Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Behavioral Biases In Daily Fantasy Baseball: The Case Of The Hot Hand, Jeremy M. Losak, Andrew P. Weinbach, Rodney J. Paul

Sport Management - All Scholarship

Despite mixed evidence, sport participants and fans heavily believe in the existence of the hot hand. Prior literature examining NBA and NFL betting markets found betters were biased toward hot teams. Using a unique market and data set, this study identifies if the hot hand is prevalent in daily fantasy baseball contests, if there is a profitable hot hand selection strategy, and if consumers believe in its existence. Results show that while there is no evidence of a hot hand effect, and no evidence of a profitable hot hand strategy, consumers believe in and incorporate it in their lineup decisions.

Does Smart Money Believe In The Hot Hand? Evidence From Daily Fantasy Baseball, Jeremy M. Losak, Andrew P. Weinbach, Rodney J. Paul

Sport Management - All Scholarship

The behavior of informed traders, or 'smart money,' in sports betting markets has long been f interest to researchers. In this paper, we focus specifically on the behavior of smart money in Major league Baseball (MLB) daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests to determine if they avoid cognitive behavioral biases to increase their expected earnings. Specifically, we investigate whether smart money avoids the hot hand bias, where individuals tend to overestimate the likelihood of success for players on a hot streak. Using a dataset of MLB DFS contests, we find that winning lineups have lower usage rates for players exhibiting the …

Effects Of A Dynamic Arm Stabilizer On Varus Elbow Torque, Arm Speed, And Velocity In Collegiate Baseball Players: A Pilot Study, Andrew Cage, Laurel Trail, Lynzi Warner, Brandon J. Warner

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect a dynamic arm stabilizer had on varus elbow torque, arm speed, and throw velocity during baseball throwing. Methods: 8 collegiate baseball players (age= 20 ± 1 years, height= 183.5 ± 6.5 cm, weight= 85.6 ± 7.7 kg) participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to throw their first set of 25 throws at 90 feet wearing a dynamic arm stabilizer or throw their second set of 25 throws at 90 feet not wearing a dynamic arm stabilizer. After completing the first set of throws, the participants threw a …

Lumbopelvic Stability During A Single Leg Step Down Predicts Elbow Varus Torque During Baseball Pitching, Zachary J. Dezee, Adam J. Barrack, Kayla Bucci, Ryan J. Zerega, Rachel K. Straub, Andrew R. Karduna, Lori A. Michener

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

During a baseball pitch, energy is transferred from the lower extremities through the lumbopelvic junction to produce ball velocity. Reduced lumbopelvic stability has been associated with elbow injury in pitchers, and commonly ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tears. The primary biomechanical mechanism of UCL tears is high elbow varus torque. Understanding how decreased lumbopelvic stability influences the development of elbow varus torque could identify risk factors of UCL elbow injury. PURPOSE: Characterize the predictive ability of lumbopelvic stability on elbow varus torque during a baseball pitch. METHODS: NCAA Division 1 baseball players (N=44; 19.6+1.3yrs) participated. Pitchers threw ten fastballs from a …

Neck Flexors Bilateral Symmetry In Baseball Pitchers: A Unilateral Perspective, Ceren Acik, Stefan Keslacy, Christine Dy, Leila Rahnama

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

This study examines the potential asymmetry in flexor neck muscle characteristics, including thickness, size, strength, and neck flexion range of motion (ROM), in baseball players. Baseball involves repetitive unilateral actions, which may subject players to one-sided stress and strain due to the sport's explosive and high-speed movements. Specifically, pitchers and catchers, who perform frequent arm activities, are at higher risk of upper extremity injuries. PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate if repeated throwing movements in baseball induce trophic changes in the neck muscles, particularly on the dominant side used for throwing. METHODS: Thirteen college baseball players and fifteen healthy controls …

Acute Effects Of Post-Activation Potentiation On Increasing Bat Velocity In Competitive Baseball Players: A Case Series, Phillipp Yu, John Macdonald, Katrina Myers

