get out of slumps.

You are lying your ass off right now Illini because when you are around these guys when they are in a funk they are stressing like crazy. You are just using stereotypes because there are many athletes and baseball players with familes who never party. At least this is what I am told by the guys I know.

Say the guys in the minor leagues are different but they aren't. It is an emotional grind and roller coaster.