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How does cold weather effect pitchers?

It's opening day of the baseball season in the majors today and I know the Twins will be playing in a controlled atmosphere. But I've always wondered about outdoor games in the early spring.

Today in Cincinnati, it's about 40 degrees and it's getting colder. Snow is predicted and there is a cold wind blowing.

So here's my question...

In cold weather how do pitcher's arms react. How to they keep warm and loose? Do they throw more off-speed pitches and let up a bit. It seems to me that arms could be really strained or injured in such cold conditions.

So, anyone ever go through this? What do the coaches tell you? How do you keep your arm loose? Or don't you?

 

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No expert....

… but I think pitchers are taught to keep their arm warm, wrapped in a towel or whatever while on the bench. Your grip in cold weather might also be impracted. But hitters have similar issues to deal with.

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by PJS on Apr 6, 2009 5:49 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Speaking as a pitcher

I’ve played baseball just about all my life including a few semi-pro stints in a few different cities. I always hated pitching in the cold. My arm never felt loose and I never felt like I could throw as hard as when it was warm or hot outside.

The whole premise of keeping your arm warm by wrapping it in a towel is one of biggest fallacies in all of baseball. People do it all the time, but it doesn’t make much sense. Your blood circulates throughout your body, so just keeping one appendage wrapped up does little. In order to keep the arm warm, a full jacket is needed to keep your entire upper body warm. Other than that, moving around as much as you can in between innings to keep the body temperature at an elevated state. I really don’t think there is much more risk in getting injured in the cold than any other time as long as you are properly warmed up—which may take longer to do. But once you are there, I don’t think it poses significantly more risk.

Really, there isn’t a whole heck of a lot you can do. But the hitters are just as cold, so they have to deal with the same issues keeping the mechanics of their swing smooth.

by rencito on Apr 7, 2009 10:35 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Thanks guys

for your information. It helps me understand it better.

by COJOMAY on Apr 7, 2009 11:05 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I am pretty certain that the pichers are colder in cold weather.

by Kelly Leeks on Apr 10, 2009 9:31 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

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