Baseball, a fat mans game?

“I' ain't an athlete lady, I'm a baseball player” Said John Kruk, an out of shape 1990's first baseman coined the term when a woman asked him how he could smoke and be a professional athlete.

There have been many players in the history of baseball that essentially let themselves go over the course of their careers. Some have done so with great success; Babe Ruth, C.C Sabathia along with Prince & Cecil Fielder come to mind. These players obviously have an extreme talent level that allows them to get by without putting time and effort into their fitness levels.

When a a player or team is not succeeding, most people would expect them to try every single option to win. Look to the Blue Jays bullpen and even one of their catchers as perfect example. Blue Jay fans constantly complain about how the A.L. East is to stacked to compete, instead of looking at what they can't do they should be concerned about what some of their players are just neglecting to do. Brett Cecil, Jesse Litsch, Kyle Drabek, Jose Molina and earlier in the year Travis Snider all look like out of shape guys off the street, leading me to wonder why the coaching staff does not get them in line.

Take a look at the two photos of Jesse Litsch below, the one on the right was taken this season, the one on the left was taken 4 years ago when he was drafted. He has obviously made some gains, and it's not all in his beard.

175 lbs ----------------------------------------220 lbs

As a baseball fan I find it both offensive and disrespectful that players making some of the best coin in all of sports can't put themselves in a position where they can make the most of their talents. Another perfect example would be the Molina brothers, they all weigh upwards of 220 lbs, and its not a NFL running backs 220 lbs, it is a professional eaters 220 lbs. I remember a being at a Jays game in 2006 when Bengie Molina snuck a ball past an Orioles right fielder, Molina simply jogged to first base and stopped. An average person off the street could have stretched the hit into a double. The next Blue Jays batter grounded into a double play. Small things throughout the course of a game can and will eventually make the difference between a win and a loss, If the new movie starring Brad Pitt Moneyball has taught us anything it's that every run, out, base and win does count.

In the NHL there used to be a very similar culture, meals were not regulated; drinking and smoking were regular things for players to partake in. Fast-forward ahead from the 1970's to the year 2011 and players go from looking like average guys (see Don McLeod below)

To elite athletes on very intense training regimes, the pace of the game has increased drastically, the fitness levels of players are actively monitored and it has made the NHL a much more exciting product. Even looking back to the steroid era in baseball you can find proof as to how a stronger and faster baseball player can help a team win. By no means would it be healthy for the game if everybody started juicing. It would be great for the game if players started showing the fans and their respective organizations the respect they deserve.

How much more magnificent would ‘the Babes’ records be if he didn’t drink, smoke and eat hot dogs in between games? How much longer could Bengie Molina’s career have gone if he could run?

As for myself, it is as much a question as it is a concern.

Dan Malta