Dreamcricket USA News
Fox Sports Science proclaims cricket is easier than baseball!
2009 May 04 by DreamCricket USA
Fox Sports Network compared baseball with cricket on its Sports Science show and concluded that cricket is easier than baseball. We disagree!Fox Sports Network compared baseball with cricket on its Sports Science show and concluded that cricket is easier than baseball. We disagree.
Reader Comments - Do you agree that cricket is easier than baseball?
Fox Sports Network compares Baseball with Cricket on its Science show
The show begins well and the concept is interesting. USA cricketer Aditya Thyagarajan and Arizona Diamondbacks 3rd baseman Mark Reynolds, were wired up and tested to resolve whether it was tougher to bat against a pitcher or a bowler?A question that a lot of baseball players have tried to answer themselves - including the famous Babe Ruth. More recently, Manny Ramirez tried his hand at baseball too.
In selecting Aditya Thyagarajan, one of USA's best cricketers, Fox showed they were serious about their mission. Aditya, who played first class cricket in India, recently played two key innings for USA - 42 against Bermuda and a match winning 84 against Canada, and he became known as "Pappelbon" after the Boston Red Sox closer.
But as the show progressed, you can see that it was not a like-for-like comparison. For a first time batter taking to cricket, Mark Reynolds did not get the entire range of bowling. In the video, he is seen batting against really well pitched balls begging to be hit which, to his credit, he did well.
For a cricketer to play with a baseball bat, it is fairly obvious that it would take some getting used to.
All things being equal, for a ball that is tauntingly over pitched, begging to be hit, the surface area theory is probably right - the cricketer has an advantage because, when compared to baseball, he has a lot more surface area on the sweet spot.
But all things are not equal. A more scientific comparison would probably test a variety of balls - from googlies to fast bowling. Isn't that what cricket is about?
For a meaningful comparison - a super over is not what the doctor ordered.
Aditya Thyagarajan has the final word: "Cricket and Baseball require differrent techniques. In my opinion the analysis seemed a bit biased towards baseball. A Baseball player will find it extremely difficult to even play Division 5 local cricket and a cricketer will find it equally difficult to play league baseball. All in all - 2 great sports. Let's sit back and enjoy!" That is a true statesman.
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