As a followup to the Omigod, first base is NOW OPEN thread, here are a couple of treasured sports truisms that were later debunked.
The idea that athletes should not drink any water or other fluids during training or games, because they’ll get waterlogged. Despite the incredible stupidity of this idea, it was widespread when I was growing up and athletes regularly risked serious dehydration (or at least poorer performance) to please their lame-brained coaches. I think this foolishness has pretty much died out and coaches now encourage players to stay hydrated, even to the point of making IVs available on the sidelines or in the locker room during games.
Baseball players have traditionally (well, at least for decades) warmed up in the on-deck circle by swinging a heavy bat or one carrying weights, on the theory that when they are at the plate their regular bat will feel lighter and they’ll swing better. Turns out there’s evidence that practice swings with the heavy bat actually decrease your bat speed at the plate. Oops!
Other sports truisms that have gotten debunked (or ones you think are ripe for discarding)?
That’s interesting, I hadn’t seen that. The article itself seems to conflate the issues between practice swings with a heavy bat , and actually training with a heavy bat though, unless i misread it.
Not only that, but trees are actually capable of growing multiple feet in seconds (time between ball strike with club and ball striking tree). It’s true!
When I started following baseball, it was quite widely believed baseball players should not work out or lift weights. There were stories about managers telling players to stop building muscle; Sparky Anderson famously told Lance Parrish that Parrish had to decide if he wanted to be a baseball player or a weightlifter.
Today, if a major leaguer DOESN’T hit the weight room, he’ll be asked if he’s sure he has the motivation to be a ballplayer.