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Why do MLB players need day off when other sports don't?

BlackFyre

BlackFyre

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,430
Can someone explain to me the logic of a baseball player getting a "day off"?

You are being paid good money to compete for your team.

It's one of the most chill sports out there where you are not constantly running or involved in the play like basketball or hockey.

You can be an outfielder and never field the ball all game.

Why do these people need a day off?
 
Fire Bocchi

Fire Bocchi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,651
uhhhh

mlb players other than pitchers play almost everyday

nba and nhl usually have a day off between games
 
Duane

Duane

Unshakable Resolve
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
6,463
Football players (both varieties) get like a week off between games! Even the NBA only plays every other day. Baseball players literally get the least amount of days off during the season.
 
JuicyPlayer

JuicyPlayer

Member
Feb 8, 2018
7,373
I really wish MLB would shorten the season. 162 games is way too long and almost sports hell when your team sucks. It's a complete drag.
 
TheBeardedOne

TheBeardedOne

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
22,189
Derry
The MLB plays more games than any other sport and does so in a span of several months. They play something like 20-30 spring training games (though the rosters fluctuate) and then they play 162 regular season games, without taking potential playoff series into account.

Baseball is an almost every day sport and the teams hardly get off days. They get one maybe once every week or two. Players play on different surfaces, have injuries, get older, suffer wear and tear on their bodies and get days off because of it. Sometimes there are also favourable hitting matchups, as in someone is better against lefties than righthanders.

It's hard to argue against them taking the odd day off. And it's hardly true that an outfielder may never touch the ball -- that's very rare. They also hit and do batting practice and drills beforehand.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't play most games and that they make an absurd amount of money for playing a sport, or that there aren't too many slow MLB games, but this argument doesn't really have legs.
 
MrLuchador

MrLuchador

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,486
The Internet
Aye, these bastards, I bet they don't even have family, friends or loved ones they'd like to spend a bit of time with now and again either. Utter selfish pricks. I'm going to write an email to the President to sort this out.
 
TheBeardedOne

TheBeardedOne

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
22,189
Derry
I much prefer hockey and think it's a better sport, but hockey players at best play two games in two days, then they get at least a day off and often more. They also only play 82 games a year and at most about 7 preseason games (though the star players usually don't play a few or several of those). If they make the playoffs they play more, but they get a lot more time off than beisbol players.
 
Baji Boxer

Baji Boxer

Chicken Chaser
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,387
Guys will play for almost two weeks straight sometimes with no time off. What are you talking about? The exceptions are pitchers, because otherwise you destroy their pitching arm, and using a different lineup depending on if you're facing a left handed or right handed pitcher.
 
brochiller

brochiller

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,195
The Boston Red Sox are scheduled to play 26 games in the month of April.

The Boston Celtics played 13 in the month of March.

That's why.
 
RBH

RBH

Official ERA expert on Third Party Football
Member
Nov 2, 2017
33,142
What a bizarre thread
 
OP
OP
BlackFyre

BlackFyre

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,430
Ok fine. You've convinced me.

You're right. It's wasn't the games but the sheer grind of April - November is quite long with no scheduled time off in between.
 

Werd

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
472
Beyond the schedule, the managers just want to get the reserves some action and given that most hitters struggle to some degree vs same handed pitchers or even specific starters it's pretty easy to pick out a tough match up and just let them have a day off instead.
 
Corran Horn

Corran Horn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,617
Jeez. There is more to baseball than just the game itself. Practice, not stop traveling etc. That shit is tiring too.

Also If you get any injury, small or big, the grind will slow that recovery to a crawl too so getting a day off is a good way for recovery.
 
TheBeardedOne

TheBeardedOne

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
22,189
Derry
Werd said:
Beyond the schedule, the managers just want to get the reserves some action and given that most hitters struggle to some degree vs same handed pitchers or even specific starters it's pretty easy to pick out a tough match up and just let them have a day off instead.
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True, you do need to keep your bench players in the mix to keep them from becoming rusty and to have them there in case of injuries as well.

Managers also like to try to prevent their stars from being overworked.
 
Frozenprince

Frozenprince

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,158
BlackFyre said:
Ok fine. You've convinced me.

You're right. It's wasn't the games but the sheer grind of April - November is quite long with no scheduled time off in between.
Click to expand...
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No it's the games. You vastly underestimate the amount of movement involved in a routine baseball play. A pitch that goes from mound to catchers mitt still involves all 8 guys on the field moving, bending, and preparing for any possible event based on statistical likelihood. Guys get exhausted doing this for 3+ hours in 80 degree heat, the human body isn't designed for continuous and constant movement for that long at that high a level of exertion.

There is a hell of a lot more to baseball than pitching and hitting. Baseball players are ridiculously well conditioned.
 
Paches

Paches

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,620
Baseball players rack up airline miles. That shit has to be killer by the time you hit the all star break.
 
Frozenprince

Frozenprince

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,158
An 8 pitch strikeout with a runner on requires the infielders to charge forward 8 times in a row to prevent an infield sacrifice, that's constant movement every 25-30 seconds (less downtime than the average NFL play).
 
TheGhost

TheGhost

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
28,137
Long Island
The only breaks I can think of in baseball is

Um the Allstar game and if you wrap up your series early in the play off's, but even then your practicing for the next challenger.

If OP is talking about pitchers
Throw a ball 100mph for a 100 throws every other game and not ruin your arm in a year.
 
disillusion386

disillusion386

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,465
Not being sarcastic and a serious question to OP, have you been to an MLB game? Position players are constantly moving during plays and it's not just the pitcher, hitter, catcher, and receiving position player that are usually shown exerting on TV. On top of batting practice and staying warm if you're a pinch hitter/runner and playing toss in between innings/before the game. Add in the fact that these same players are playing practically everyday.
 
Frozenprince

Frozenprince

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,158
And yeah this isn't even covering weight room, conditioning drills, travel, practice time, BP sessions, fungos, and on and on. Baseball barely has days off and the sport begins in late February and runs till November,
 
Kayo Police

Kayo Police

Member
Nov 4, 2017
2,284
What I find more ridiculous is how baseball players injure themselves with minor injuries and are almost always out longer than most other athletes in other sports.

Well Bob you stubbed your toe, youre going to be out 6-8 months.
 
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