80 FALSE THEORIES, BELIEFS AND STATEMENTS MADE IN BASEBALL TODAY
2007
By
Coach John C. Price
- Underhand pitching of a softball is a natural act for we walk with our arms at our sides so arm, shoulder or elbow injuries do not occur to the softball pitcher.
- Soreness and injuries to the arm, shoulder or elbow incurred from throwing a baseball overhand is a normal occurrence for the overhand delivery is not normal.
- Overuse is the major cause of injuries to the arm, shoulder and elbow today.
- Throwing in cold weather causes sore and injured arms in baseball.
- Throwing curve balls causes sore and injured arms in baseball.
- Throwing sliders will cause sore and injured arms in baseball.
- Throwing the five-ounce baseball overhand will cause arm soreness and injuries.
- Muscle imbalance will cause soreness and injuries in baseball.
- Deceleration at the end of the pitchers delivery puts strain on the arm and causes soreness and injuries.
- The follow through puts strain on the arm and causes soreness and injjuries.
- Pitching from the pitchers mound causes soreness and injuries to the arm.
- Shoulder instability causes soreness and injuries to the arm when throwing overhand.
- Arm tiredness will occur in the late innings when pitching and this is normal.
- Arm stress when throwing is normal because the overhand delivery is not normal.
- Stress or pain when throwing or pitching is a normal occurrence in baseball.
- Back muscles are not that important to a baseball player.
- Stomach muscles are not that important to a baseball player.
- Velocity in pitching comes from driving hard off the rubber with the pivot foot in baseball.
- Power in hitting comes from driving off the rear leg in baseball.
- A baseball player should not work on weights for he will become muscle bound and will not be able to throw a baseball overhand.
- Running is a waste of time in baseball. There are other things you can do that will help the baseball player more.
- The short stop must touch second base before throwing to first base to make a double play.
- With runners on 1st base, the pitcher should move their stride leg foot as quickly to the catcher as he can so the runner can’t steal 2nd base.
- Runners on first base steal on the pitchers slow move to home every time.
- Runners steal 3rd base on the pitchers slow move to home.
- Players that have broken their humerus while pitching only had a freak accident.
- In fielding ground balls, 95 percent of balls that get by the infielder occur when the ball jumps over the fielder’s glove.
- Upper body coil or reach back is not necessary to make a throw from 3rd base to 1st base.
- Making the jump in the air throw deep behind 3rd base while moving away from 2nd base like Derek Jeeter does can only be done by a few gifted players.
- Hitting with power is a gift and can’t be taught.
- Throwing with velocity is a gift and can’t be taught.
- In baseball, sore arms and dead arms are normal. Most players have soreness or e pain when throwing.
- The baseball player’s rear foot position is not that important when hitting or throwing.
- The baseball player’s front foot position is not that important when hitting or throwing.
- There is no such thing as a natural throwing groove for the baseball player when throwing or pitching.
- There is no such thing as a groove for the hitter in baseball.
- Running up a hill is a waste of time for a baseball player.
- In fielding a ground ball, normal reaction of any one is to move the body down, not up.
- The baseball players hip position when hitting or throwing is not important.
- The baseball players shoulder position when hitting or throwing is not important.
- The baseball player’s arm and hand position is not that important when hitting or throwing.
- A pitcher that pitches over 100 pitches in a game is asking for trouble.
- You should always ice the pitchers arm and shoulder after pitching a game.
- The throwing or pitching action does not take place or began until foot plant.
- The swing does not take place or began until foot plant.
- From the full windup or stretch position, the pitcher should never take his stride foot behind the rubber when he is getting a coil before throwing.
- The condition of the legs is not a factor for a pitcher or hitter.
- The strength in the grip of a baseball player is not important.
- Wrist strength and flexibility is not important in a baseball player.
- Every pitch made during a game should be counted and when he gets to 100 pitches, take him out.
- To throw a baseball hard you should lean the head and body away from the throwing arm side of the body.
- When throwing a baseball in the final stage just before releasing the ball, the humerus should brush the ear with the elbow leading in a forward and downward motion.
- The shoulders and humerus should not even be close to being horizontal to the ground or level with the shoulders when throwing a baseball.
- The reach back is not important when throwing or hitting a baseball.
- Just because a player throws 90mph, or hits balls over the fence, it is not important to a player that wants to play MLB.
- One orthopedic surgeon said, “Baseball players are one throw from rupturing the UCL in the elbow”.
- A major league manager said in 2005, “When a player has a sore elbow, it is faster to go ahead and operate on the elbow than it is to wait and let it heal without surgery”.
- When a player breaks his humerus (upper arm) pitching, it is a freak accident.
- When a player is diagnosed with Steve Blass Disease, Steve Sax Disease or Mackey Sasser Syndrome, this is a mental disease and career-ending diagnosis.
- Blass disease, Sax disease or Sasser Syndrome is a psychological problem and the player needs to see a Sports Psychologist or Doctor of Psychiatry for help.
- Ball movement is not that important in baseball.
- The arm was not designed to throw a baseball.
- Today, kids throw too much which causes arm problems later.
- Pitchers that have arm fatigue when pitching just are not in shape.
- Pitchers that play more than eight months a year will probably need surgery later.
- Pitchers today are having too heavy a workload at such young ages in baseball.
- Many players today are having arm surgery before entering high school. (True)
- Many players that are having arm surgery are found to have only one week off a year. This theory was made by coaches, but not the cause of surgery.
- College coaches are saying they need to select kids that play two sports today. This theory was made by coaches, but this is not the reason for arm problems.
- High School coaches overthrow pitchers and summer coaches overthrow pitchers for they do not care what the kid is doing on the other team. Theory by coaches.
- Surgeons say that when they open up a kids elbow today, it looks like a 30-year-old arm, and looks like their tendon or ligament is frayed and this is proof of overuse. True statement by doctors, but overuse is not the cause of the damage.
- The cause of all the arm injuries today is overuse.
- All players that have Tommy John Surgery today will regain full velocity.
- Players that have shoulder surgery will regain their velocity.
- Not many major league teams have players that have had TJ surgery.
- The position of the rear foot is not important for accuracy when throwing.
- The position of the rear foot is not important for velocity when throwing.
- Upper body coil and shoulder rotation is not important for accuracy when throwing a baseball.
- Upper body coil and shoulder rotation is not important for velocity when throwing a baseball.
- Hamstring injuries in baseball occur on the players rear drive leg, not the stride leg.