The Game of Baseball is Not without Its Risks…

The game of baseball has been entertaining millions of spectators and participants for many decades. It can be a very dangerous game, though. In recent years, Major League players have taken fastballs to the helmet suffering severe concussions that have taken them out of action for weeks. The importance of wearing quality batting helmets cannot be overemphasized, whether you are a pro or playing little league.

Of course, players at bat are not the only ones at risk. Consider the pitcher who is staring down the batter at close range. In little league (players up to the age of 12) it is a distance of 46 feet from the pitcher’s mound to the batter’s box. In the pros, it is 60 feet, 6 inches. That does not leave much reaction time when a line drive is hit straight at you, particularly when you are off balance from your wind up, release and follow through. Imagine a 90 mph pitch coming off a bat at 108 mph that gives the pitcher .375 of a second to react! Many prudent pitchers are more concerned with protecting various body parts than trying to catch the baseball.

In recent years, there has been talk about putting a ban on aluminum bats since they increase the speed of a hit ball by 4 mph. This increases the chances of injury for pitchers. This is why, in the NCAA, aluminum bats need to conform to new BBCOR bats (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) specs and regulations. BBCOR is the NCAA’s new method of measuring bat performance.

Regulations focus on getting the bat manufacturers to deaden the trampoline– like effect that a bat has on a ball. The idea is to get aluminum bats to react more like the old traditional wood bats, making the sport safer. The trade off is fewer home runs and less excitement.

Listed below are some of the more common injuries that are suffered by batters and pitchers:

• Muscle Strain
• Meniscus Tears
• Hand/Wrist Injuries
• Elbow Tendinitis
• Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
• Tears of the labrum
• Dead Arm
• Oblique Strains

Of course, batters and pitchers are not the only ones susceptible to baseball injuries. Players in every position are always dealing with sprains, muscle pulls, broken bones, and concussions.

Another thing to note is that injuries don’t always take place on the field. As noted in a February 2011 article on electro-mech.com, lots of freakish and weird injuries have caused professional baseball players to end up on the injured list. One example given was Marty Cordova of the Baltimore Orioles who fell asleep under a tanning lamp causing burns on his face. His doctor ordered him to stay out of direct sunlight causing him to miss the next game. Another was Adam Eaton of the San Diego Padres who cut himself while anxiously trying to cut open a new DVD with a paring knife. Lastly, Mat Latos of the San Diego Padres suffered a severe spasm that put him on the injured list for 15 days when he sneezed real hard coming out of the dugout! Baseball players suffer a wide range of injuries, whether on the field or off. Baseball is a fun game, but it is not without its risks.