On sliding into first base …
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 26, 2007 
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I see a few people are debating this issue.
I wish I could find the link, but I remember a bunch of years ago that Mike Greenwell of the Red Sox was sliding into first base and claimed it was faster. The Boston Globe sent a writer to MIT and one of their physics professors proved it was slower.
I still think Bobby Valentine had the right answer to that question. As he used to say, if sliding got you there faster, why don’t Olympic sprinters do it?
Sliding headfirst is both dangerous (broken fingers, jammed shoulders, etc) and inefficient. The sooner Melky Cabrera stops, the better off he and and the Yankees will be.
“Strangle him,” Joe Torre said with a laugh when asked what he could do to get Melky to stop.
Well, I think it was a laugh.
UPDATE, 5:45 p.m.: Ah, ha. I knew it. As one of our alert readers pointed out, the great Bob Ryan was the reporter who went to MIT.
Bob, a Jersey guy, is the straightest shooter in the Boston media and one of the writers I most admire for his passion, writing skills and willingness to argue his point. He now has his own blog, so welcome to the terrordome, Mr. Ryan.
Check out his latest piece on Phil Rizzuto.
I’m pretty sure MythBusters proved sliding is faster…
”if sliding got you there faster, why don’t Olympic sprinters do it?”
because theyd probably kill themselves if they did
@ Steve:
Mythbuster proved sliding was faster when overrunning the bag wasn’t an option (i.e. 2nd and 3rd). There’s absolutely no way sliding into first is faster.
Obviously Torre is in no position to influence Melky, after all, Torre is only the manager.
beat me to it, greenscar. the whole olympic sprinters argument is the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard. i can see it now; an olympic sprinter wearing those short shorts and a tanktop lunging headfirst onto pavement/rubber track/whatever the track is made of.
but i’ll say i agree that running through first is probably faster. perhaps sliding distracts the fielders and they screw up what they already know is a close play, and if the throw pulls them off the bag, the runner won’t get tagged. but i’d still say run through the bag…
Melky needs to stop sliding into first before he suffers a fate like Chris Sabo. Sabo was an All Star 3rd baseman with the Reds in the late ’80s and early ’90s. He slid in head first to first base one time, messed up his shoulder, and never was the same player.
some interesting commentary on sliding into first base:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does.....ase_faster
Show Melk video of it and tell him if he does it again he is fined. If he would have run thru the bag he might have made it.
The second dumbest place to slide head first is first base. In fact, the only reason to slide at first base at all is to avoid a tag. After watching far too many Mike Greenwell head-first slides into first, I was moved a few years back to contact the physics department at MIT. I was put in touch with a baseball-loving physicist who explained to me that sliding head first doesn’t get you there any faster. In fact, it slows you down.
http://www.boston.com/sports/c.....do_it.html
Well if Cabrera does injure himself on another side I think Posada might be rested enough to play two positions.
I know how to stop Melky from sliding into first. Introduce him to the bench.
The best way to stop Melky from sliding into first- tape three hours of footage of Steve Phillips running his mouth, then make Melky watch and listen to the footage if he slides again.
Ty Cobb wouldn’t risk injury to himself by sliding head first, he would rather use his spikes in hopes of seriously injuring another player. I know that Cobb was a great player, but I really can’t respect him as a person for obvious reasons that have been stated millions of times.
if you read the wiki link i provided earlier, you will see that it’s not as simple as “sliding into first won’t get you there faster.” diving will get you their faster, but the problem is that when you slide, the friction of hitting the ground might slow you down. but diving head first definitely gets you there faster (friction aside); after all, why do fielders ever dive to catch balls if it slows them down? why not sprint after it?
This from a guy who said that game definitely wasn’t going to stay at 4-5.
Besides the bloody friction burns and the broken bones olympic sprinters will get if they slide on rubberized dry latex, they’ll get trampled by 5-9 other big, muscular guys running behind them at over 20 mph. That’s why they don’t slide, nothing to do with speed. Come on Pete.
The MIT guy’s arguments is less than convincing. Not a bit of scientific rationale given (though I’m sure it has something to do with “friction”), compare that to the wikianswers one.
Haven’t we noticed how much olympic sprinters lean forward as they cross the finish line? They just won’t slide, but they lean as forward as they can without sliding because, intuitively, the human body understands the conservation of momentum.
