Cricketers playing major league baseball

[slippy]

I would like to see some cricketers offered a 1 year contract with any major league team, and see how well they do and could they adapt.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

A lot of the skills are transferable, but it's highly unlikely that even the best cricketers could quickly adapt to baseball well enough to play in MLB. A minor league contract, probably, but not the majors.

[silentstriker]

The average athleticism is much higher in the MLB. Some might make the transition, but I highly doubt any would make the major leagues. Things like fielding, throwing, etc are light years ahead in baseball.
And batting and pitching is too different to be directly transferrable.

Same thing would happen the other way of course, but any major league baseball team would very quickly become the best fielding team in international cricket (after some practice bare handed).

[Goughy]

The average athleticism is much higher in the MLB. Some might make the transition, but I highly doubt any would make the major leagues. Things like fielding, throwing, etc are light years ahead in baseball.
And batting and pitching is too different to be directly transferrable.

Same thing would happen the other way of course, but any major league baseball team would very quickly become the best fielding team in international cricket (after some practice bare handed).

Disagree on the athleticism and the fielding. The throwing is for sure better through.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Disagree on the athleticism and the fielding. The throwing is for sure better through.

While I wouldn't say there's a huge gap in class, there's certainly a lot more well-rounded athleticism in the average starting 8 of a MLB team than there is in the average international cricket XI. Well-rounded in terms of ground coverage, hand-eye coordination and diving.

[Fusion]

Disagree on the athleticism and the fielding. The throwing is for sure better through.

I'm surprised that anyone would disagree with SS' statement. Even if you remove the worst sides like Pakistan from the equation, the "average" baseball player is far more athletic and a better fielder than the average cricketer. If you were to include Pakistan/Bangladesh and the likes, there is no comparison at all.

[nightprowler10]

Yeah tough to disagree with that.

Having played both I have to say, admitting that a comparison is silly, I found it easier to pick up on batting in baseball versus cricket. Possibly due to the margin of error being much greater in the former for batters. Of course its the complete opposite when it comes to pitchers vs bowlers.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

If you've faced a decent standard of pitching, I actually think the margin of error is quite slim. Doing anything significant with a 90mph moving ball is a lot easier said than done. And it's not even easily said. Of course, to have an actual career with the bat in baseball, you have to be able to. Also, unlike cricket, you have to run if you do manage to get the ball in play, which adds pressure to where you put the ball.

Pitching is a whole other kettle of fish, and it's amazing what even mediocre pitchers can do in terms of variation through the air. Not saying it's more difficult than bowling, but I certainly don't think it's any easier, aside from the stamina demanded.

[Richard]

I would like to see some cricketers offered a 1 year contract with any major league team, and see how well they do and could they adapt.

I wouldn't. A top-class cricketer would do best to use his talent playing cricket. It'd be a waste to play baseball instead.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I wouldn't. A top-class cricketer would do best to use his talent playing cricket. It'd be a waste to play baseball instead.

Because they're different sports, of course, not because baseball is inferior.

[Richard]

Well it's one I prefer infinitely less and thus don't watch, at all, so I'm not well-placed to comment on whether one is inferior or superior.

I'd guess it'd be fair to say that there's some respects in which each are superior and respetively inferior to one-another.

But yes, they're certainly poles apart.

[age_master]

Wouldn't it take more than a year to gain the full benefits of the steroids?

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I'm sure there are a fair few cricketers with a head start.

[Richard]

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ooooooooooo thems a fightin' words

OOOOOOOOO now thems a fightin words!!!

[fredfertang]

Bloody hell Rich - if you can pluck from obscurity a post made by a banned member more than five years ago then you're a very sad man indeed and/or ideally suited to a career in the law