Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The history of baseball specific purpose
Agrumentative essay on the history of baseball
Agrumentative essay on the history of baseball
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
It’s 1970, the 12th inning of the MLB All-Star game, and Ray Fosse of the Cleveland Indians is catching. The Reds’ Pete Rose comes running down the base path to home plate and collides with Fosse, resulting in a serious injury. Fosse separated his shoulder, damaged his knee and sustained multiple fractures. Forty five years later, Fosse is still in pain from fractures that never healed properly, but believes it was just part of the game. Home plate collisions in Major League Baseball (MLB) became an issue after Buster Posey, a catcher for the San Francisco Giants , broke his leg and tore 3 ligaments because of a base runner colliding into him in 2011 (Smith 1). Today it is considered a home plate collision when a runner and catcher make harsh …show more content…
contact at home plate. This usually occurs when a catcher is receiving a pass to tag the runner out. After the Posey incident, MLB created strict rules so that runners can’t intentionally knock into catchers. Now there are debates whether or not MLB should ban collisions at home plate completely. Those who argue that collisions should be banned, say this in light of Fosse’s and Posey’s incidents. They say that catchers can get seriously injured and that their recovery time is long. They also argue that the players never play the same after their injuries. I believe MLB should not ban home plate collisions because research shows that collisions create a minimal amount of injuries that catchers get, catchers wear gear designed to protect them, and professionals, who are involved in baseball, think the rules shouldn’t be changed. Home plate collisions in MLB should not be banned because research has shown that out of all the injuries that catchers get, a minimal amount are caused by collisions. A new study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine states that most injuries that catchers get are not caused by collisions.The research conducted in this study followed 134 injuries between 2001-2010. Only 20 of these injuries were caused by home plate collisions. A co-author of the study, Dr. Edward Mcfarland, says, “While dramatic when they occur, the collision injuries were actually a minority of what injuries keep catchers out of the game”. Instead, they are inflicted by rogue bats and foul balls (Not Biggest Risk 2). Collisions are not as common as they are said to be, but the smaller more common things are the ones doing the most damage. Dr. Mcfarland is a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, who has had hands on experiences with the types of injuries that take place in baseball. He believes that collisions are not the biggest reasons that catchers have to stop playing. Foul balls and unpredictable bats are very common in baseball and a necessary part of the game. If people think that home plate collisions need to be banned because they can cause injuries, are they going to say that players need to stop hitting foul balls? The minority of injuries that catchers obtain are caused by home plate collisions. In MLB, catchers wear protective gear designed to keep them safe, which is another reason why home plate collisions should not be banned.
A catcher wears shin guards that were designed to protect him from hits from balls and bats (Catcher's Equipment 9). Bats and balls can cause damage and hurt if someone gets hit with them. Shin guards were made to try to minimize the amount of injuries. Helmets that a catcher wears is the most important gear they can wear. The helmets are made to keep the top, back, and sides of the head safe from any type of forceful blow (Catcher’s Equipment 4). Head injuries are very serious, and are mostly caused by hits to the head, but catcher’s gear can help prevent such injuries to the catcher. Baseball has been around for over one hundred years and throughout that time, gear has been helping players. In 1907, catchers began to wear protective gear, and that gear has been changed to help protect catchers in years since (Catcher’s Equipment 2). Catcher’s gears has been improved on very frequently, and it will keep following that pattern so catchers can be as safe as they can. Since MLB has rules in place that help lower the impact of home plate collisions, if one does occur, the gear that the catcher’s wear can only help protect the catcher even