Off topic- but congratulations go out to the Little Leaguers from Warner Robins, Georgia who are the champions. It really is fun to watch these kids play their hearts out because of love for the game. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see a few of them in the majors later on down the road. So long everyone, maybe Mussina can snap out of the funk and get us a split tomorrow!
There’s no way that sliding is faster.
I watched the last few innings of the little league world series. Congrats to the Georgia team.
The “great Bob Ryan”? Talk about watering down the accolades. That’s a little like “Carrot Top, comic genius”.
Question for SJ44-
Steve Phillips just said on BBTN that Phil Hughes had a very straight fastball. I think I remember you saying that they had him take a little bit off his FB to add more movement. Is this correct?
the what’s faster angle is irrelevant.
it’s more dangerous to dive head first into a bag. Seinfeld, “why do they call it a ‘bag’? It doesn’t look like a bag; you can’t carry groceries in it; and it’s not as soft as a beanbag.”
it’s like when an outfield laysout on grass vs running into the wall, the former causes grass stains, the latter causes cortisone injections.
It’s IN!
LAA is playing Seattle tomorrow. Who do we root for?
i don’t like to see anyone sliding into first because of the injury factor, but the fact an umpire is on his own judging safe or out is different than in track where they have video to help decide the issue. maybe diving subjectively looks faster to the umpire even though it isn’t faster. if that’s the case even if it’s slower, it’s faster.
but even if that’s the case, diving should be saved for really important games because of the injury factor.
They have told him all year not to do it. Its false hustle and it doesn’t work. He still doesn’t listen.
Only one thing left to do. Sit him tomorrow night. See if that gets his attention.
Put Damon in CF, Giambi at DH and Betemit at first (if Jeter is ok) tomorrow night.
One of the great things about losing is, you don’t have to curry favor with anybody. They have lost with him, they can lose without him.
If he refuses to listen to his manager and coaches, he sits. If they don’t take that action with him, then they can’t get upset when he continues to defy them.
That might be the only way to get his attention. I’m sure they’ve tried drilling it in his head a number of times. maybe another tactic would be to show him video of players getting hurt diving into first.
I have been saying since Hughes came back his fastball is lacks movement.
The injuries killed the kids this year. He’s a power pitcher and he needs his legs. Because of the injuries, his legs aren’t in the type of condition they need to be in to pitch his type of game.
Look at his starts. Here’s what you see:
1. Can’t command the curveball and changeup. Can’t throw them for strikes in any count, as he was able to do prior to his injury.
2. Fastball lacks movement and pre-injury velocity. He still can’t spot it consistently as he did pre-injury.
3. He can’t throw strikes consistently from the stretch. Again, another byproduct of his injuries. He doesn’t get that power push out of the stretch he did prior to the injury.
He also is so young, he doesn’t know how to pitch yet. Meaning, he doesn’t know how to go to Plan B, C, etc, because he has never had to do it this early in his career.
I feel bad for the kid. Its like going to war with a pop gun. He is such a different pitcher than the one that was great in May, its not funny.
I can’t wait to see him next year with an entire off-season to get his conditioning back. We will see a better Hughes next year, IMO.
This year, he is what we are seeing.
David Wells pitching tonight for the Dodgers, he is 44. I didn’t realize he was that old.
just read ryans article. he doesn’t like any head first sliding at any base despite making note that pete rose and rickey henderson slid head first their whole career. i think it’s a personal preference thing everywhere but first and home although sometimes a head first slide at home can take you around the catcher who’s up front of the plate and you can sneak a hand in the back door.
a lot of the time, naturally aggresive runners like to slide head first. i think this is the case with melky. it’s not done to show false hustle. i think it’s real hustle even though ill advised at first. i don’t think he plans it. it just happens.
i’m more concerned with what’s up with this team than with melky sliding into first.
even though it doesn’t make any sense because giambi has played well enough,but ever since he’s come back , they don’t seem like the same team.
the wild card is going to be a battle right to the end of the season for whoever wins it. the yankees can’t go into a funk now and expect to make it up later. forget the red sox , they have to stay ahead of detroit and pass seattle or the angels. they seem a mess right now which was not the case a few weeks ago.whatever they had, it’s time to get it back.
