A medical study, funded by Major League Baseball, has found that pitching off a standard 10-inch mound causes increased shoulder stress compared to throwing on flat ground.

Twenty pitchers from MLB and NCAA organizations participated during spring training last year.   Digital video cameras were used to record throwing motion for analysis.  In addition to throwing on flat ground, the pitchers threw from 10-inch, eight-inch, and six-inch mounds.

Although higher shoulder torque levels were observed when pitching from a 10-inch mound, the data was not conclusive enough to suggest a lowering of the standard mound height. (more…)

Where have you gone Dave Van Horne?  What’s that you say, Mrs McKenzie?  Dapper Dave has left and gone away — to Florida? Yes, a nation does indeed turn its lonely eyes to Dave Van Horne, the man whose voice was a fixture to Canadian fans on many a summer evening for over 30 years. (more…)

By Bill Raven

I was playing shortstop. The batter hit a sharp grounder to my right, I dug it out of the dirt infield, set myself, and threw it six feet over the out stretched glove of the first baseman, who happened to be my older brother.

The years were 1946, 1947, and 1948. World War II had been won, and the surviving veterans were home and attending school, working at jobs in the area, or farming.

The area was central Kansas. We lived in or near small towns of 600 or so, surrounded by farms. These towns were formed six to eight miles apart as the railroads were built east to west in the 1880s and gave the surrounding farmers access to retail stores and transportation.

The playing season, of course, was summer. The temperature was in the 90s with high humidity. It was HOT! Few homes had air conditioning. Businesses might have had some form of crude air conditioning. (more…)

This might not the appropriate forum for the following subject. Nevertheless, I thought I might try and see if I could get away with placing this piece here – until, that is, someone starts RoundersInk.com.

The game of rounders has been lodged in my memory ever since I was a kid and started delving into the history of baseball. Every introduction to every book which concerned itself with baseball history would, in its opening paragraphs, have a phrase similar to: “Baseball was derived from the game of rounders.” Beyond that line, however, I knew nothing about the older of the two sports. (more…)

These are perhaps a few of the more interesting names in the history of the game:

Jack Glasscock: Shortstop and second baseman for the Cleveland Blues, 1879-95.

Rusty Kuntz: Former outfielder for the Detroit Tigers.

Dick Pole: Pitcher for Seattle and Boston

Jim Cockman: New York Highlanders (later Yankees).

Harry Cheek: Phillies.

Johnny Dickshot: Pirates, Giants and White Sox.

Jay Baller: Phillies, Royals and Cubs.

Pete LaCock: Cubs and Royals.

Dick Brown: Indians, White Sox, Tigers and Orioles.

Harry Bemis: Cleveland Naps (later Indians).