Can baseball be compared to rhythmic gymnasts?

By Elisabeth Rositsan

Canadian Baseball Network

While watching the post season playoffs and the World Series I focused not that much on the results but more on the player techniques and movements.

The New York Yankees took on the Houston Astros on Oct. 17. As starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka stepped onto the mound, I immediately noticed his composure.

The crowd was screaming, chanting and jumping out of their seats but once Tanaka was about to throw the first pitch of the game the stadium went silent. Tanaka took deep breaths and positioned his right leg in front of his left. He stood still as if posing for a photo.

While observing these details a somewhat strange flashback occurred.

In 2017, I competed for Lithuania at the 35th rhythmic gymnastics’ world championships in Pesaro, Italy. After I finished my performance, I sat to watch the final performance of Dina Averina the Russian star of gymnastics. She walked out to the carpet took deep breathes and put one leg in front of the other while executing her starting routine pose.

The crowd fell silent. Very similar details to Tanaka’s opening pitch.

After noticing this similarity, I examined the game further. Every hit and catch looked familiar. Rhythmic gymnastics involves a lot of coordination in catching and throwing the apparatus. The same techniques apply to baseball.

In order for the ball to be hit, the bat must be in perfect position, any wrong angle can jeopardize the hit. I especially noticed this when in the sixth inning Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros hit the ball with extreme precision and power, for a home run.

The same applies to gymnastics. If a ball is thrown in the wrong direction or angle it can lead to a huge mistake. Catching is also very similar. Ball players must learn to catch a ball flying across the whole field at the right time. Almost identically gymnasts must catch the ball or other apparatus which is landing at high speed.

Still don’t think these sports are similar in some way?

Well there are even certain terms which are similar in rhythmic gymnastics and baseball.

In baseball when a shortstop or second baseman catches the ball at second and begins to try to turn a double play as the runner slides in it is sometimes described as a ballet of bruises.

Similarly, in gymnastics when a gymnast gets injured during a pirouette it’s often called a ballet injury.

Speaking of injuries, ball players acquire similar injuries to gymnasts. Knee injuries especially anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL’s) are one of the most common injuries in baseball and gymnastics. Knee injuries usually occur due to an excessive amount of pressure on the knees while running, landing on the knees, falling and jumping.

In addition, muscle sprains are a common barrier for athletes of both sports, due to high movement of shoulders, arms and legs.

Two sports which have a completely different backgrounds can have multiple similarities and techniques.

It’s obvious that baseball and rhythmic gymnastics are not only similar in a technical aspect but in an emotional aspect as well.

Personally, I’ve been a rhythmic gymnast for over 11 years before retiring in 2019. I was a member of the Lithuanian National team for six years and competed in many high-level competitions including World and European championships.

My best finish was at an international competition in 2017 in Italy, where I placed first all-around. The best part of rhythmic gymnastics for me was competing in front of a big crowd because seeing and hearing people supporting me was very inspiring.

My favourite routine to perform was hoop because it was fast, and I enjoyed the dynamic of it. This is the reason why I find baseball so intriguing. The crowd at a baseball game is so immersed in the game and supports their favourite team wholeheartedly.

In addition, the game has a dynamic to it but also requires intellectual skills, just like gymnastics.