As any baseball fan will tell you, no MLB season ever starts like it is supposed to. The Los Angeles Dodgers are supposed to be the favorite to win the NL West pennant over the San Francisco Giants and both teams are wallowing in the NL West basement. The Atlanta Braves were supposed to challenge the Washington Nationals for the NL East pennant, but the Braves currently hold the lead in the standings by three games.
It is really early to try and get a read on the teams, but there are pitchers who are establishing paces that could lead them to Cy Young contention for this season. The NL is home to a lot of great pitchers and many of them are already off to better starts than most people ever expected.
Clayton Kershaw - Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers may be struggling at this early point in the season, but ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw is not. Kershaw has a 2-2 record and a 1.88 ERA to start the season, but that is not what is impressing people. In 28 2/3 innings pitched, Kershaw has 30 strikeouts to only eight walks. He has shown the kind of control that will keep him in contention for the NL Cy Young all season long.
Matt Harvey - New York Mets
People wondered why the Mets seemed to unaffected by losing last year's Cy Young winner in R.A. Dickey. It could be because the Mets knew that they had Matt Harvey waiting in the wings. So far this season, Harvey has a 4-0 record and a 0.93 ERA. He has pitched 29 innings and has accumulated 32 strikeouts versus only nine walks. This is Harvey's first season as a full-time starter, so we will have to see if he can keep this pace up all season long.
Madison Bumgarner - San Francisco Giants
Bumgarner has been struggling for a couple of seasons now, but this year he seems to be back on track. He has a 3-0 record and a 2.05 ERA. The ERA is not going to win him a Cy Young, but his 27 strikeouts compared to only seven walks could. He has given up 17 hits in 26 1/3 innings pitched, which is pretty impressive if he can keep it up for the rest of the year.
Paul Maholm - Atlanta Braves
It is getting harder and harder to ignore the Braves' pitching when it comes to the Cy Young discussions. Maholm is 3-1 on the season with a 1.03 ERA. He has 25 strikeouts compared to eight walks, which is good, but he will have to improve those numbers if he wants to be on the final Cy Young ballot when the season is over. There are a lot of young pitchers that are just starting to pick up some steam that could knock Maholm out of the running. But at this point, he has to be considered a favorite.
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Softball is not a dangerous sport, but because players are exposed to repetitive aggressive movements, collisions with each other and equipment (such as balls and bats) flying wildly, the risk of getting injured is always present. Injuries can definitely be avoided, but it takes a good number of serious steps to successfully pull off. Everyone is in it together, including parents, in the case of young players. There are two categories of softball injuries: the overuse and the acute. Overuse injuries occur when a tendon and/or a muscle are used too often without being given enough time to rest and recover. They are more common than acute injuries, although they may be more severe. The back, shoulders, forearms, wrists, hands and knees are the most commonly used body parts/groups of muscles in softball, and hence are the most injury-prone. The shoulder tendonitis, or the rotator cuff tendonitis, is an inflammation of the shoulder tendons which affects many pitchers. Knee tendonitis, meanwhile, can be observed in all players because of all the running and fielding that everyone has to do. It is very important that an overuse injury be detected and treated early. When left to persist, it can lead to long-lasting and even permanent damage. Acute injuries occur as onetime events, such as bruises from player collisions and being hit by a ball, concussions, ankle sprains and twisted knees. The anterior cruciate ligament, more commonly known as the ACL, is perhaps the most vulnerable ligament not just in softball, but in many other sports too, including volleyball, badminton and basketball. These sports require frequent and abrupt movements of the legs and changes in direction, which, when performed incorrectly, result to the tearing of the ACL.
Use safety softball equipment. Safety equipment that are used in softball include helmets, catcher's gear, elbow guards and shin and foot guards. Tournaments require that helmets be worn by all batters, base runners and players on deck or warming up. Some NCAA conferences even request that base coaches wear helmets too. Catchers should always have their protective gear on, which must include a helmet and mask with a throat guard, a chest protector and shin guards. Elbow guards and shin and foot guards for batters are optional. Safety softball equipment must be worn religiously because they are the first line of defense against injuries. Proper training. Correct training encompasses learning the right techniques and skills and not exceeding the recommended number of repetitive movements. Some specialists advise that flexibility in pitchers should be emphasized, instead of strength. Techniques and skills that have been scientifically developed produce the least amount of and the elimination of unnecessary movements. Limiting the number of repetitive movements, particularly pitches, reduces the risk of overuse injuries. Other game-time safety measures. There are lots of safety measures that can and should be done during games: For young players, it is advisable to rotate to their positions;Pitchers, especially young ones, should observe the recommended number of pitches, which should include the games they play with other teams (if they play in teams in two separate leagues, they should split the recommend number of pitches between those two teams);Girls below 13 years of age should not pitch two days in a row; those aged 13 and above should not do it three days in a rowEveryone should not be playing all year-round;Always do stretches and warm-ups.When feeling pain for more than a week... If you are hurt and the pain has not gone away for more than a week, you need to be examined by a doctor. Tell him/her exactly how you feel, and do not return to play until cleared the same doctor or any other health professional.
