Baseball as an individual Olympic sport?

[Baudib]

I realize baseball is a team sport, but wouldn't it be cool if there were individual medals awarded for being the best at specific "events," you know, like in gymnastics, where you have team medals and then individual medals for rings, balance beam, etc.

There's a lot of different categories you could have: home run derby, fastest pitch competition, best outfield arm competition, fastest around the bases. Sort of like All-Star game competitions, except you'd get a medal and represent your country doing it.

[TGwynn19]

I think that a competition like that would be very cool to watch. But as an Olympic medal sport, no.

[sweaver]

They had something like that for kids some years ago, sort of patterned after the NFL's "punt, pass and kick" competition. The three parts were throwing for distance, running the bases, and.........sorry, forget the third.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by Baudib
There's a lot of different categories you could have: home run derby, fastest pitch competition, best outfield arm competition, fastest around the bases. Sort of like All-Star game competitions, except you'd get a medal and represent your country doing it.

Not really about being a ballplayer 'tho.

Someone like Kingman would win the HR Derby.
Someone like Dalkowski would win the fastest pitch.
Someone like Jose Guillen would win the OF throw.
Someone like Herb Washington would win the fastest around the bases.

Pasadena. No thanks.

[sweaver]

That's because it takes a whole set of skills to be successful in baseball, unlike football, where a single skill set can carry you to a big career.

That goes back to an earlier thread. I will offer that, late as usual, as why I prefer baseball. The wide variety of skills both useful and needed.

[pathogan]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon


Not really about being a ballplayer 'tho.

Someone like Kingman would win the HR Derby.
Someone like Dalkowski would win the fastest pitch.
Someone like Jose Guillen would win the OF throw.
Someone like Herb Washington would win the fastest around the bases.

Pasadena. No thanks.

Dalkowski...man,the ultimate urban legend...poor bastard, drank himself to death, I hear

[gyb13]

Originally posted by sweaver
That's because it takes a whole set of skills to be successful in baseball, unlike football, where a single skill set can carry you to a big career.
Brian Hunter???

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by gyb13

Brian Hunter???

He said "big" career. ;)

[SmedIndy]

Hey, Johnnie LeMaster played over 1,000 big league games when he couldn't hit, field, or throw, so anythings possible.

[Baudib]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon


Not really about being a ballplayer 'tho.

Someone like Kingman would win the HR Derby.
Someone like Dalkowski would win the fastest pitch.
Someone like Jose Guillen would win the OF throw.
Someone like Herb Washington would win the fastest around the bases.

Pasadena. No thanks.

Sure, I realize this. The decathalon winner is generally regarded as the world's best athlete, but they still give out medals for the 100-meter dash. Carl Lewis wouldn't have been great in the decathalon, but he's still a great athlete.

Similarly, hitting home runs, or throwing 105 miles per hour, do not necessarily make anyone a great baseball player, but they are certainly tremendous athletic achievements. I just think it would be fun.

This may be a way to get major leaguers at the Olympics. Just have a break, like the All-Star break, and let the major leaguers come and participate in a one-day series of specialized events. You'd still have the college kids going up against Cuba and Japan for the team medal, which would be the most important thing.
Because of the Olympics, baseball is falling seriously behind other sports like hockey and basketball internationally. I think this would be a win-win situation for everyone, especially for the fans.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Do you remember the year Barry Larkin got hurt (and landed on the DL) during a skills contest (relay throws, I think) at the All-Star break one year? I think it was the same year Bo and Boggs homered at the A.

The owners do - that's why you'll never see this happen.

[sweaver]

Actually, Brian Hunter does have a good set of skills. His overall skill level is just not high enough to make him a star, or even as good as he and most baseball people think he is, because speed is overrated. However, he is very fast, good defensively, and hits for a good average. That's a nice skill package.