Now Jose Fernandez is going to need Tommy John surgery

[packs]

To be fair the baseball season is the most grueling of any sport. It's almost 6 months long and 7 months if you make it to the World Series.

[MyGuyTy]

Originally Posted by packs

To be fair the baseball season is the most grueling of any sport. It's almost 6 months long and 7 months if you make it to the World Series.

To counter argue, if you added up the "gruelingness" of an 82 game hockey season vs. a 6 month baseball season (of mostly standing around or sitting on your ass in the dugout), hockey is still a million times more demanding and physically exhausting on the human body. Just read an article, a Minnesota Wild player just played the entire playoff series against the Hawks with a separated shoulder!......lol. If a BB player separated his shoulder, he's on the DL and likely done for the season.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by packs

To be fair the baseball season is the most grueling of any sport. It's almost 6 months long and 7 months if you make it to the World Series.

True, but these guys are getting hurt early in the season.

I've been having an ongoing chat with Will Carroll. Last night, Jason Kendall (former MLB catcher) was on the Olbermann show. He has a theory that pitchers are getting these injuries more often because they are weight training more. It seems at least plausible that the increased mass they are adding decreases the flexibility of the arm, and the larger muscles are putting more torque on the ligaments.

Nolan Ryan was incredibly conditioned. He rode the exercise bike for hours every day, and worked on his ranch pretty much every day. But he never did any real weight training, at least not the kind that built muscle mass.

I think baseball players are pushing the human body as far as it can go.

[Jim65]

Did anyone see the MLB Roundtable about pitching injuries that was on MLB Network last week. Dr Altcheck and Dr Andrews were guests, I got the impression they think some of the surgeries are unnecessary, that there is an overconfidence among teams and players in the surgery and a misbelief that pitchers come back and throw harder which the Drs say is completely untrue.

[packs]

I still think baseball has the most demanding schedule and is the most demanding on the body.

Starters will play 162 games. In hockey there are line changes and they only play half as many games. Premium position players like catcher, shortstop, center field are all elite athletes. It's not just a bunch of guys standing around.

I do think there is something to the points being raised about weight lifting. And I also think there is something to be said for guys who aren't truly pitchers, but are out there throwing as hard as they can. Or throwing the wrong pitch too often.

[mckinneyj]

There are quite a few theories on this subject. Some think that the year round travel baseball for kids and the impetus to hit 90 on the gun in high school results in damage that doesn't show until later on - either college or pros. Another popular theory is mechanics that result in an "inverted w" and/or "scapular loading" during the pitching motion. Apparently a commonly taught pitching technique results in additional load being placed on the arms for pitchers who don't have the leg strenght to drive the ball. Fascinating stuff - have a look at some of what a google search for "pitching inverted w injury" turns up - again, all theory with nothing settled and no rigorous studies yet done.

[MyGuyTy]

Originally Posted by packs

I still think baseball has the most demanding schedule and is the most demanding on the body.

Starters will play 162 games. In hockey there are line changes and they only play half as many games. Premium position players like catcher, shortstop, center field are all elite athletes. It's not just a bunch of guys standing around.

I do think there is something to the points being raised about weight lifting. And I also think there is something to be said for guys who aren't truly pitchers, but are out there throwing as hard as they can. Or throwing the wrong pitch too often.

Line changes are CONSTANT in hockey. They don't sit on the benches very long before they're up and back on the ice. If you gonna sit here and say baseball is a more grueling sport, you're gonna lose that argument EVERY single time. You must think golf is pretty "grueling" as well, haha.

I played hockey from 6 years old to early twenties on a semi pro league. Played baseball from 4 until 18........they're not even close to being compared on their effects on the body, not even close. I enjoyed the constant 15-20 min. rests in the dugout while we were batting. Then got my "exercise" once every 45 min running after a pop fly, lol. Conversely my whole body was beaten after one game playing hockey.

There's a reason they call the Stanley Cup "The hardest trophy to win in sports".

[howard38]

Hockey certainly demands better conditioning but the players are at a lower risk for a lot of the injuries that baseball players are susceptible to. Skating is easier on the knees than running and shoulders are safer because there is no throwing in hockey. Of course they also wear body armor.