more. Collisions at home plate shouldn’t be ruled out because many professionals, who have had past experiences with baseball, say the rules shouldn’t be changed because it’s just part of the game. Jason Varitek is a retired catcher of 14 years for the Boston Red Sox and he believes that collisions are just a part of the game. Varitek states: Catching, you're usually not on the winning end of those. Period. Some things are part of the game. But even the people who are playing hard and are in those collisions don't want to see anybody get hurt. Some things are part of the game. There's not a whole lot you can do. (Home Base 1) Varitek is an experienced catcher who was at risk for home plate collisions. Varitek has a good reputation for being a catcher and the fans of many teams respect him. MLB’s executive vice president, Joe Torre, also does not believe that home plate collisions should be banned. Torre says that most times contact between a runner and catcher is unavoidable and that throws from another player also make contact unavoidable (Banning 1). Joe Torre’s job involves everything baseball, which is why he has a strong opinion on the topic. Ray Fosse, was a catcher Cleveland, and got seriously hurt in a home plate collision, but he does not think the rules should change. Fosse says, “The game has been around for more than one hundred years, and now they’re going to start protecting catchers? I can’t see anything that can be changed.” Fosse also believes that people can’t regulate collisions or that anything can be done (Posey Injury 2). Fosse has had first hand experiences with collisions, in which he got injuries that still are there today. Fosse still believes that home plate collisions are just part of the game. This shows that no matter the consequences, players and professionals want the baseball to stay the same. Imagine if collisions at home plate were banned. The game of baseball would be predictable. can’t imagine a baseball game where there is an easy path home for the runner. Without the thrill of waiting and wondering whether or not the catcher will tag the runner out, a game might not be as exciting. If one rule is made to protect catchers, are more rules going to be made to protect runners, pitchers and infielders? Collisions are not the biggest risk for catchers. They wear very protective gear and players don’t think that anything should or can be done. Why let baseball become boring?
Albert G. Spalding created the first major league baseball glove. “Wearing a glove just wasn’t manly” said Smithsonian. It used to be that the strongest player on the field was whoever had the most broken fingers or blisters, but after a while, players realised they
On June 26th 1974, in Pequannock, New Jersey, Derek Sanderson Jeter was born. His parents were Charles Jeter and Dorothy Connors. His parents had a rare relationship for their time. Charles was african american and Dorothy was white. In the 1960s marriage of separate races was frowned upon but they loved each other and made it work. When Derek was still a small child, Charles moved the family to Kalamazoo, Michigan. This is where practically Dereks whole childhood took place.
...educing Broken Bats." Major League Baseball. MLB Advanced Media, 3 Aug. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. .
Many people might think that swinging the bat straight through the ball would be enough to hit the ball a decent distance off the bat. There's many more mechanics involved in the swinging process. Muscle has only a small part to play in the swinging a bat for power. There are two types of mechanics involved while swinging a bat, Linear and Rotational. Rotational mechanics are the dominant source of power in the swing. Out of the rotational mechanics come the two forces that help generate the speed and power of the swing, torque and the other comes from the energy of rotation. Speed from the energy of rotation comes from the path that your hands follow as you swing the bat. The speed generated by the circular rotation from your hands is like a ball at the end of a string, as long as your hands are moving in a circle then the ball continues to accelerate in a circle. So the bat will also move in at an increasing speed as long as your hands are following a circular path as you swing. Any foward movement of the hands or body in a straight line won't add to the overall bat speed.
Every team requires one, and some say it is the hardest position on the field to play. The hind-catcher is without a doubt a necessity to every ball team’s success. This is the position who can take command of the playing field. If played well, one can have a major impact on how smoothly a team plays together and affect the outcome of the game. There are many requirements for the person who plays the role of the catcher: something as simple as being prepared to play the positon, to having the responsibility of making sure the team has a good relationship with each other. However, the most obvious requirement is the athletic ability required and being physically able to play the position. The position of catcher is not an easy position to play, but is essential to the game of baseball.
Wearing headgear has many positives, reducing injuries is the most obvious one and it could be argued that its help reduces the chance of injuries and even death. At an elite level, Chelsea goalkeeper, Petr Cech is convinced that wearing headgear saved him from suffering extended injuries after colliding with Fulham striker Orlando Sa back in September 2011. Headgear offers a form of padding when worn. It allows juniors and elite athlete’s the reduced chance of head wounds. By this it means it allows for less “cracked skulls”, scars, wounds and so on. It gives a stronger protection on the softer part of the skull which is more prone to damage...