SJ shut up already.. I missed the last 3 innings listened to it on XM, Detroit announcers. ENough with the minutia on Hughes . He gave up 4 hits in 6 innings yes 3 Hr’s (really only 2 but 3). ENough on his velocity, his movement, his secondary pitches blah blah blah.. You do not know what you are talking about. I asked you minimum 3 times for a reasonable soltuion to getting hughes and moose out of the rotation, kei Igawa or Ian Kennedy this time of the yr. is NOT a reasonable solution.Moose is replaceable if he does not show something but again he is 38 and strikes out no one…
Hughes is going to be GREAT.. HE will have some very good outings the rest of the yr. watch..
the yanks did what this version of the yanks does. they lose close games, hardly ever win unless they score 5 runs or more and hit into double plays..
there record in 1 run games is atrocious.. nothing has changed on that front and they are 3 below 500 on the road…
they will win the wildcard so SJ and all the weak kneed wooosies rememebr that.
The Yankees have no one pettitite and wang included that will go 8 inning and just shut a team down. this is the reality..they need to get into the playoffs and get 6 good innings from the starters and count on joba, viz, mariano, and it apppears kyle to take it from there.
The detroit announcers on the radio were marveling about Guilens play at 1b etc, were they really that good?
Hughes gave up 4 hits in 6 innings, yes 5 runs but if you do not see something there you are blind and a stat geek………..
SJ hell with feeling bad for hughes I feel bad for you and enough of this garbage you are spouting.. you act like he got shelled… He did not .. terible pitch to thames and it got killed else it is another story.. you make everything complicated it really is not that complicated…
SJ- Im thinking we will see Hughes have better outtings in terms of velocity, stamina and pitch execution each time he starts. It is clear he is not wuite at midseason for yet. When he first came up, he was in 100% top physical condition. I dont think he is in that shape as of today. With every game he starts, he should get better. I agree that it might take an offseason for him to regain his form as he will be able to work on his conditioning
another thing SJ is into benching whomever to send a message .. screw that Damon cannot play CF, do not punish the team fine Melky for his stupid slides, hit him where it hurts in his wallet……..
if he did not slide would he have been safe???
How do you really feel, Stuart?
Sj does analysis to create paralysis….
4 hits in 6 innings the guy is 21, he retires 11 in a row, he belongs.. not real complicated…….
sj44-
i agree with everything you said about hughes. he’s just physically not there nor is he likely to be in top shape the rest of this year. i think the yankees need another pitcher to fill in for hughes or mussina or wang if his finger acts up. is there anything out there? any teams trying to dump salary? the yankees just feel very thin with pitching right now. if one thing goes wrong, it seems like they won’t have an answer for it.
Randy you and SJ brainstorm and snap your fingers and you guys come up with that pitcher or pitchers…..
GOOD luck….
WHere did SJ and you get you medical degreees from???
You guys can tell he is not 100 strong??He has been pitching for the last 3 or 4 weeks since the minor league starts.. If hughes is smart he is working out between starts and watching clemens if that is the case he should actually be getting stronger.. his pitch count is also going up so most of what you guys say is just blah blah blah..
meatball pitches get hit in the big leagues if he throws less of them he will do better. that is some free advice…
the yanks do not score 5 runs the yusually lose as stated previously…
i think our rotation is fine, but i do think we can use a sixth man and maybe kenedy or igawa can fill that roll…..also i think that we should send henn and bruney to the minors and bring up britton and maybe igawa can be a starter or a long lefty reliver like vilone was…
Stuart-
Ease up. I asked SJ his take on Hughes’ fastball he responded to it with his opinion. I think he knows what he’s talking about so just chill.
Stuart-
Making the argument that “You (SJ44) do not know what you are talking about” would be a lot more convincing coming from someone who can put together a post with standard grammar, punctuation, spelling and capitalization.
Of all the posters on this board, SJ44 always has well-reasoned, rational opinions. I don’t always agree with his judgements, but there’s no escaping the fact that he absolutely knows what he’s talking about.
There’s no doubt that Hughes has lost something. His fastball doesn’t have extra pop, and his off-speed stuff doesn’t have enough movement and location to make up for it. It doesn’t mean that he won’t eventually become a very good (and potentially great) pitcher someday; it does mean that he’s not likely to be the savior stopper for this season.
Stuart- Common sense tells you that he is not at 100%. Maybe SJ is just putting 2 and 2 together. He spent 3 months on the DL with 2 serious injuries. He comes back and lacks the same velocity and movement on his pitches. He is not the same pitcher before he got injured. Common sense tells you he is not at 100%. Maybe its mental or physical. Mental because when you get hurt like that you tend to let up as to avoid reinjury. It is common sense that he is not at 100%
MikeyB I am typing fast and figure even a guy of your intelligience or lack of could get the idea…In my next life I will use spell check when I communicate to a mental midget like you.
