Howdy everyone and welcome back! Today we will address the question: Is baseball easy?
As many of you know from visiting this website, I have been around this great game we call baseball for nearly my entire life.
One of the common questions I hear from parents who are thinking about getting their own children involved in the game is: Is baseball easy?
In an effort to not discourage anyone from getting involved with what I think is the greatest game on Earth, I try to explain that while no sport is “easy,” baseball presents you with a unique opportunity to easily share a passion and learn things together.
Let’s dig right in and put this question to rest for good.
Is baseball easy?
In a word…Well 2 words, yes and no.
If you’re thinking that you will somehow be able to go pick up a new bat and glove at your local sporting goods store, then walk out on a Major League Baseball field and be the next Babe Ruth, then you will most likely be disappointed.
I’m not saying that it can’t happen, just that it probably won’t.
If you start out at a young age and are willing to put in the practice and effort that it takes to excel in baseball, then you will start to see that baseball gets “easier.”
I often times compare baseball to writing this blog.
When I first started this website, I was what you would call a complete “newbie.”
Now, after a couple of years of practice, I find it very natural. It has become much “easier” to sit down in front of a blank page and start writing about something that I consider my passion.
I get to interact with people from all over the world who share my passion for baseball.
And hopefully, the quality of the articles has improved…A little. 🙂
This is exactly the same thing that I have seen with all of my kids along their own journeys through baseball.
When each one started, they couldn’t catch, throw, or hit a baseball to save their lives. While each learned and improved at their own pace, they all did improve and started to find that baseball wasn’t so hard after all.
Not that they started to think that baseball was easy, just a little “easier.”
Is baseball easy? – Moving up.
Now as they progressed through the leagues, obviously the competition got better right along with them.
While they may have started to find it “easier” to hit the same speed pitch thrown over and over in the same location, the pitchers they faced started to learn how to mix up their pitches.
As hitters, they needed to learn how to recognize different pitches and how to make their own adjustments.
After being freaked out by a first encounter with a curveball, it was time to learn how to hit one.
Now I can still throw a pretty good curve, but after a couple of hundred pitches, my consistency starts to leave much to be desired. I personally like the idea of using a pitching machine that can throw curveballs, but this is absolutely not necessary.
So when one of my kids, or the kids I coached, was having trouble adjusting to the curve, I would give them nothing but curveballs until they got to the point where they felt confident hitting one.
Now I know some people think that using a pitching machine is “not the same” as live pitching. All I can say to them is, “I agree and disagree.”
If you would like to read about how I feel about this subject, check out the article below.
Pitching machine vs live pitching. – Which is better?
While hitting a good curveball never really gets “easy,” with practice and effort, it does get “easier.”
By the way, if you’re looking for a quality pitching machine that won’t break the bank, you can Check Out Our #1 Recommended Pitching Machine Here.
Is baseball easy to play?
This same story holds true with all aspects of the game.
As I think back to the time when I played Little League Baseball myself, and think back to all the seasons my kids have played, it’s funny to think how easy it was to get on base if you managed to actually hit the ball.
Up until the age of 9 or so, when you hit the ball there seemed to be like a 90% chance that there would be a fielding error, or if the ball was actually fielded, the throw to first would be 10 feet to the left or right of the 1st baseman, or go sailing over their head into the outfield.
But as they progressed through the age groups, fielding gets much better, right along with the accuracy of the throws.
Your speed out of the batter’s box starts to become more important.
As you practice running, fielding, and throwing drills, all of these things start to get much “easier.”
Is baseball easy? – Wrap it up!
What I would like to do in wrapping this article up, is replace the question: Is baseball easy? with this question instead: Does baseball make it easy for families to spend time together, learn life lessons, and find out how practice, effort and dedication can make anything you do in life a little “easier?”
In answer to the second question, the answer is a resounding YES!
If we must answer the question; “Is baseball easy?” the answer is no, but with a little practice, effort and dedication, it will definitely get “easy…ER!”
There are tons of benefits that the game of baseball can offer anyone. If you are interested in reading a little more, I wrote an article that goes through some of the reasons Why I think baseball is great for kids…And you too!
It was a fun article for me to write and I think you will enjoy it too. 🙂
We hope you enjoyed the article and it helped you answer the question; “Is baseball easy?” If you have any questions, need any advice about anything, or just want to talk some baseball, please leave a comment below and we will get back with you a.s.a.p.
Thanks for stopping by ~Jeremy