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Hitting a baseball is widely considered as one of the most difficult motor tasks in sports. It requires quick decision-making and coordinated activation of key muscles to produce a precise and rapid swing. Higher bat velocity has been shown to be associated with offensive performance of baseball players, as greater bat velocities permit more time to be spent analyzing a pitch and can lead to greater outcomes when a ball is hit in play. Baseball players and coaches have traditionally sought on-deck routines to temporarily enhance bat velocity before an at-bat, primarily swinging a weight bat. However, this method …

Correlation Between Grip Strength At Various Arm Orientations And Hitting Performance Metrics Of Division I Collegiate Baseball Players, Jackson C. Maynard, Andrew A. Wolfe, Zane Badmaev, Chad Agor, Micheal Luera, Cheyenne Lavender

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Dominate and non-dominate grip strength (GS) significantly correlated with bat speed (BS) in the sport of baseball. Various arm orientations occur throughout the swing; moreover, additional metrics beyond BS are indicative of baseball hitting performance. The correlation between various GS and hitting outcomes have not been empirically examined. PURPOSE: The aim of the current investigation was to examine the relationship of GS at various arm angles to various hitting performance metrics. METHODS: Division I collegiate baseball players (n = 17; height: 180.92 ± 5.61 cm; weight: 82.1 ± 11.12 kg) performed dominate and non-dominate maximal GS at five …

A Comparison Of Peak Ground Reaction Forces Of Pitches From The Stretch And Windup, Richard D. Edwards

MSU Graduate Theses

Ground reaction forces can help coaches and players understand the lower extremity biomechanics of pitching in baseball. Research has told us that there are repeatable characteristics of ground reaction forces that pitchers produce during a pitch. This study examines the differences in peak ground reaction forces produced from pitching from the stretch versus pitching from the wind-up. Five variables were recorded for each pitch from the push-off leg and the landing leg. Landing forces were then compared to landing forces of the other pitching style and the same comparison was made for the push-off leg. This was achieved by altering …

An Analysis Of Horizontal Forces Between Sports, Riley Neuenburg, Brock Crews, Jared W. Coburn, Kevin Choe

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Different sports have various demands that athletes must meet to perform at the requisite level. For example, hockey athletes produce primarily horizontal forces due to skating. However, in basketball, there are a combination of horizontal forces from running and vertical forces from frequent jumping. Therefore, utilizing forces exclusively in one direction as a metric to compare athletes of different sports could provide a limited analysis. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to compare the relationship between horizontal and vertical forces between athletes who participate in the 4 major sports in the US by using a ratio of horizontal …

Drive Leg Ground Reaction Forces And Rate Of Force Development Over Consecutive Windmill Softball Pitches, Erin R. Pletcher, Kenzie B. Friesen, Gretchen D. Oliver, Mita Lovalekar, Keith Gorse, Takashi Nagai, Chris Connaboy

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Windmill softball pitching is a highly skilled movement, combining whole body coordination with explosive force. Successful pitching requires sequential movement to transfer energy produced by the lower extremity to the pitching arm. Therefore, drive leg ground reaction force (GRF) and the time over which a pitcher can develop force during push off, defined as rate of force development (RFD), is essential for optimal performance. The aim of this study was to examine GRF and RFD in the drive leg during the windmill softball pitch, as well as pitch velocity, throughout a simulated game.

METHODS: Fourteen softball pitchers (17.9±2.3 years, …

More Elevated Fastballs Associated With Placement On The Injured List Due To Shoulder Injury, Austin V. Stone, Brooks N. Platt, Brandon S. Collofello, Aaron D. Sciascia, Timothy L. Uhl, William B. Kibler

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose

To evaluate whether impending shoulder injury was associated with changes in pitch location or velocity immediately preceding injury.

