Why isn't baseball co-ed?

[Taverner]

Of all sports, this is one where the physical differences are not as much of a factor as say, Pro Football (although even that is debatable.) Watching softball, MLB could take some notes on how to throw a fastball. It seems crazy that MLB is still "boys only."

Your thoughts?

[tridim]

1. The top MLB players are giagantic.

Freakishly so.

That said, I'm sure there are some women who could easily play in the majors. It'll probably happen some day.

[Taverner]

2. That's steroids tho...

And you don't have to have gigantic arms to be a great pitcher. Just ask Tim Linecum (sp?)

[wilt the stilt]

23. read about Lincecum

he's one of a kind.

[zipplewrath]

3. Precious few

Never say never, but I'd be surprised if there were many that could "easily" play. There aren't that many MLB players period. That makes them a very small slice of the population. They are all better than the vast majority of people out there. Take the best of the best women, and now they have to compete against the best of best of the best of men. Not many "easily" going to succeed at that.

They'll have a card in PGA Tour golf sooner. Wie might actually pull it off.

[wilt the stilt]

5. Wie can't even win on the women's tour n/t

[tridim]

9. Yea, you're probably right. "Easily" was the wrong word.

There are some great women players I've seen that would be competitive in tryouts.

The first woman player will also likely be freakishly large since body mass is a requirement in professional baseball.

[Scuba]

13. Wie might if she ever learned to putt. There are a couple players on the LPGA with the length....

... to compete on the PGA. Annika, not a long hitter, shot a respectable 1-under in a PGA event a couple years ago, although she missed the cut. Her playing partners were impressed.

[zipplewrath]

15. don't have to be long

It helps, alot. And you probably won't break the top thirty as a short knocker. But you can make some money if you can knock it stiff with the short irons, and putt well. I don't think it will be that long before some woman accomplishes it.

[polly7]

4. It should be.

I played baseball and hockey with boys teams until I was about 12, then went on to womens' hockey and softball. I STILL wish baseball was an option for women, there is absolutely no reason it shouldn't be.

[wilt the stilt]

24. Until 12 is the operative word

women can compete on a adult scale at 14 years old and there are many examples of that in tennis. Name a single man who has competed at a young age. even Kobe was a skeleton when he entered the NBA. Lebron is a freak as he was almost full developed at 18. Men mature later.

[polly7]

26. I'd have competed with the boys much longer if the parents hadn't made such a stink about it.

They got embarrassed that a girl was doing so well on the team. It was strange though, I played hockey with those same boys, when they were short, for quite a few years after I left for the womens' team .... there was no problem with those same parents. I guess being covered up, it was alright.

Yes, I realize boys mature later. My point is, young girls shouldn't have to face discrimination from parents, coaches or players when they're as good as the rest of the team.

[Kookaburra]

6. I know you're referring to MLB, but

Little League is co-ed. I played my entire childhood on co-ed teams. They did start to segregate the boys and girls along about high school, though.

[wilt the stilt]

7. Flat out not strong enough

even the small baseball players are strong as ox's. My dad played service baseball all through WW2. He entertained the troops. When the war was over he thought about baseball. He just wasn't strong enough.

[Taverner]

8. I dunno about that...ever see Jennie Finch?

Take a look at those arms - solid muscle

[demosincebirth]

10. They couldn't hit a Major League curve ball...or for that matter a slider or fast ball at 90+ mph. I

love watching women's softball. Pitching a softball underhanded at 80+mph is an art all to itself.

[laconicsax]

14. You know this how?

What prevents women from hitting a curve ball, slider, or a 90+ mph fast ball?

[demosincebirth]

18. My visual sense. Haven't seen a women in MLB, yet. And I go to many A's games.

[laconicsax]

19. What ironclad logic

"I've never seen a woman playing in a MLB game, therefore women are incapable of swinging a bat"

[demosincebirth]

21. Now you are talking about "swinging a bat." that's a completely different subject. Read my initial

post about women playing ball. I love to watch women softball. This is all I have to say.

[laconicsax]

22. Read your initial post about women playing ball?

You mean the one I already replied to? The one where you claimed that women are incapable of performing at the level for the MLB?

As it happens, I did read that post of yours. I also read your follow up where you gave the most flawed reasoning I've seen all week to support your sexist claim.