And Hughes not being a 100% common sense leads you to believe that !!!!!!!Reallly then whomever is letting him pitch should be fired…The guy is 21 and called the Phranxhise for a reason..Oh sorry Mikey for the missspelling of franchise oops…
you guys try to figure everythign out when often it is simple as location on a few pitches and the yankee penchant to not be able to win close games…
again this is like 4 starts since his recall, after 3 or 4 starts in the minors…that is minimum 40 + days since he has been throwing hopefully at full strength..
If Hughes is not at full strangth he should be smart enough to tell torre and compan yabout it..
AGAIN SJ your resolution to this problem was??
I remember your dolution is to pontificate and to babble nonsense with the solution being they are stuck at a minimum with either moose or hughes and possibly both the rest of the yr… if they do not learn how to win a couple of games when they do not score 5 runs then they are toast………….
I am going to another site to check out how one of SJ’s solutions did today that is the star Kei Igawa…WHo couldn’t get thru 6 innings on the big club if they gave him the 1st 3 innings for free…
Hughes will be just fine….As Boone was saying this morning on the course, it takes time for pitchers to get their rythem & leg strength back….It’s tough for a Vet no less 21 year old…..He’s had a few innings that have just killed him, otherwise he’s been lights out……Let’s see how October unfolds for our Mr. Hughes….Personally I think he could be a major story in the Postseason….Think John Lackey in 02…..Hew should be hitting his stride in about 2 more starts, then watch out ……NO MUSSINA THOUGH…..
Stuart, pal, its Miller time. Chill.
Stuart- Saying Hughes is not at 100% is not saying he is injured. It is saying he is not in midseason form. He is not in top physical conditioning. If you injure your hmastring and ankle as severely as he did it probably takes 6 months to be back to normal.
I could not get MLB.com to work and was not able to watch today’s game. But in reading the stats, Hughes did keep it within reach unlike Mussina lately.
Young pitchers with few exceptions are inconsistent from start to start. Joba only has to pitch one inning and doesn’t have to face batters more than once. With his superior stuff, he has been dominant. Hughes has lost velocity but he stills throws hard enough to be successful with improved command of his breaking pitches. I saw his last start and what I observed was he was not mixing in his changeup as well as he did in the Texas game.
There are no better options for the Yankees right now than letting Hughes build leg strength, confidence, arm strength, whatever it is that he is lacking.
I believe in taking the long view. If they don’t win the wild card this year it’s not the end of the world people.
Better to set the pitching staff up for next year and that means geting Hughes, Chamberlain and yes, Britton experience to be more competitive next year. Let Mussina fall on his sword this year and prove whether or not he is done (I think he is). He has said if he feels he can’t do it he won’t be back. I take the man at his word until he proves unworthy of that trust.
Mikey B, It’s the contents that matters…..Weak stand and even a weaker rebuttal……
“they will win the wildcard so SJ and all the weak kneed wooosies rememebr that.”
stuart-
no more greenies for you tonight. you’re getting a little revved up there. i’m not liking what i see with hughes either and my knees are in pretty good shape. hughes is just ok right now. he’s not necessarily getting stronger with each start. it’s more like he’s playing catch up with being in shape. if you remember, the spring was incredibly cold with some games below freezing. hughes did not have an ideal start to his conditioning because of that. he was called up out of desperation and not because he was ready. he had maybe a 65 pitch base when he was called up. it was no accident he was injured. he was pushing past his conditioning base.i realize that’s my opinion, but it seemed pretty obvious to me at the time. he still doesn’t have the base down for what he’s trying to do. he’s not throwing hard( by his standards) and he’s not sharp. that said, they have no one else so he ‘s in the rotation. mussina and hughes are probably going to be a problem the rest of the year. win one ,lose one. i don’t wish that. it’s just the way it is.
the fact we’re all getting a little testy here tells me we’re all getting bad vibes from the way the team is playing. something needs to change for them to get back in gear. maybe it’s hughes stepping up or , adding a pitcher, or the offense going off again. whatever it is they need something because it’s getting late early as these losses mount up.
* but even if that’s the case, diving should be saved for really important games because of the injury factor.
But the thing is, I don’t think the posters on the board are all bent out of shape about Melky diving because they were so concerned about their well-being. It seems more like a bunch of folks were questioning Melky’s mental capacities b/c they thought he would’ve been safe if he hadn’t slid. So at least to some msg board pundits evidently, that was a “really important” game…why would so many people care about someone sliding otherwise (mind you, it wasn’t even like there were 2 folks on base and 2 outs…no one was even on base and the play didn’t make that much of a difference).