Some of the papers that I wrote throughout the course were mostly things that I felt very close to and loved. Whether it'd be sports, family, or friends, I always had something to write about. For how often I chose these topics, I always learned something from them too. Like with the Red Cross, over 95% of the workers there are volunteers that want to help out those in need after natural disasters.
The reports made by Canseco have sparked another issue as to where the integrity of the sport lies, which is very significant to sport management. Baseball is America’s pastime and it’s a shame to see how the image of the sport is being tainted by these allegations. Although baseball recently adopted a tougher steroid-testing program due to the BALCO trial, it will take some time for the MLB to rid themselves of these issues. With new stiffer testing, the production of the major leagues elite might decline in the upcoming years. Sosa and McGwire chased Roger Maris homerun record of 61 by totally eclipsing it, smashing 66 and 70 homeruns respectively. Maris’s record was one of the longest standstill records in baseball history before the record was broken.
When looking at a collision between a baseball bat and ball, three things always apply:
Would mandated regulations for bat usage at all levels of baseball provide a safer environment for the sport and reduce costs. Decades of debating over these questions leaves people in disagreement. When it comes to discussing the use of metal bats from Little League to the Majors cost, safety, and performance are among the currently most heavily debated topics, with wide spread disagreement among people in the industry. Complicating the debates, especially the safety debate, is the fact that little scientific, researched based, safety studies have been conducted.
The future of hockey protective equipment is closer than originally thought. New helmets and equipment designs aid in the protection of all skill level...
The most frustrating moment for a fan is having their team lose because of a blown call made by the umpire. Human error is present in baseball as it is in any other activity. If the error is made by the player, nothing can be done to reverse or change that play, but if it is made by the umpire some feel there should be a replay process. The debate over having video replay for umpires is a popular topic when it comes to baseball, and like any other debate, there are two sides to the topic that both have good arguments. Baseball should incorporate replay during baseball games but it should be limited to only on specific plays. As it stands right now replay is used solely on homeruns, but it still needs to be expanded upon more. Baseball needs to look into expanding the role of instant replay in order to make sure that each team gets a fair chance to win.
While the use of helmets does aid in protecting players from brain trauma, they also increase the risky behavior of players; this is called risk compensation. Risk compensation is the adjustment of individual behavior, responding to the perceived changes in risk (TheFreeDictionary.com). Most people that wear helmets have a pre-conceived idea that, because they have a helmet on, they can possess more daring behaviors and be fine. The helmet is basically thought of as a tool to hit harder, or improve performance in today’s culture. Adventure writer and pilot, Lane Wallace (2011) accurately understands the dangers of helmets being used incorrectly, and how they are used as weapons instead of safety. Wallace also theorizes like the NFL, a change in football culture and of viewpoints towards helmets would vastly reduce trauma to the
Many people don't understand the point in playing baseball. Why would someone swing a stick, hit a ball, and try to get back to where they started before the ball returns? What pleasure is there in that? Why not participate in a sport like wrestling or track where there is an obvious level of individual improvement and therefore pleasure. Well, I play baseball because of the love I have for the sport, and because of the feeling that overwhelms me every time I walk onto a baseball field. When I walk onto a field I am given the desire to better myself not only as an athlete, but also as a person. The thoughts and feelings I get drive me to work hard towards my goals and to be a better person. The most relevant example of these feelings is when I stepped on the field at Runyon Complex in Pueblo, Colorado during our high school state playoffs in 2003. This baseball field will always be an important place to me.
A travel of over 3000 miles for some, a 210 mile drive for me, just to arrive at the biggest gathering of over 1,500 twelve year olds; all just to play baseball. The only place that would be suitable for such an event is Cooperstown Dream Parks, every baseball players heaven. Cars have come to Cooperstown from everywhere for this week long tournament. I met children my age from all over the United states. I became friends with kids from Ohio, Illinois, California, I even met a player from Puerto Rico who barely spoke any english. The windows of everyone 's car decorated with the names and numbers of teams and players. Excited baseball teams spill from their Barracks and hustle toward the already crowded seating area. Festive music played over