Baseball: Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright

Baseball is 179 years old and was invented in the summer of 1839. It was invented by Abner Doubleday and Alexander Cartwright. The first recorded baseball game was in 1846 when Cartwright’s Knickerbockers lost to the New York Baseball Club in New Jersey. The National Association of Baseball Ball Players were the founders of the MLB in 1869. Cincinnati Red Stockings became America’s first professional baseball team.

Many different pitches can cause a wild pitch to occur. The most common pitches that cause this to happen is sliders, curveballs, and breaking balls, yet a simple fastball can turn out to be a wild pitch.

16.3% of sliders thrown, end up being a wild pitch. (The Orange County Register, Wild Pitch Gone Wild, 2018) Sliders break down and away from the batter because of the similar fastball spin. It doesn’t move as much as a curveball but it breaks at the last second causing it to be a successful pitch. Breaking movement of the pitch, at the last second, don’t allow the catcher many milliseconds to react. (MLB, Slider 2018) As a result, they swat their non-glove hand at the ball attempting to stop it from going past them. If the ball gets past them, a run can score and base runners could advance.

In the 2000 NLDS, Rich Ankiel threw 5 wild pitches in one inning. Burt Cunningham also threw wild pitches in an inning. Adam Ottavino set the MLB record on June 26, 2017, for 5 runs scored on 4 wild pitches. (MLB, Slider 2018) At least 1 wild pitch is thrown a game, and it only takes one pitch to cause an injury. Softball and baseball catchers are constantly getting hit in the wrist or hand while trying to block a wild pitch. 21% of injuries are in the wrist or hand. 86% of all injuries occur on defense. If they don’t block the pitch, a run could potentially score, causing the team to lose. 28% of softball and baseball games are won or lost by 1 run. Softball and baseball catchers need additional protective gear to defend their wrists when a wild pitch occurs because if they get hit it can cause injury.

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