I really don’t understand the rationale here: if Yankees scored 6 runs, everyone would probably be singing praises about how Hughes gutted it out, Cano is awesome, bullpen rocks with Farns back on track etc. Now because of the way the ball bounced, it becomes a massive blame game with talk that Hughes don’t belong in majors, and Melky is a mental midget for sliding. Fair criticisms are one thing, but no need to get this emotional (and personal) about a bunch of players doing their best to play a game.
We’ll all be one happy ( ? ) family once the playoffs begin, then all hell will break out again when ever something doesn’t go well……Transitions and rebuilding is a foriegn concept to most Yankee fans….Be happy they’re even in the hunt….I personally felt that the division was a long shot after the disaster in Denver, San Fran, & Baltimore….Now this trip can be the final nail…..Wild Card is the ticket this year guys…..Randy I, You’re so diplomatic when called upon…..
Hughes besides getting innings in had nothing to attain in the minors.. he dominated the minors.. he can learn and be fairly successful at the same time on the big club..In a perfect world he would be making his first start on the big club in about a week but that is not the case.
no I am not testy at a team that cannot win 1 run games, cannot win games that they do not score 5 runs, have the best offense in baseball by far but if the playoffs started today would be watching on TV no I am not testy….
The Yankees pitching is basically KC’s, look at the #’s that is a DISGRACE………..
“Randy I, You’re so diplomatic when called upon…..”
huh? translation please.
_jennifer August 26th, 2007 at 8:04 pm_
_David Wells pitching tonight for the Dodgers, he is 44. I didn’t realize he was that old._
Jen, I didn’t realie he was that *young*
Here’s an interesting question: does Boomer deserve to go to HOF? He’s got more victories and a better W-L record than Catfish and Drysdale, and they worked when the rules benefited pitchers (no DH, higher mound, no live ball, more day games, no HGH, etc., etc.)
David Wells BUNTED!! WHOA!!
On opening day 2003, DJ slid headfirst into third and hit the catchers shin guards and hurt his shoulder and was out till May.
“I still think Bobby Valentine had the right answer to that question. As he used to say, if sliding got you there faster, why don’t Olympic sprinters do it?”
If i am right, you finish the race when your chest passed the finished not, not when your foot pass the line. On the other hand, you’re safe on base if any part of your body touches base before the ball is cleanly caught.
Does that make a difference? I don’t know, its just a theory i would counter with your argument…
Stuart,
Shut up? Why, because you can’t discuss pitching without resorting to namecalling?
I know a lot more about pitching than you think. I know enough about it to know when somebody isn’t right and somebody isn’t effective.
How in the world do you know Hughes is going to be GREAT??? Give me reasons, not fan babble.
If you think he pitched well today, you are nuts.
Giving up 5 runs in 6 innings is GREAT? Well, let’s just say, we have different meanings of that word.
How do I know he isn’t right? Well, its simple.
He can’t throw the baseball with the level of power and consistency he did prior to his injury. Its that simple. Watch the games. Its plain as day.
When you are rehabbing, you are not conditioning. Ask anybody who has suffered injuries. They will tell you the same thing.
Do you really think he is as healthy as he would be if he hadn’t missed three months? Do you have any idea how that affects a power pitcher? He doesn’t have his legs under him. You don’t have to be a doctor to know that. Look at his gun readings, his lack of movement and lack of command. Its all there.
Put it to you another way….2-2 with an ERA of nearly 6 is closer to Kei Igawa than somebody who is going to be “great”. So, let’s not get carried away with the Hughes hype.
His legs aren’t in the shape they would be had he pitched a full season in good health. That’s indisputable.
Put it to you another way. You ought to hope I am right because, if he is healthy right now, and this is all he is, he’s not only not going to be “great”, he may not even be good.
He can barely pitch 6 innings for God’s sake. You make it sound like he is some horse. He isn’t.
One other thing. The Yankees have babied this kid at EVERY level of his minor league career. Frankly, moreso than any other pitching prospect they have had in their system and that includes Kennedy and Chamberlain.
How is that relevent? He has no idea how to pitch out of trouble. We have seen it in every one of his starts. When he gets in trouble, it snowballs. That’s inexperience.
There is no Plan B with him and that’s because they have never had this kid try and get through his difficulties.
