p>I have only one somewhat facetious almost-criticism to offer — for those of us who have wasted too many hours of our lives inside Microsoft Flight Simulator, her voice has an uncanny resemblance to the examiner that conducts the “Instrument Pilot Checkride”. That is one tough examiner.
<
p>Anyhow, good find. Happy spring.
dont-get-cutesays
Why should “the cause of women in baseball” be a cause at all? It just adds more pressure for women to have to live up to. We should be reducing professional sports in our culture, not adding more. The more people that feel no pressure or desire to be professional athletes the better, and the fewer fans distracted by it the better.
Why on earth should we not want to create something that would give women inspiration? Why should we want to reduce “professional sports in our culture?” Why would we want fewer people interested in sports, or of being fans of them? That people have fun watching sports, or keeping up with them, is not a “distraction,” it’s an entertainment. That people use sports to stay in shape is not a “distraction,” it’s healthy living. We’re not robots. If you don’t find it entertaining, don’t watch — but don’t try to take away the fun from other people, or scorn those who enjoy it.
<
p>…
<
p>This is one of the most bizarre posts I’ve ever read on BMG. Crazy, even. Yeah, not everyone who aspires to be a professional athlete is going to become one, but kids who play sports in school do better in school, and people who are active are healthier. And some people along the way will get to achieve long-lasting memories they’ll have for the rest of their lives — and perhaps even gain free college educations or the ability to earn a living doing something they love along the way.
<
p>Certainly, sports have been kind to my family — my brother got a free college education going to a division 1 school for football, and my father played in the NFL for seven years. Very few will achieve that level of success, but everyone can gain fun hobbies and healthy habits from the work they put into sports in their early lives that will last the rest of their lifetimes.
dont-get-cutesays
Sports aren’t very healthy, they cause lots of injuries, especially to girls. Walking is healthy, eating healthily is healthy. And the amount of energy the country wastes on professional sports is obscene, it will be very hard to explain to people in the future that we thought there should be more sports as late as 2011.
People may look back on 2011 a hundred years from the future, aghast that we openly discriminate against people, that we don’t have universal health care for all, or that we invaded two countries in the Middle East/Central Asia, killing hundreds of thousands and wasting trillions — but sports? They’re not going to care about there being more sports, if anything, they’ll be the ones playing them.
<
p>I’m beginning to question whether your posts are a joke, or whether you may actually have some sort of issue.
<
p>Your notion that “sports aren’t very healthy” is absurd. Find me one respected doctor out there who says that no one should play sports because they’re too unhealthy. One. Almost every single scientist and doctor in the world would not only disagree with you, but find you deeply ignorant and/or insane. Your suggestion that sports “cause a lot of injuries, especially to girls,” is also silly: any sort of activity will lead to injuries, even walking. Choosing not to exercise because it could lead to injuries will almost certainly lead to more health problems than engaging in healthy activities such as sports. A hiker may sprain their leg and be off their feet for a few days, but an obese coach potato may die of a heart attack decades early (which is one of the reasons why I signed myself up to the Y recently, to shed some of those excess pounds — including on the basketball court). Furthermore, the notion that girls are “particularly at risk” has an extreme whiff of sexism in it. You need to back that shit up — and I highly doubt you’ll be able to do it.
<
p>People are not automatons. We are not robots. We are not figurines. Some of us enjoy nice walks on the beach, some of us would rather go play basketball for an hour. We each enjoy our own favorite activities to keep us in shape, and sometimes what we enjoy (case in point: walking) isn’t enough to get us into good physical shape, particularly if we’re starting from behind. Many of us need aerobic exercise, pure and simple, and for those people walking won’t cut it.
<
p>Finally, the notion that “professional sports is obscene” is not only something I think most people would disagree with, but a complete and utter straw man. We’re talking about health, and you seem to be trying to turn this into a conversation about the waste of money that goes into professional sports. Health and the money spent on professional sports have nothing to do with each other. In terms of a health perspective, the vast majority of people who play sports are kids and teens on their own sports teams, or adults in their own clubs, looking to stay fit and active. They are not professional players and they are not contributing to the downfall of civilization, as you seem to be suggesting. They’re having a fun time and keeping healthier than they would have otherwise. That’s what it’s all about.