[obamanut2012]

16. Link?

[One_Life_To_Give]

11. Are women banned? Or just don't tryout?

Last edited Wed Mar 7, 2012, 05:53 PM - Edit history (1)

I didn't think there was a gender requirement for the MLB, NBA, NHL or NFL. I would expect most leagues would realize a large marketing opportunity exists to the teams that first have female players. Provided that she is not some token female but a player that earned the position on merit.

I think it's more a question of time. Eventually a woman with the right skill-set will be able to fill that role.

On edit

Justine Siegal became the first woman to pitch batting practice in a major league spring training camp
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2011/news/story?id=6144845

[stevenleser]

32. Neither, as you noted. They are not banned, and ARE trying to get there.

There have been several minor league women's players but none of them yet have been good enough to get called up to the majors.

[longship]

12. I see no reason

And I do not accept the lame excuse that baseball players are so huge. That's just BS. Baseball is not freaking football where mass is basically all that counts (which is why I never watch football). Baseball is a game of pure strategy, a thinking game where brawn is basically meaningless.

Read Michael Lewis' Moneyball (or watch the flick --- it's a good one).

There are hundreds of women, likely more who have the talent to make the grade to play major league ball. It just hasn't been tried yet. But I would say that it will happen eventually, hopefully.

Let's start with an AL relief pitcher. She doesn't have to bat and when she does it's not a big deal if she doesn't hit --- that's what pinch hitters are for (look up Hank Aguirre's hitting record some time). A good fielder would make a great shortstop who tend to be on the small side. Consider Luis Aparicio who was a wiry 5' 9" and was an All Star 13 times and golden glove 9 times, to say nothing about 1956 rookie of the year. Luis was legendary for being small, but he proved that you don't need to be big to play ball. Plus his ML career spanned 17 years.

We need a forward thinking GM like Branch Rickey who will break the gender barrier in pro baseball.

One thing's for sure. It would make the game a lot of fun for everybody.

[obamanut2012]

17. Quite a few women were good enough to play baseball

after WWII, but weren't allowed.

[Neoma]

20. Wrong sport but...

You guys are making me miss my soccer days. *sighs*

[wilt the stilt]

25. I recently played golf with the starting SS for Georgia tech

GT has a very high level program and many major league ball players come out of GT. He is "wiry" He was 5'9 and 180 lbs and is considered a "spray hitter". Find me all the women who are 5"9 180lbs. He hit a golf ball 300 yds.
The strength is incredible in these guys. I don't think you realize it until you see them.

[OKNancy]

27. Women need their own teams... My daughter does full contact football

http://www.tulsathreat.com/

Hey if you don't hate paypal too much, give them a few bucks. It's player owned.
They need money for the stadium rent.
( It is ok to do this on DU3... no rule against it)

[tech_smythe]

28. A WMLB would probably do as well as the WNBA

Mind you I LIKE WNBA games, the handful of times i've seen one, because there's more team work.
but it's like women's soccer and the rest of the women's leagues... lack of major funding!

The WNBA didn't die because no one was going to the games, or watching them on TV, the big outfits simply decided they didn't want to carry them... much like what happens all the time to liberal radio.

there's a MARKET, a huge one, but the GUYS at the top don't want to give it a REAL chance, for fear of "gasp" encouraging deviant thinking and aspirations!!!

as far as co-ed... I don't see that happening until men are taught to stop treating women like wilting flowers... something I don't see ever happening for many, and arguably sexist reasons (on both sides).

But i'd go to a womens baseball game. would probably enjoy it as much a men's baseball.

[Neoma]

29. I probably wouldn't enjoy it.

Never been a huge baseball fan anyways.

Women's football is something I'd LOVE to see. Always loved playing it myself... And I was taught how to throw. My cousin Bubba (There's one in every southern family, I swear...) mentioned that I don't throw like a girl. Well... I think he mentioned that because I almost broke a car's window a bit far back. (Half a field back?) It was less football than a "Save the cars!" game where my brother (who used to be a soccer goalie) would try to keep the whole window breaking thing from happening.

After the enlightenment that I could throw a football after all those years of kiddie football on thanksgiving, I woke up crippled with back pain. Lovely.

[Taverner]

30. WNBA does pretty well, considering it wasn't supposed to last this long

[stevenleser]

31. It IS coed. There are no rules banning women. Women play in the minors

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/09/eri-yoshida-female-pitche_n_531452.html

if they got skillful enough, they would be brought up to the majors. There are no rules banning women and no coach or owner would turn away a player that would help them win.