Methods

Pitchers placed on the injured list (IL) due to a shoulder injury between 2015 and 2020 were identified in the Major League Baseball transactions database. Four-seam fastball velocity and frequency of pitch location for each pitch type was collected for each player in the season before placement on the IL and within 1 month of placement on the IL with a minimum of 55 pitches thrown of 1 type. Pitch locations were collected as identified by Baseball Savant’s Game-Day Zones. …

Rare Case Of Simultaneous Thoracic Outlet Syndrome And Musculocutaneous Neuropathy In A Baseball Pitcher, Steven C. Liu, Kenneth Vitale

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Introduction: The thoracic outlet is bounded by the clavicle, first rib, and muscles of the scalene triangle. When a compression within the outlet occurs, it presents as thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). TOS typically develops from the combination of developmental abnormalities, injuries, and physical activities that cause compression of the brachial plexus neurovasculature. This classically manifests as sensory and motor symptoms involving lower trunk (C8-T1) dermatomes and myotomes. The upper trunk and associated peripheral nerves, including musculocutaneous, are typically spared. Case Description: A 22 y.o. male with a history of ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and right elbow ulnar decompression a …

Association Between Pitch Break On The 4-Seam Fastball And Slider And Shoulder Injury In Major League Baseball Pitchers: A Case-Control Study, Brooks N. Platt, Anthony J. Zacharias, Caitlin Conley, Lindsay Hockensmith, Nicholas Stockwell, Aaron Sciascia, Austin V. Stone

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Few specific risk factors are known for shoulder injury in professional pitchers. New pitch-tracking data allow for risk stratification based on advanced metrics.

Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between shoulder injury, pitch frequency, and pitch metrics (velocity, total break, break angle, and spin rate) for the 4-seam fastball, curveball, and slider. We hypothesized that more frequent use of the 4-seam fastball would be associated with shoulder injury.

Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: The Major League Baseball (MLB) database was queried for pitchers who had been placed on the injury …

A Nation-Wide Survey Of High School Baseball Coaches’ Perceptions Indicates Their Arm Care Programs Play A Role In Injury Prevention, Kyle A. Matsel, E. E. Weiss, R. J. Butler, Matthew C. Hoch, Philip M. Westgate, Terry R. Malone, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background
Arm care programs consisting of upper extremity strengthening and stretching have been recommended for injury prevention for pitchers of all ages. There has been no investigation into high school baseball coaches’ usage and perceptions of arm care programs to mitigate physical impairments associated with injuries in baseball players.

Hypothesis/Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the current usage of arm care programs by high school baseball coaches. The primary objective was to determine if coaches use group-based or individualized arm care programs. The secondary objective sought to determine if the use of arm care programs is influenced …

Injury Rates In Major League Baseball During The 2020 Covid-19 Season, Brooks N. Platt, Timothy L. Uhl, Aaron D. Sciascia, Anthony J. Zacharias, Nicole G. Lemaster, Austin V. Stone

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: The 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season was drastically altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes included an extended layoff between March and July as well as a shortened preseason.

Purpose/Hypothesis: To determine the incidence and epidemiology of MLB injuries in the abbreviated 2020 season compared with prior seasons. We hypothesized that there was an increase in the overall injury rate in the 2020 season compared with the 2018-2019 seasons and that it equally affected all body regions.

Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods: The MLB transactions database was queried to find players who had been placed on …

Side-To-Differences Of Medial Elbow Anatomy Adaptations In Youth Throwing Athletes, Rudolph Matthew Morrow

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Injuries to the medial elbow are common in overhead sports, with the most common occurring at the medial/ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). Injury to the UCL is associated with elbow joint laxity which tends to develop over time in athletes who place their elbows under chronic valgus forces like those present during throwing. ^{27, 37} This instability is well documented in professional, collegiate, and high school athletes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the medial elbow joint width and common flexor tendon thickness in the arms of youth baseball players. The hypotheses were (1) the …

Baseball Home Field Advantage Without Fans In The Stands, Jeremy M. Losak, Joseph Sabel

Sport Management - All Scholarship

Home field advantage is universally accepted across most major sports and levels of competition. However, exact causes of home field advantage have been difficult to disentangle. The COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique, natural experiment to isolate elements related to home field advantage since all 2020 regular season Major League Baseball games were played without fans. Results provide no statistically significant evidence of a difference in home field advantage between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, evidence that home crowd support is not a driver of home field advantage. There does appear to be a statisitcal advantage by the home team batting …

