OT: Running through First Base vs Head First Kamakazi Lunge
Back in the day, I used to lunge head first into first base on close plays. I've always held that a head first kamikaze lunge was faster than running through.
Note that I didn't say "sliding". Genuine (head first) sliding into first base to gain an advantage is for sissies, and I'm more than willing to admit is slower than running through the bag.
ESPN Sports Science did a careful high motion study of running through versus diving and overlaid an instance of each technique for a comparison.
https://youtu.be/5JQMqoPR6lM?t=1m10s
ESPN's conclusion? Running through is faster than head first sliding.
But for all their effort, ESPN missed the obvious. The head first slide instance initially pulls ahead of the run-through instance. So...this isn't rocket science...the head first "slider" should arrive at first base while the technique is ahead.runner (at 1:19) in the video.
Now this shouldn't really be called "sliding" into first base because no sliding takes place until after the runner has reached first base. There is an injury risk downside in that the kamikaze lunge landing is going to be more violent than the slide, as the runner will be using some angular momentum to throw his top half downward while keeping his feet on the ground driving forward.
Dogmatic proponents of the run-through technique often counter with the argument "You never see sprinters dive, do you?" So much for that one. Last night, Shaunae Miller stole* the gold from Allyson Felix by diving.
http://www.vox.com/2016/8/15/12495316/allyson-felix-shaunae-miller-400-…
Did this change anyone's opinion about diving into first base?
I think critics of Harold Reynold's opinion such as this sarcastic writer owe Reynolds an apology.
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2014/04/11/harold-reynolds-diving-head-first-i…
*stole in the non-pejorative sense
August 16th, 2016 at 7:01 PM ^
Man can run faster than he can fly.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:02 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 8:21 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 8:50 PM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 1:36 AM ^
The great-souled man walks slowly.
"Other traits generally attributed to the great-souled man are a slow gait, a deep voice, and a deliberate utterance; to speak in shrill tones and walk fast denotes an excitable and nervous temperament, which does not belong to one who cares for few things and thinks nothing great."
August 16th, 2016 at 7:06 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 7:14 PM ^
And I agree that it should be saved in baseball for the playoffs or playoff-determining games.
I think track-and-field should either embrace it and allow runners to place a single lane mat after the finish line or outlaw it so that runners don't have to throw themselves onto the track.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:44 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 11:11 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 8:33 PM ^
I did it once in HS track. 4x400 and we dropped the baton between runners 2 and 3. I was the anchor leg and managed to make up a pretty big gap. We still lost by less than a second and I got a concussion. I didn't really mean to dive but we hadn't lost a 4x400 race that year and I really wanted the win, it just happened. Woke up to smelling salts and scrapes all over my body / face and my teammates surrounding me yelling that it was awesome. My first words were 'did we win?
Nothing you can do about someone who really wants to win and they think a lunge can get it done. Its probably not the smartest thing to do though.
August 16th, 2016 at 10:43 PM ^
Yeah, but did you win?
August 16th, 2016 at 11:02 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 17th, 2016 at 2:55 AM ^
that will not only make it safer to dive across the finish line, but will also make it more fun and rewarding for the athletes and more entertaining for the fans:
http://www.gifbin.com/bin/012016/giy-on-slip-39-n-slide-hits-table-with…
August 17th, 2016 at 10:28 AM ^
I don't know why people are upset about the finish, its not something new. Olympians have been leaning and diving for the line forever. Miller didn't actually "dive" she overleaned and fell. Literally thousands of races have been won by an extreem lean at the end and often falling through the line. Look at the finish of every spring or hurdle race and you eill see the same thing. I won at least three races in college where my hips were behind the other runner and my lean got my shoulders ahead. However, it doesn't translate into baseball because the base is on the ground. Allison Felix's foot crossed the line (hitting the base if there had been one) before Millers shoulder crossed with the dive.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:16 PM ^
I thought this was going to be a thread about the olympics. Did anyone else see the Bahamian woman do a face plant to win her race? Never seen that before, maybe I just don't watch enough running.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:24 PM ^
used a dive to capture a bronze in the men's 400M in 2008, and the USA's Natasha Hastings used a dive to qualify for the very same women's 400M in this years trials.
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/rio-olympics-shaunae-miller-s-dive-denied-allyson-felix-gold-n631636
August 16th, 2016 at 7:17 PM ^
I mean there is a reason people dive for catches...and most of the time its not for show.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:36 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 9:31 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 16th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
In sprinting you just have to cross the line at any height. In baseball you still have to land and touch the base. I don't really know if it's any faster, but it's still pretty dumb if you want to actually play a lot and not sit on the DL.
August 16th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 7:42 PM ^
Only slide head first if the 1B man comes off the bag to accept the throw.
August 16th, 2016 at 8:13 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 9:34 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 17th, 2016 at 8:43 AM ^
never slide head first - go feet first, unless your doing a swing slide into home
August 16th, 2016 at 7:50 PM ^
There's very little scientific about it
SLOW MOTION, BIG NUMBERS, MORE SLOW MOTION, NUMBERS OUT OF CONTEXT "HER ARM SPINS AT 1,500 RADIANS PER SECOND", PHYSICS, VELOCITY, MOMENTUM, PHYVELTUM!!!, "This has been ESPN Sports Science"
August 16th, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^
You might like this:
August 16th, 2016 at 11:16 PM ^
August 17th, 2016 at 9:05 AM ^
That is awesome, and should become part of the archery competition immediately!
August 17th, 2016 at 9:09 AM ^
Science!!!!
August 16th, 2016 at 7:50 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 8:43 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 8:04 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 9:36 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 16th, 2016 at 9:04 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 9:11 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 16th, 2016 at 9:12 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 16th, 2016 at 9:37 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 16th, 2016 at 9:13 PM ^
Crossing a line and touching a base are two different things. It doesn't matter when your nose or whatever crosses the plane of the base but when you touch it. In sprinting your nose breaking the plane counts as finishing.
August 16th, 2016 at 9:20 PM ^
It's your torso which counts in track.
August 16th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^
It's the torso, not the nose. The torso determines the official time.
To account for big noses, I guess.
August 16th, 2016 at 9:40 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 16th, 2016 at 10:08 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 10:13 PM ^
August 16th, 2016 at 10:32 PM ^
it would be very painful to slide for 100 yards, or 100 meters.
But the question is more about diving and hitting the goal line (or first base) before doing any sliding.
August 16th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^
Fuck Harold Reynolds.