Originally Posted by highthief

The point about scoring was a direct response to a comment about end results (hitting a moving football ball into a net or hitting a moving baseball). The whole comparison of the two sports is - most people seem to agree - a bit out there to begin with.

However, as a player of both, there is really zero comparison in terms of physicality between the two sports. Yes, you have athletic people who play baseball at high levels, but the fact is not all of them are very fit (unlike top level football). There are a more than a few fat DHs, catchers, 1st basement and pitchers out there. You really can't get away with being unfit at high level football - that's why even the best players in the world tend to be too old for Premier League or La Liga or international duty by their early thirties (32 or 33 sees most top players dropping off the rosters of the Liverpools and Arsenals and Real Madrids because they can't compete anymore). And anyone aside from the very best by that age have dropped down the European leagues or, like Beckham, find themselves playing in the lower standard MLS. In baseball, many players (especially pitchers, 1st basemen and DHs) can easily hang around into their later thirties or even 40s because all around physical ability is much less in demand.