Development Of A Field Expedient Screening Tool For The Coach To Identify Musculoskeletal Risk Factors In Baseball Players, Kyle Andrew Matsel

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Identification of musculoskeletal (MSK) injury risk factors in baseball players can be challenging particularly for youth and high school coaches. Many baseball coaches lack a sports medicine and/or strength and conditioning staff to assist with injury prevention initiatives. Given the extensive responsibilities in managing the team and preparing the players for athletic competition, little time remains to focus on injury prevention and arm care programs. Furthermore, assessment, diagnosis, and management of MSK impairments is outside the scope of practice and expertise of baseball coaches. However, educating and empowering the coach to efficiently screen their players for potentially injury producing MSK …

Return-To-Play And Competitive Outcomes After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction Among Baseball Players: A Systematic Review, Stephen J. Thomas, Ryan W. Paul, Adam B. Rosen, Sam J. Wilkins, Joseph Scheidt, John D. Kelly Iv, Ryan L. Crotin

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

Background: Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction (UCLR) is very common in baseball. However, no review has compared the return-to-play (RTP) and in-game performance statistics of pitchers after primary and revision UCLR as well as of position players after UCLR.

Purpose: To review, synthesize, and evaluate the published literature on outcomes after UCLR in baseball players to determine RTP and competitive outcomes among various populations of baseball players.

Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: A literature search including studies between 1980 and November 4, 2019, was conducted for articles that included the following terms: ulnar collateral ligament, elbow, …

Investigating Major League Baseball Pitchers And Quality Of Contact Through Cluster Analysis, Charlie Marcou

Honors Projects

This paper investigates the quality of contact that a pitcher allows. Not much is currently known about quality of contact, but if factors determining quality of contact could be determined it could assist teams in identifying and developing pitching talent. There are many problems that come with investigating the control pitchers have over contact allowed, but one area to investigate is whether quality of contact is a repeatable skill. Furthermore, if it is a repeatable skill, then it is important to investigate what kind of benefit controlling contact allowed brings a pitcher. Along with this, groundball and flyball tendencies, and …

Will Pitch Velocity Remain Consistent Throughout A Competitive Baseball Season Following Blood Flow Restriction: An Observational Study, Mackenzie Marie Evans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Context: Blood flow restriction (BFR) has previously been used in a rehabilitation setting to decrease the external load applied to post-surgical patients and those with chronic debilitating conditions. BFR in a performance context has been explored minimally, particularly as it applies to baseball pitching over time. Objective: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the trend in throwing velocity of fastballs with BFR implementation over one competitive season. Design: This study was a retrospective longitudinal design on pitching velocity of fastballs throughout a competitive season. Setting: The data collection and analysis was completed at …

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction With Traditional Docking Compared To Novel Surgical Techniques, Kayley D. Guy, Brendon P. Mcdermott, Kaitlin Gallagher, Tyrone Washington

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction (UCLR) is a surgical procedure on one of the main ligaments that provides normal stability for the elbow joint against excessive valgus stress. Damage to this ligament is common in athletes performing overhead throwing activities, primarily baseball players, due to excessive valgus stress during the throwing motion. The most common form of treatment for this type of injury is reconstructive surgery of the ligament, especially if athletes wish to return to sport participation. This type of surgery is extremely invasive and requires extensive post-operative rehabilitation in order to facilitate return to play. To date, many …

Comparison Of Pitching From Flat Ground Vs. 10-Inch Mound Regarding Elbow Varus Torque And Arm Speed, Stephen A. Cage, X. Neil Dong, Brandon J. Warner, Diana M. Gallegos

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of throwing surface and distance on varus elbow torque and arm speed. Methods: 11 male collegiate baseball pitchers (age = 20.73 ± 1.56 years, height = 175.26 ± 9.03 cm, mass = 70.31 ± 9.03 kg) participated in this study. Varus elbow torque and distance were measured using a 3D motion sensor housed in a spandex sleeve at the medial joint line of the elbow. Participants were instructed to complete their normal warmup routine as if they were about to pitch in a bullpen session or a game. Participants …