David P. is an Online Content Manager that mostly writes about Baseball and Rate this ArticleHow to Avoid Softball InjuriesNot Rated YetDavid Whitfield has published 6 articles. Article submitted on April 04, 2013. Word count: 614
baseball Equipment, baseball glovesBaseball is not a dangerous sport, but the risks of getting seriously hurt from batted balls, uncontrolled pitches and players crashing together are always present. It is important to prepare oneself amply to avoid occurrence and/or becoming a victim of such accidents. This means being aware of game rules, doing enough warm-ups such as jogging and stretching, acquiring correct techniques, being mindful of others and wearing complete protective gear, particularly catchers. Injuries can include anything from simple bruises, scrapes and concussions to ones that require complex treatment such as broken bones and loss of consciousness. If you feel even so much as small pain, be honest and tell your coach about it so that appropriate treatment can be administered and avoid aggravating your injury. In this article, we will be focusing on the different kinds of safety baseball equipment, their importance and how they can protect you from certain injuries.
The helmet. The helmet protects the head from wild pitches and batted balls. Other features used for protecting the other parts of the face, particularly the eyes, nose and chin may or may not be included. Some leagues require that batting helmets have an extension for the ears. The helmet should be worn when a player is at bat, waiting to bat or running the bases. Catcher's gear. A complete catcher's gear set includes a helmet, face mask, throat guard, full-length chest protector, athletic supporter with a cup, shin guards and a catcher's mitt. They protect the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of the catcher's body from wild pitches, getting hit by the batter's bat and collision with opponents attempting to touch home base. Baseball Cleats. Cleats provide traction for running on dirt and grass, and therefore prevents injuries related to losing balance and sliding. Their spiked soles, however, make them a potential source of injuries. Safety underwear. Sliding pants prevent bruises and concussions from sliding from occurring. Athletic supporters and cups provide support and protection of the groin. Shin and foot guards. Shin and foot guards protect the batter's pivot leg from being hit by a wild pitch. Mouthpieces/mouth guards. Mouthpieces protect the teeth, lips and tongue from injuries. Injuries may include cuts on the lips, knocked off teeth and a bit tongue. All baseball safety equipment need to fit and be worn properly. The batting helmet should fit snugly, and the chin straps, if present, be fastened. If it has an eye shield or another type of face guard, it has to be in good condition and attached securely. Catchers should have their complete gear worn every time they are catching pitches, whether playing in a game, warming up or practicing in the bullpen. Everyone should be wearing their athletic supporters. Some leagues require that certain players-often pitchers and infielders-to wear protective cups too. Sliding pants, batting gloves, shin and foot guards and mouthpieces are optional. It is also extremely important to know which bats are allowed in a league. Some bats are banned because they are too dangerous for pitchers and infielders, particularly in youth tournaments. Be sure you know what your leagues rules are before going out to buy your bat. Can cleats from other sports be used? Yes, they can, but a player may not be able to perform as well as he would with baseball cleats. Other sports such as football, lacrosse, and soccer require the use of spike-soled shoes too. All of these sports, including baseball, have footwear designed specifically for each of them, with the kind of surface and dominant player movements kept in mind. Baseball cleats for instance have metal points that are sharp and long, which are necessary for piercing through and breaking dirt. They are lighter and built for forward sprinting. Football cleats on the other hand have spikes that resemble knobs, are heavier and provide more support around the ankles for different kinds of movement on wet grass.
David P. is an Online Content Manager that mostly writes about Baseball and Softball equipments , Baseball Bats, Softball Bats fast pitch softball batsand Sporting goods. You can connect on facebook at facebook page or name Rate this ArticleThe Importance of Safety Baseball EquipmentRating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)David Whitfield has published 6 articles. Article submitted on April 03, 2013. Word count: 641