While it seems like only yesterday that the World Series was played and dramatically finished, and while at the time of this writing it is simply not yet Christmas in the US and lots of Americans are once again finding themselves enclosed by the snow and ice of Winter, it is hard to imagine that professional and serious semi-pro or amateur baseball players are already preparing for the Opening Day pitches of early Spring.
Some professional baseball players do not take much time off. Once the World Series and then Thanksgiving or Christmas are over with for them, they head south to warmer climes and play Winter Ball in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. They do this so that they do not "go cold" by not playing and not training from October or November through to the tail end of February when players start reporting for Spring Training in Florida. Whenever a baseball player quits playing for four or five months straight, this could cause all kinds of things to go wrong for him when the season starts. Their skills and fitness level could temporarily deteriorate and cost them lots of time and aggravation to get back in shape - not to mention losing playing time.
The ball players that take the Fall season off and almost about all of the Winter may feel that this is refreshing and relaxing for themselves, but it could cause them to put on some extra pounds, lose a little of their sprinting speed, lose a touch off their reaction time when fielding, lose some of their arm and leg flexibility which can lead to lost power or injury, and lose something off of their hand-eye coordination and technique for batting. The arms of the Pitchers may lose suppleness and velocity, accuracy, and technique may deteriorate.
If a baseball player has lost some fitness or skill level while being off for the Winter, this will become apparent during Spring Training. Baseball is a game of inches, a mentally demanding game, one that demands lightening quick reaction time. Subsequently, skill or fitness degradation could cost a player many months of playing time take them a big part of the season to finally get back on the field, and this can have horrible consequences for this team.
During the Winter, besides just going down south and playing Winter baseball (which many players do not want to do because they want to rest and take time off to devote to the their families and friends for relaxation and enjoyment), players really ought perform some fitness activities to stay in shape and keep sharp for spring training.
Eating properly and healthy in the off season is very critical for baseball players. Although the holidays provide ample opportunity to eat a lot, they will still mainly stick with their training eating regimen to sustain their level of fitness. They make sure to get plenty of protein and watching the sugar and fat intake is even more important in the off season, in fact, because with the relative lack of activity weight could be too easily put on and muscle fitness too easily lost. And along with eating right, players should maintain a decent fitness regimen using things like kettlebells, jogging, wind sprints, Pilates method, maybe even regular skiing to stay in shape.
Pitchers during the Winter should find indoor training facilities and continue practicing all of their pitches at least two or three days per week. Non-pitchers need to continue taking some batting and fielding practice in the same manner (for fielding without a partner, they can use machines designed to "hit" them flies and grounders).
In the Winter, baseball players need to stretch well at least several times per week and use exercises designed to keep their rotator cuffs strong and supple. Taking time to watching videos of their performance from the previous season is a wonderful way to view and observe what they are doing well and what they need to improve upon. They can also utilize instructional videos to keep these techniques fresh in their minds.
Some professional baseball players do not take much time off. Once the World Series and then Thanksgiving or Christmas are over with for them, they head south to warmer climes and play Winter Ball in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. They do this so that they do not "go cold" by not playing and not training from October or November through to the tail end of February when players start reporting for Spring Training in Florida. Whenever a baseball player quits playing for four or five months straight, this could cause all kinds of things to go wrong for him when the season starts. Their skills and fitness level could temporarily deteriorate and cost them lots of time and aggravation to get back in shape - not to mention losing playing time.
The ball players that take the Fall season off and almost about all of the Winter may feel that this is refreshing and relaxing for themselves, but it could cause them to put on some extra pounds, lose a little of their sprinting speed, lose a touch off their reaction time when fielding, lose some of their arm and leg flexibility which can lead to lost power or injury, and lose something off of their hand-eye coordination and technique for batting. The arms of the Pitchers may lose suppleness and velocity, accuracy, and technique may deteriorate.
If a baseball player has lost some fitness or skill level while being off for the Winter, this will become apparent during Spring Training. Baseball is a game of inches, a mentally demanding game, one that demands lightening quick reaction time. Subsequently, skill or fitness degradation could cost a player many months of playing time take them a big part of the season to finally get back on the field, and this can have horrible consequences for this team.
During the Winter, besides just going down south and playing Winter baseball (which many players do not want to do because they want to rest and take time off to devote to the their families and friends for relaxation and enjoyment), players really ought perform some fitness activities to stay in shape and keep sharp for spring training.
Eating properly and healthy in the off season is very critical for baseball players. Although the holidays provide ample opportunity to eat a lot, they will still mainly stick with their training eating regimen to sustain their level of fitness. They make sure to get plenty of protein and watching the sugar and fat intake is even more important in the off season, in fact, because with the relative lack of activity weight could be too easily put on and muscle fitness too easily lost. And along with eating right, players should maintain a decent fitness regimen using things like kettlebells, jogging, wind sprints, Pilates method, maybe even regular skiing to stay in shape.
Pitchers during the Winter should find indoor training facilities and continue practicing all of their pitches at least two or three days per week. Non-pitchers need to continue taking some batting and fielding practice in the same manner (for fielding without a partner, they can use machines designed to "hit" them flies and grounders).
In the Winter, baseball players need to stretch well at least several times per week and use exercises designed to keep their rotator cuffs strong and supple. Taking time to watching videos of their performance from the previous season is a wonderful way to view and observe what they are doing well and what they need to improve upon. They can also utilize instructional videos to keep these techniques fresh in their minds.
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