<
p>Professional sports is an entire different question, and a question that is answered on an individual basis, dependent on where people are willing to put their money. If I want to spend $50 to go catch a Bruins game, that’s my business, not yours. If you find it wasteful, put your money elsewhere and leave other people alone. Ultimately, we all seek some forms of entertainment — and professional sports is just one expensive option out of many. Catching a Celtics game is no more a waste than going to see a Broadway musical — and, indeed, I may save some money going to the Celtics…
p>There should be a tax on sporting tickets to raise revenue from people who have too much money, Broadway shows too. Movies too.
<
p>We actually were talking about professional sports, not health. Specifically, whether a women’s baseball league would be better than integrating the league (as if it isn’t already integrated – no one is keeping women from playing in the MLB, there is no Jackie Robinson or Henry Aaron playing for the Women’s league, unjustly kept out of the Majors).
<
p>David seemed sure that we should be encouraging more women to play sports, and I disagreed. I asked where that idea came from. I think it comes from a political fantasy that sex roles are bad and we should try to make women do everything men do, even if it is something stupidly useless that men do, just to eliminate any sex roles. The fact is sex roles are good, they allow us to team up and specialize and work together. We aren’t automatons, we are human beings, and that means we aren’t sexless creatures either, we are boys or girls, not both.
hoyapaulsays
Sports and athletic competitions are, to me, ultimately a form of art. Just as great art and music can serve as inspiration, athletics can as well by providing a forum for the display of human capabilities. It’s entertainment, sure, but I don’t think it is merely some sort of “low” entertainment that we’d be better off eliminating. I believe a great moment in sports can be every bit as inspirational as hearing a great work of music for the first time.
<
p>It also serves as a way to build community spirit and camaraderie. Not to mention all of the benefits you mention — being active leads to better health and better performance in school. Sports are far from being a “waste” of time and energy — we should encourage people to play sports, not discourage them.
hoyapaulsays
why it is that women’s baseball never took off at any level. There are plenty of excellent softball players who I’m sure would also be excellent in a women’s baseball league as well. Why softball and not baseball?
<
p>Unfortunately, since women’s baseball seems to be completely non-existent on the college or high school levels, I can’t imagine that MLB would help support a women’s baseball league, which is probably the only way it would happen (unless some wealthy individual or group committed to start one and were willing to lose money on it).
stomvsays
I have a hard time imagining women’s baseball being any more successful than the WNBA.
hoyapaulsays
but that’s why the MLB would probably have to be the organization willing to subsidize a women’s baseball league that would very likely lose money. If I remember correctly, most of the teams, if not all, in the WNBA lose money but the league as a whole is subsidized by the NBA.
Did anyone know we have women’s professional soccer in Massachusetts? My friend and her fiance go all the time. It’s fun, cheap and an all-round good time. More people should take advantage of that.
<
p>As for baseball, let’s not forget that this country once had a successful women’s professional league and it would be nice if we could have one again. I’d go and see it, whether it was baseball or softball (even if my preference is for baseball). I think there would be difficulties even for a woman knuckleballer in the MLB, but with the right physical build – not to mention talent – it would be possible.
georgerobbins3says
there’s no reason a talented woman can’t as well. Moyer throws in the the mid to low 80’s at his fastest and is still considered a successful pitcher. And he’s not the only one. There have been plenty of major leaguers who get by on their exceptional control, mastery of breaking pitches and knowledge of the science of pitching. While I think it’s most likely that the first woman to pitch in the majors will be a knuckleballer, there’s also room for traditional female pitchers in the majors.
I never considered the rampant anti-male discrimination that permeates professional sports at this time. How could I have been so thoughtless.
brudolfsays
I like the spirit behind a women’s baseball league, but I think it would probably suffer with the same also-ran status the WNBA currently has. Baseball is probably the only major American sport in which women could participate with men. As previous posters pointed out, success in pitching does not necessarily require strength. Having a prominent woman baseball player would do more for female athletes than an ignored women’s league. I could even imagine a particularly strong and talented woman succeeding at the plate. In the very early days of baseball, it actually wasn’t all that uncommon for women to play with men.
I’m glad to see this happening.
<
p>I have only one somewhat facetious almost-criticism to offer — for those of us who have wasted too many hours of our lives inside Microsoft Flight Simulator, her voice has an uncanny resemblance to the examiner that conducts the “Instrument Pilot Checkride”. That is one tough examiner.
