Why Aren't Baseball Players Be Athletic?

[Pirc Defense]

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Baseball players are the best athletes on average compared to any other sport.

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Pro baseball players are incredible athletes, but the quoted statement above is simply not true. Just who are they more athletic than? Football players? Basketball? Hockey? Tennis? Soccer? No way.

And one of the main reasons that athletes who could play two sports choose baseball is that the average career length is much longer in baseball because the wear and tear on your body is much less than, say, football.

I don't know for a fact but I'd think the average age of a pro baseball player is higher than either football or basketball. That should speak to the need for athleticsm among those three sports.

[ThaSaltCracka]

Baseball is the hardest of the three sports to play at the top level as well.

Baseball clearly requires athleticism, but its a different type than football or basketball. I for one and sort of tired of these discussions because it is literally like comparing apples and oranges.

[theBruiser500]

You guys are all responding to just one of my points. What about fat outfielders that can't make simple defensive plays?

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
You guys are all responding to just one of my points. What about fat outfielders that can't make simple defensive plays?

[/ QUOTE ]The same fat outfielders that routinely crush the ball at the plate? Nough said.

[bwana devil]

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If he has trouble catching the knuckleball, he bets paid $100 million a day or whatever, he should keep practicing until he can catch it. He dropped I think 3 different pithches, gross.

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Variteck is not the everyday catcher for Wakefield. Variteck is not used to that pitch. Wakefield has his own catcher that only catches when he's on the mound. The dynamics of the playoffs don't allow for this matchup to occur when Wake comes on in relief.

Don't knock a guy's athleticism for missing a few of the hardest to catch pitches in the game.

[BeerMoney]

Why do people associate athleticism mainly with cardiovasular fitness?

I am more impressed with skill than I am with strength or endurance. The most physically fit atheletes are probably swimmers, triathletes, marathoners, etc... But, who cares?

Sports like baseball, golf, tennis, etc. take ton's of coordination..

We watch sports that entertain us. If people find watching a baseball game more entertaining than a marathon, than that's the sport that will have the higher paid athletes.. End of discussion..

I for one appreciate atheletes of many disciplines. I respect a marathoner that can run sub 5 minute miles for 26 miles, when I can't run one sub 5 minute mile... I respect the fact that andy Roddick can serve a tennis ball 152 MPH.. They are ALL freaks.. However, I enjoy sports that combine many different skills.. Tennis:Speed, coordination, endurance and strength.. Baseball:Speed, COORDINATION, quick reactions.. Football:Strength, coordination, speed, courage, heart, teamwork..

[J.R.]

What about Beltran's diving catch or Kapler's running catch after Cairo's double in the 11th last night? Why focus on the exceptions rather than the rule- there are more great defensive plays than errors/mistakes in a typical game.

What about cornerbacks like deion sanders who can't tackle, or guys like glen rice who can shoot for days but couldn't guard somebody to save their soul? Like Manny Ramirez, they both give up a bit in some areas of the game because of their outstanding excellence in other areas.

[ThaSaltCracka]

I am glad you brought up Deon. Here is a guy who was an awesome football player, but as a baseball player, he was nothing more than average. Can you explain this Bruiser?

[bwana devil]

Good point. And an even more blatant example:

Michael Jordan

Why didn't he bring the White Sox six World Series rings?

[Boris]

Well I guess it's how you define athleticism. I stand by my statement that baseball players are better athletes, on average, than athletes in any other sport. My argument is based on money. Baseball players get paid more than athletes in other sports and they have, by far, the most favorable contract terms with team owners. Compare Baseball's salary structure with that of Football. Football players get screwed. They don't get paid very much and their contracts are not guaranteed. Wanna know why? Simple. Football players are interchangeable. All a team has to do is find a big chunk of meat that can follow orders. He will be almost as good as the player currently on the roster.

Baseball players on the other hand are not replaceable. They have the owners over a barrel and there really isn't much they can do about it. That, combined with the fact that great athletes almost always choose baseball if they have a choice, is why I say baseball players are better athletes.