Its the one mistake I believe they have made developing him. Disagree with me? Ask Pete to ask some scouts about it. He will hear the same thing from them I am telling you.
I also think the Yankees KNOW they messed up in that regard with Hughes and are taking a different approach with Kennedy, Chamberlain and Horne. Those kids have been allowed to pitch their way out of trouble in the minors more than Hughes ever had to do.
Go back and look at his minor league starts. He doesn’t have a lot of experience in that area.
Its called baseball talk Stuart. Not fan babble. Plenty of other blogs will talk fan babble and tell us how “Great” somebody is going to be even though they aren’t showing it yet. We talk baseball in here.
I have no idea if he will be “great” or not. Frankly, neither do you.
I base “great” on what I see. What I see right now is a 21 year old kid who is only pitching for the Yankees because they have nobody else. Not because he’s pitching “great”.
What do I think of Hughes? I want to see him next season after an off-season of working with Nardi and being in better shape. Then, I will form an educated opinion on what I think his future will be.
His present? Not only not great, but not good.
4 hits in 6 innings is not atrocious pitching. Yes I know 3 of the hits were homeruns but 4 hits is still 4 hits. 4 hits and 1 walk. His WHIP for the game was under 1. That’s not horrible pitching any way you slice it.
SJ44 when Hughes was in the minors he rarely ever got in trouble when he pitched, he was that dominating. I find it utterly hilarious that after 6 starts in the majors Hughes is a bum. Gimme a break, ever hear of small sample sizes?
One reason why he was never in a lot of trouble in the minors is he didn’t pitch a lot of innings. That plays into it.
He gave up 5 runs in 6 innings. That’s not good. He gave up “only” 4 hits, 3 being home runs. Not good.
38 innings pitched, 15 BB, 32 hits, 47 total baserunners. Not good. 2-2, 5.65 ERA. That’s also not good, no matter how you want to spin it.
Show me where I said he was a “bum”. You can’t because I never said that.
I said the injuries have ruined his season and he is in over his head right now. That’s not calling him a “bum”. I am just not ready to label somebody “great” when he has not shown he will be yet.
Look at his numbers. Seems to me its an accurate statement.
correction: there’s not much wrong with Hughe’s velocity (and let’s be fair, 47 runners per 38 innings is not bad at all. In fact a 1.27 WHIP leads all Yankees starters and is better than other luminaries such as Lackey, King Felix etc). If you read his scouting reports, 91-92mph is Hughes norm, he’s never been a particularly hard thrower and his fastball is a plus pitch mainly due to his control. So in short main and only problem has been less-than-advertised command [which was actually very good today outside of 2 disastrous pitches out of 97]. May be nerves, may be rusty, or may just be bad luck. Nobody knows except Hughes, or maybe he doesn’t know it either or he would pitch better…or maybe he can’t b/c he simply isn’t that good (unlikely, but need to throw it out there as a possibility, you never know [see West, David and Van Poppel, Todd]). It’s not like Fausto Carmona lit up the league last year either, now the ESPN talking heads are discussing him as a CY candidate. In short: we’re all conjecturing anyway, let’s relax and not fight about it.
sliding head first, $10,000 fine, unless throw is offline & you slide to avoid tag
the wiki answers link was pretty interesting. i guess there are times when it may be faster, but by their logic it’s a dive that may get you there faster, not exactly a “slide”. still, not worth it by any means.
friction plus the lack of leg power is a lot to make up for.
Here’s another one:
http://www.madsci.org/posts/ar......Ph.r.html
In short, just think about this scientifically
* a well-executed headfirst slide/dive where the player rotates his body around his center of gravity and parallel to the ground will indeed get him faster to first base
(of course that takes a well-timed dive to minimize the friction)
* Runners when running through a base also have to make adjustments to run through a base to make sure they step on the base, which’ll involve some deceleration
* Yes sliding increases the chance of injury
Were half the pundits here really caring about melky’s well-being and going “please melky, don’t injure yourself for that 0.003 seconds you’re too valuable” tho? No, it was more like a barrage of “you moron sliding is slower and you cost us a baserunner” based on the counter-urban-legend (an urban legend [that sliding is slower] to counter another supposed “urban legend” which is actually true [i.e. headfirst sliding is faster when done right])
There is one point about the Olympic Sprinter that everyone misses. In baseball when any part of your body touches a base you are considered to be there. In sprinting your torso must cross the line to be considered finished. If it were any part of your body in sprinting then some people would dive.