<
p>Anyhow, good find. Happy spring.
Why should “the cause of women in baseball” be a cause at all? It just adds more pressure for women to have to live up to. We should be reducing professional sports in our culture, not adding more. The more people that feel no pressure or desire to be professional athletes the better, and the fewer fans distracted by it the better.
Why on earth should we not want to create something that would give women inspiration? Why should we want to reduce “professional sports in our culture?” Why would we want fewer people interested in sports, or of being fans of them? That people have fun watching sports, or keeping up with them, is not a “distraction,” it’s an entertainment. That people use sports to stay in shape is not a “distraction,” it’s healthy living. We’re not robots. If you don’t find it entertaining, don’t watch — but don’t try to take away the fun from other people, or scorn those who enjoy it.
<
p>…
<
p>This is one of the most bizarre posts I’ve ever read on BMG. Crazy, even. Yeah, not everyone who aspires to be a professional athlete is going to become one, but kids who play sports in school do better in school, and people who are active are healthier. And some people along the way will get to achieve long-lasting memories they’ll have for the rest of their lives — and perhaps even gain free college educations or the ability to earn a living doing something they love along the way.
<
p>Certainly, sports have been kind to my family — my brother got a free college education going to a division 1 school for football, and my father played in the NFL for seven years. Very few will achieve that level of success, but everyone can gain fun hobbies and healthy habits from the work they put into sports in their early lives that will last the rest of their lifetimes.
Sports aren’t very healthy, they cause lots of injuries, especially to girls. Walking is healthy, eating healthily is healthy. And the amount of energy the country wastes on professional sports is obscene, it will be very hard to explain to people in the future that we thought there should be more sports as late as 2011.
People may look back on 2011 a hundred years from the future, aghast that we openly discriminate against people, that we don’t have universal health care for all, or that we invaded two countries in the Middle East/Central Asia, killing hundreds of thousands and wasting trillions — but sports? They’re not going to care about there being more sports, if anything, they’ll be the ones playing them.
<
p>I’m beginning to question whether your posts are a joke, or whether you may actually have some sort of issue.
<
p>Your notion that “sports aren’t very healthy” is absurd. Find me one respected doctor out there who says that no one should play sports because they’re too unhealthy. One. Almost every single scientist and doctor in the world would not only disagree with you, but find you deeply ignorant and/or insane. Your suggestion that sports “cause a lot of injuries, especially to girls,” is also silly: any sort of activity will lead to injuries, even walking. Choosing not to exercise because it could lead to injuries will almost certainly lead to more health problems than engaging in healthy activities such as sports. A hiker may sprain their leg and be off their feet for a few days, but an obese coach potato may die of a heart attack decades early (which is one of the reasons why I signed myself up to the Y recently, to shed some of those excess pounds — including on the basketball court). Furthermore, the notion that girls are “particularly at risk” has an extreme whiff of sexism in it. You need to back that shit up — and I highly doubt you’ll be able to do it.
<
p>People are not automatons. We are not robots. We are not figurines. Some of us enjoy nice walks on the beach, some of us would rather go play basketball for an hour. We each enjoy our own favorite activities to keep us in shape, and sometimes what we enjoy (case in point: walking) isn’t enough to get us into good physical shape, particularly if we’re starting from behind. Many of us need aerobic exercise, pure and simple, and for those people walking won’t cut it.
<
p>Finally, the notion that “professional sports is obscene” is not only something I think most people would disagree with, but a complete and utter straw man. We’re talking about health, and you seem to be trying to turn this into a conversation about the waste of money that goes into professional sports. Health and the money spent on professional sports have nothing to do with each other. In terms of a health perspective, the vast majority of people who play sports are kids and teens on their own sports teams, or adults in their own clubs, looking to stay fit and active. They are not professional players and they are not contributing to the downfall of civilization, as you seem to be suggesting. They’re having a fun time and keeping healthier than they would have otherwise. That’s what it’s all about.
