OT: Did you catch the pilot episode of Pitch

[packs]

Why no position players? There are plenty of women faster than the average player and you don't need to hit home runs to make it in the big leagues.

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by packs

Why no position players? There are plenty of women faster than the average player and you don't need to hit home runs to make it in the big leagues.

Being fast just simply isn't enough. Sure there are women faster than some men but it would need to be a perfect storm as far as skill set for a woman to do everything as well as a Major League player. Again, if they are as skilled I'd be for it I just would not hold my breath that it is going to happen.

I could see a woman making it in the minors just not at that elite Major League level.

[btcarfagno]

Originally Posted by packs

Why no position players? There are plenty of women faster than the average player and you don't need to hit home runs to make it in the big leagues.

And at the top levels they face softballs being thrown at 70+ MPH from 46 feet away. That is the equivilent of a mid 90's fastball. Plus the movement on the pitches is crazy.

Having caught softballs thrown to me by low level division one softball players (read: Northeast...not California), I can tell you that these girls could throw a baseball just fine from the infield or the outfield.

I have zero doubt that an incredibly gifted, athletic female who comes up and plays baseball right from the start instead of softball....she would have a shot to play in the minor leagues. I have no doubt at all. Unfortunately there are very few opportunities for girls to continue playing baseball past little league. Their parents are smart to follow the money. The money will lead a very good female baseball player against boys to be an exceptional softball player against girls...much better chance at a college scholorship that route.

Tom C

[EvilKing00]

there was a girl on my sons little league team last year. I was the manager - was a Coach pitch league - 7 & 8 year olds. The girl was the not only the best player on our team, But IMO she was top 3 in the league. the league had 13 teams with 12 kids on a team. Yea she was one of the 8 year olds but she was awesome. crushed almost every pitch into the OF, there were no stats, BUT I know, cause i was manager and i was pitching, that in 22 games, she only got out twice. Both times it was due to her trying to stretch a single into a double, or she would of his 1000 for the season, lol

[Snapolit1]

If you watch this gladiator type show on now with men and women doing insane stuff (my kids love it), it's remarkable what athletes and how strong some of these woman are. The idea that they couldn't have the skills to be a major league second baseman or first baseman is laughable. I'd like to see Lucas Duda doing some of the things these women do.

[rhettyeakley]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

The idea that they couldn't have the skills to be a major league second baseman or first baseman is laughable.

I don't know that having doubt that a woman can play in the MAJOR LEAGUES is all that laughable. It is 2016 and no woman has ever come anywhere close to doing so so until someone proves otherwise I think most will have their doubts. Again, we are talking the Major Leagues here not the minors, I'm sure there are some great athletes that could potentially break into the minors.

Then again based on what everyone is saying in this thread I should just sit back and wait as apparently it is a foregone conclusion that it will happen. I guess I'm being laughable to doubt it!

[bravos4evr]

The things working against a woman in MLB are simply a numbers game:

How many women play baseball at a continuous and high enough level for a long enough period of time to develop? very few as they tend to play softball and adjust

Of those women who DO play baseball, how many of them are going to have the overall talent level to even be draft worthy? very few as the law of averages tells us that the smaller the sample size the lower the chance for extreme results. if you have a draft pool of 10 the odds of excellence are lower than a draft pool of 10,000.

Of those women who ARE drafted how many are going to fight off injuries, slumps, lack of development, jolts in the level of opposing talent...etc to reach the major leagues? once again, very very low chance as the total numbers involved would be so low as the odds of making it are pretty much nil. Heck the odds of being a top 100 prospect and sticking long term as an avg major leaguer are like 25% or something like that.

IMO, the problem is numbers. Women don't play baseball when younger very often and because softball is a scholarship sport for women in NCAA it would seem to work against their own best interest to do so. their skill sets tend to lean towards pitching but where are they going to develop overhand pitching skills ? and IF a woman did get drafted, the odds for her advancement are very low.

Not to mention that any sane front office who wants to "break the wall" so to speak MUST advance a quality player. If she comes up and is awful....well

[Eric72]

The question perhaps should be: why would we not want women in professional baseball?

Alta Weiss should have been given a shot at the majors. The AAGPBL was, by most accounts, successful. Other young ladies, before and since, have shown exceptional promise.

I say, "let them play."

[irv]

Originally Posted by btcarfagno

A female nose tackle is the last thing I would want to see!!

I played baseball through college (Big East)...this was through the early 1990's, so we are talking 25 years ago. I played with and against guys who excelled at that level, and several who played professionally, and a few who made the big leagues, and one who is in the Hall of Fame. From what I have seen in terms of athleticism and quickness, I am certain there are some softball players who, if they were to have played baseball since they were a child, would be good enough to have played at the division one college baseball level back then. At a minimum. Again, grain of salt as it has been a long time and players are very likely bigger, stronger and faster than they were back then. But I have seen some incredible stuff from some freakishly athletic females. The pitching they face is the equivilent of a 100+ MPH fastball. The game of softball is much faster than baseball due to the small field. The quickness on display is amazing.

I do not think that you could take someone who has played softball all her life and throw her onto a baseball field. That would be completely unfair. But if one of the top, most athletic softball players had instead grown up playing baseball, I have little doubt that there would be females in the minor leagues.

Tom C

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcRvg8XGSjE

I'm all for it. See no reason, if they are good enough, to not let them play.

My son finished playing 4 on 4 hockey this past June (A Champs btw!) and on one of the teams he played, had 2 girls on it.
Imo, this was an extension of Rep hockey, only without contact, but both these girls (one was slightly better than the other) knew how to, and could play hockey!!

We were told, the better one was awarded a U.S. Scholarship this coming year.

Do I ever think girls/women will be in the NHL? Not likely, due to the physical nature of it, but Hockey is also softening up somewhat (crack down on fighting/dirty hits/headshots, etc) so you never know?

[egbeachley]

Not a chance a woman would even come close to reaching MLB as a pitcher. Maybe, just maybe as a singles hitting outfielder.

Remember, the 1000th ranked tennis player would easily crush Serena Williams in tennis.

[Buythatcard]

Woman are getting stronger all the time but so are men. As long as a woman can play a position that a team needs to fill then I think they will have a shot.
I can see them used as pinch runners or brought in for a defensive move in the infield.
Don't think they will ever be able to throw a fastball that a major league player cannot hit. Just like the character in Pitch, she would need a pitch like a screwball that she has mastered.

The show compares her to Jackie Robinson. I don't see the comparison. He had to deal with a stadium full of people who threw all kinds of anti racial slurs at him. She had the support of the fans.

I would love seeing woman play the game. It might shut up some of these inflated heads that play the game today.

[CMIZ5290]

Originally Posted by egbeachley

Not a chance a woman would even come close to reaching MLB as a pitcher. Maybe, just maybe as a singles hitting outfielder.

Remember, the 1000th ranked tennis player would easily crush Serena Williams in tennis.

+1 big time. TV shows and movies can be about dreams and what ifs, but this concept is just ridiculous, period....Also, Serena Williams has bigger legs than Earl Campbell! What's up with that?

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by egbeachley

Not a chance a woman would even come close to reaching MLB as a pitcher. Maybe, just maybe as a singles hitting outfielder.

Remember, the 1000th ranked tennis player would easily crush Serena Williams in tennis.

Remember? What am I remembering? Did that match actually happen?

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

Remember? What am I remembering? Did that match actually happen?

+1

I DO seem to remember Billie Jean King whipping Bobby Riggs' butt in a real tennis match.

[DBesse27]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

Remember? What am I remembering? Did that match actually happen?

Nope, not that I remember.