“You could field a pretty good team with the injured players sitting out opening day.” This statement caught my attention when I read about all the baseball stars who will not be playing on opening day.
But, as I have brought out in previous blogs, this is indicative of three factors. First, the players are not in very good physical condition, second, the players are not doing skill specific strength exercises, and third, the teams are still continuing in their old ways when it comes to injury prevention and enhancement of performance.
In regard to not being in very good physical condition, this becomes obvious when looking at various players and by watching the type of training being done in spring ball. Most of it is geared to getting used to throwing, running and hitting.
There is very little, if anything, done in regard to enhancement or improving their abilities in comparison to the previous season. If this were done, the players would have to be in much better condition and be ready to exert themselves to their fullest.
The second factor, not doing specific strength exercises is related to the first. Specific strength exercises, that develop strength as it is displayed in execution of the skill, is needed not only to enhance skill execution, but to prevent injury.
When you develop strength in the same manner as it is used in execution of the skill you enhance the ability of the player to execute the skill more effectively. In addition, because the pattern of movement in the exercise duplicates the pattern of movement in the skill execution, you improve coordination which is perhaps the biggest factor in the prevention of injury.
The third factor, that teams are continuing in their old ways, becomes obvious when we look at what the players do in the off-season as well as in the preseason and in-season. It appears that baseball is very reluctant to any changes that could enhance player performance.
To get the best players they continue to spend more money and rely on statistics which have proven to be a crapshoot, to get the most out of the players. As a result, I find myself getting more and more disillusioned with baseball and baseball players.
This is especially so when I see what is taking place in other sports and at the knowledge and practices that are presently available. For more information on this topic see Build a Better Athlete