<
p>Professional sports is an entire different question, and a question that is answered on an individual basis, dependent on where people are willing to put their money. If I want to spend $50 to go catch a Bruins game, that’s my business, not yours. If you find it wasteful, put your money elsewhere and leave other people alone. Ultimately, we all seek some forms of entertainment — and professional sports is just one expensive option out of many. Catching a Celtics game is no more a waste than going to see a Broadway musical — and, indeed, I may save some money going to the Celtics…
and also more likely to suffer ACL tears:
<
p>The Uneven Playing Field
<
p>There should be a tax on sporting tickets to raise revenue from people who have too much money, Broadway shows too. Movies too.
<
p>We actually were talking about professional sports, not health. Specifically, whether a women’s baseball league would be better than integrating the league (as if it isn’t already integrated – no one is keeping women from playing in the MLB, there is no Jackie Robinson or Henry Aaron playing for the Women’s league, unjustly kept out of the Majors).
<
p>David seemed sure that we should be encouraging more women to play sports, and I disagreed. I asked where that idea came from. I think it comes from a political fantasy that sex roles are bad and we should try to make women do everything men do, even if it is something stupidly useless that men do, just to eliminate any sex roles. The fact is sex roles are good, they allow us to team up and specialize and work together. We aren’t automatons, we are human beings, and that means we aren’t sexless creatures either, we are boys or girls, not both.
Sports and athletic competitions are, to me, ultimately a form of art. Just as great art and music can serve as inspiration, athletics can as well by providing a forum for the display of human capabilities. It’s entertainment, sure, but I don’t think it is merely some sort of “low” entertainment that we’d be better off eliminating. I believe a great moment in sports can be every bit as inspirational as hearing a great work of music for the first time.
<
p>It also serves as a way to build community spirit and camaraderie. Not to mention all of the benefits you mention — being active leads to better health and better performance in school. Sports are far from being a “waste” of time and energy — we should encourage people to play sports, not discourage them.
why it is that women’s baseball never took off at any level. There are plenty of excellent softball players who I’m sure would also be excellent in a women’s baseball league as well. Why softball and not baseball?
<
p>Unfortunately, since women’s baseball seems to be completely non-existent on the college or high school levels, I can’t imagine that MLB would help support a women’s baseball league, which is probably the only way it would happen (unless some wealthy individual or group committed to start one and were willing to lose money on it).
I have a hard time imagining women’s baseball being any more successful than the WNBA.
but that’s why the MLB would probably have to be the organization willing to subsidize a women’s baseball league that would very likely lose money. If I remember correctly, most of the teams, if not all, in the WNBA lose money but the league as a whole is subsidized by the NBA.
Did anyone know we have women’s professional soccer in Massachusetts? My friend and her fiance go all the time. It’s fun, cheap and an all-round good time. More people should take advantage of that.
<
p>As for baseball, let’s not forget that this country once had a successful women’s professional league and it would be nice if we could have one again. I’d go and see it, whether it was baseball or softball (even if my preference is for baseball). I think there would be difficulties even for a woman knuckleballer in the MLB, but with the right physical build – not to mention talent – it would be possible.
there’s no reason a talented woman can’t as well. Moyer throws in the the mid to low 80’s at his fastest and is still considered a successful pitcher. And he’s not the only one. There have been plenty of major leaguers who get by on their exceptional control, mastery of breaking pitches and knowledge of the science of pitching. While I think it’s most likely that the first woman to pitch in the majors will be a knuckleballer, there’s also room for traditional female pitchers in the majors.
the only qualification for being a major league pitcher should be getting major league hitters out. Whatever works.
You want the all-men’s league to allow women and you want a second league that doesn’t allow men?
I never considered the rampant anti-male discrimination that permeates professional sports at this time. How could I have been so thoughtless.
I like the spirit behind a women’s baseball league, but I think it would probably suffer with the same also-ran status the WNBA currently has. Baseball is probably the only major American sport in which women could participate with men. As previous posters pointed out, success in pitching does not necessarily require strength. Having a prominent woman baseball player would do more for female athletes than an ignored women’s league. I could even imagine a particularly strong and talented woman succeeding at the plate. In the very early days of baseball, it actually wasn’t all that uncommon for women to play with men.
No way sir.
<
p>May I introduce you to Manon Rhéaume, ice hockey goalie. Ashley Martin played (and scored) in a D1 NCAA football game. Danica Patrick is a successful race car driver, both Indy and NASCAR.
I stand corrected.
As much as I’d like to claim her as a native of Springfield, she’s here because she attends Springfield College; she grew up in Cleveland.