The Effects Of Therabands On Collegiate Pitchers Rotator Cuff, Caleb Bissette

EXSI 432/532: Research Methods in Exercise Science: Research Proposal Posters

This study looks at the effects that the rab and shave on the strength and mobility in the dominant rotator cuff of a collegiate pitcher. Collegiate pitchers should strengthen their rotator cuff muscles in order to prevent injuries. Injuries to the rotatorcuff could be season-ending and require surgery for repair. In order to prevent a pitchers chances of getting surgery, they need to find away to strengthen those muscles and make them more mobile. Therabands are a great way to increase strength and mobility in the rotator cuff.

Longitudinal Descriptive Profile Of Collegiate Pitchers Participating In A Summer Baseball League, Isabelle Leslie Gillis

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

The purpose of this study was to provide a longitudinal profile of pitching performance in a cohort of pitchers over two collegiate seasons and a summer league. Thus, this study utilized a longitudinal design to evaluate the impact of summer league participation on subsequent collegiate regular season pitching performance. Specifically, the performance of a cohort of Division 1 collegiate baseball pitchers during the 2018 Spring collegiate season, 2018 Summer League season, and the 2019 Spring collegiate season was evaluated and stratified by pitcher designation, arm dominance, and academic status. Analyses of variance were used to identify main and interaction effects …

The Impact Of Whoop Technology On Sleep, Recovery, And Performance In Naia Baseball Players, Nolan Harms

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Many key factors – including but not limited to – sleep, nutrition, travel, stress, and practice influence the optimization of athletic performance. Although previous studies have investigated the use of wearable technology in sport to track several such factors, peer-reviewed research specific to WHOOP technology is limited at best. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of WHOOP technology on sleep, recovery, and batting performance in healthy NAIA baseball players. Data was collected over the course of 4 weeks of in-season play on 10 varsity NAIA baseball players (20.40 ± 0.97 years). All games – 18 total …

Kinesiology Of A Baseball Swing, C.J. White, Brody Rollins, Jack Hoey

EXSI 432/532: Research Methods in Exercise Science: Research Proposal Posters

The purpose of this analysis is to provide feedback of optimal swing analytics that will produce maximal force and the best results in a sport setting.

The Effects Of Surface Pace In Baseball, Jason Farlow

Senior Theses

A baseball travels across different surfaces at different paces. The goal of this experiment is to find a percentage difference in speeds the ball will reflect off a given surface. The energy lost on the turf surface was far more significant than on dirt surface as the turf lost an average of 26% of its energy as compared to just 16% of the energy on dirt. In the Northwest conference, teams play on four turf-based infields and five dirt-based infields. The results of this study suggest that kinetic friction forces are more significant in reducing ball rebound speed than in …

Examining Upper Extremity Injuries In Male Baseball Players Between The Ages Of 14 To 22 Years Old, James T. Yancy

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Yancy, James T. (J.T.), MAT., May 2018 AthleticTraining

Examining Upper Extremity Injuries In Male Baseball Players Between The Ages Of 14 To 22 Years Old

Chairperson: Melanie McGrath

The number of upper extremity injuries is increasing in advanced baseball (14 to 22 years old) at an alarming rate. The length of seasons, multiple leagues and the velocity of throwing in overhead sports are the most common causes of elbow and shoulder injuries. In addition, biomechanical variables also influence the risk of injury. Any alteration in range of motion (ROM) directly impacts the biomechanics of overhead activities, such as pitching or …

The Westerville Naturals Baseball Team & Otterbein Health And Sport Sciences, Student Project, Kenleigh J. Immel, Jason Combs, Adam Collier, Taylor Lindsey, Christian Brett

Senior Year Experience Student Projects

We had the privilege to give back to our community in the form of manual labor. The Westerville Naturals baseball team needed a hand moving gravel in order to store a shed behind their field. The team provided a gator to transport the gravel from the parking lot to the field. The objective was to scoop shovels full of gravel into the back of the gator. We took multiple trips to load the five tons of gravel and transport it to the new location. Once moved, the sheds needed a facelift so it was decided to paint the sheds. We …