Certainly one of the most thoroughly discussed and popular subjects in American sport history is the story of Jackie Robinson and the integration of organized baseball. Few topics elicit such a responsive chord or stir people’s emotions more than the Robinson saga. It is a tale of courage and heroics, both on the part of Robinson and Branch Rickey, the “Mahatma” or “Deacon” of the national game...

Analysis of the aerodynamic forces acting on baseball pitches from major league games reveals a large variance in the measured coefficients of lift and drag. We have examined possible explanations for this effect and found that, while uncertainties introduced by measurement error and the method of reporting major league pitch trajectories do explain some of the spread, the reasons for the large...

BACKGROUND Shoulder range of motion and pitch count in baseball pitchers have been linked to pitching-related upper extremity injury. PURPOSE To investigate upper extremity range of motion and pitching profiles in baseball pitchers in Japan as well as to make a comparison between injured and noninjured pitchers. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS Forty-one L...

CONTEXT Pathologies such as anterior instability and impingement are common in baseball and have been linked to decreases in internal-rotation (IR) motion and concurrent increases in external-rotation (ER) motion. In addition, alterations to scapular upward rotation have been identified in this population. OBJECTIVE To measure glenohumeral (GH) IR and ER rotation, total range of motion (ROM),...

BACKGROUND The overhead throwing athlete has unique range of motion characteristics of the shoulder and elbow. Numerous theories exist to explain these characteristics; however, the precise cause is not known. Although it is accepted that range of motion is altered, the acute effect of baseball pitching on shoulder and elbow range of motion has not been established. HYPOTHESIS There will be a...

BACKGROUND Grip and pinch strength are crucially important attributes and standard parameters related to the functional integrity of the hand. It seems significant to investigate normative data for grip and pinch strength of baseball players to evaluate their performance and condition. Nevertheless, few reports have explained the association between grip and pinch strength and anthropometric va...

The Meiji Jingu Baseball Stadium attracts a large number of spectators in the Tokyo metropolitan area. To clarify the demand for medical care at a public ballpark, we analyzed following two types of medical records maintained at the stadium: (1) "Report of Aid": a record of patients visiting the first-aid station in 2003 season and (2) "Report of Accidents": a record of patients referred to cli...

Children can be exposed to arsenic through play areas which may have contaminated fill material from historic land use. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the risk to children who play and/or spend time at baseball fields with soils shown to have arsenic above background levels. Arsenic in soils at the study sites located in Miami, FL, USA showed distinct distributions between i...

CONTEXT Elbow injuries are widely reported among baseball players. The elbow is susceptible to injury when elbow-flexor and -extensor forces are imbalanced during pitching or throwing. Assessment of muscle-strength ratios may prove useful for diagnosing elbow injury. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the elbow-flexor and -extensor functional isokinetic...

BACKGROUND Baseball players are susceptible to a number of specific upper extremity injuries secondary to batting, pitching, or fielding. Fractures of the hook of hamate have been known to occur in batters. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with the surgical management of hook of hamate fractures and their short-term impact on the playing capability of competitive baseball ...