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[J2 Cool]

Im not talking about football or basketball here. I realize you reach an athletic peak before you eventually decline. But with baseball why does a guy like Frank Thomas go from back to back mvp seasons and turn to shit? From a .330 average and one of the game's best eyes to a .250 average. Is it a lack of passion and accepting that you wont win even if you continue to put in that much work? Or has his vision just gotten bad with age?

This question especially bugs me when I think of someone like Barry Bonds. Bonds is so mentally strong. With age he's become so calm and controlled at the plate. Say whatever you want about the steroids or whatever. Bottom line is he's taken one of the sweetest swings in the game when he was younger and added to his batting by becoming one of the most controlled and smart batters of all time.

Meanwhile, what about a guy like Maddux. During the mid 90's he gets 4 straight Cy Young awards. Has an insane era. As time goes on he loses the dominance he had. Is this physical? mental? Did he just loses some touch along the way? And why can a guy like Tom Glavine come out this year with one of the best era's he's had in years?

So do you think the players that simply begin to suck, become like that because their that mentally weak or does the "physically I just can't do it anymore" tell the story?

 

[Ninja Scooter]

their bodies start to break down. Happens to different players at different times, but it eventually happens to all of them. You can have the best vision in the world, im sure that doesn't start to wear down when you're 35-40, but if your body can't put the bat on the ball the same way it used to, it will do you no good.

 

[Joe]

it can be physical but it can also be mental. frank thomas for example. his batting average dipped 40 points below his career average and his on-base % dropped a little but his production stayed the same. he probably just got obsessed with homeruns and tries to hit them as much as possible.

 

[Catchpenny]

You could reverse the argument and say that many players getting better with age didn't have the mental discipline at a young age to be at the top of their game. Their improved understanding and dedication to the game offsets any physical decline. Or they had other issues keeping them from shining early in their careers...Moises Alou finally lived up to potential after managing to stay healthy for a few seasons.

Some players do probably lose interest. A lot of these guys have been playing pro baseball since they graduated high school. After spending 20 years on the road, and with declining physical skills, they may just stop giving their all on a day-to-day basis. Some guys get lazy, or don't realize they have to work harder at conditioning just to remain in the same shape they were five years ago. A few just become basket cases trying to deal with money and fame.

However, I do think it's just physical in the vast majority of cases. After all, most players first see decline in batting average and stolen bases, while striking out more...a lot of aging players do this while maintaining their power and walks, or even increasing them. It's just that their bat speed or reaction time has slowed, so they wait for something they can mash, or guess more at the plate.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

ahh the original poster must've never heard of ozzie smith. What about nolan ryan? Wells?, Maddux? The Big Unit? and perhaps the best example Matsui now that guy will fuck up your day. Never have i seen such a batter that knows EXACTLY where to put the ball with ease to screw up your save. The man barely makes an error, has a great arm, and can still swing for the fences.

 

[pops619]

Pitchers tend to get better with age. They may lose a little on their stuff, but experience really seems to pay off for them. With experience, they learn to be pitchers rather than throwers. That's why you see Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling still dominating. Even Maddux is still pretty good, even though his stuff isn't very good anymore.

With hitters, they probably decline quicker because they lose some reaction time and coordination. Their bodies start to break down, so they no longer have the same physical ability. Of course, there are exceptions. Bonds got better with age, and it wasn't because of steroids. He has mastered hitting. But he always had a very good eye. In his case, experience made him even better. I'm sure the supplements or maybe even steroids that he's taken have helped keep him in better physical shape.

Another thing about hitter and pitchers. Everyday positional players play like 140-150 games a season. They're out there just about everyday. Starting pitchers only play once every five games, generally for six or seven innings. Relief pitchers play more often, but they also only pitch an inning, if that. So there's another reason why hitters decline quicker than pitchers do. And that maybe explains why baseball players decline faster than other athletes. They simply play a whole lot more.