National Forum

During 19Th Century Irish Dominated Baseball

(Oldest Posts First)

Good baseball hitters have extraordinary vision and great reflexes. Although there is no league in Ireland (please never), I wonder if a pitching machine is available, and if athletes have tried it. The game is mind numbingly boring now, but colleges award scholarships. I wonder if it would be worth it for a young hurler who shows a knack to find extra time to practice in the cage. Ability to bat either right or left is rare and prized.

Many years ago I caught a couple of Eddie Keher points high behind dressing room stands at Gaelic Park in NY. I tossed them to kidgers. He could have been a top baseball player. I could see the game was slowed down in his mind and anticipations. For hurling's sake I'm glad he didn't try!

BrendanCarroll (USA) - Posts: 4 - 25/06/2021 19:50:33    2353366

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Replying To BrendanCarroll:  "Good baseball hitters have extraordinary vision and great reflexes. Although there is no league in Ireland (please never), I wonder if a pitching machine is available, and if athletes have tried it. The game is mind numbingly boring now, but colleges award scholarships. I wonder if it would be worth it for a young hurler who shows a knack to find extra time to practice in the cage. Ability to bat either right or left is rare and prized.

Many years ago I caught a couple of Eddie Keher points high behind dressing room stands at Gaelic Park in NY. I tossed them to kidgers. He could have been a top baseball player. I could see the game was slowed down in his mind and anticipations. For hurling's sake I'm glad he didn't try!"
The way things are going we'll soon dominate basketball as well, some of the finest basketball players in the world are in Dublin.

AfricanGael (UK) - Posts: 1947 - 25/06/2021 20:54:56    2353383

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Replying To AfricanGael:  "The way things are going we'll soon dominate basketball as well, some of the finest basketball players in the world are in Dublin."
Perhaps not all Dub's, but they are in Dublin, isn't it just great to be multi skilled.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 2907 - 25/06/2021 22:19:26    2353398

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Remember that time Aidan O'Shea went over to try his hand at NFL kicking? He had a couple of goes and they said "yeah, maybe he's more of a catcher".
I think Jackie Tyrell did something similar and they said "yeah he's OK I suppose".
I think you are underestimating the standard and competitiveness of US Sports. Just because a fella can hit a hurling ball, does not mean he can compete with the top players in the US at a game they have played their whole lives and the ball curving up right down left etc.

StoreysTash (Wexford) - Posts: 1732 - 26/06/2021 09:34:28    2353431

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It also might help the hurling skills of some players from a cricket backgound. We havd had Pakistani commnity in Ballyhaunis for more than 40 years now and a cricket club. Many of the Pakistani children went to school there and some tried their hands at hurling. Some played for Mayo and won underage All Ireland C medals.

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GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7342 - 26/06/2021 10:17:51    2353433

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Rounders was one of the original GAA sports in 1884.

Still is, as far as I know. Though you don't see it covered much on The Sunday Game.

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 475 - 26/06/2021 11:28:23    2353445

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "It also might help the hurling skills of some players from a cricket backgound. We havd had Pakistani commnity in Ballyhaunis for more than 40 years now and a cricket club. Many of the Pakistani children went to school there and some tried their hands at hurling. Some played for Mayo and won underage All Ireland C medals.

link"
Could be the start of something. If Kilkenny could make the switch from being a county noted for cricket to being a hurling county why not Mayo?!!!

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1903 - 26/06/2021 11:48:50    2353449

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Replying To AfricanGael:  "The way things are going we'll soon dominate basketball as well, some of the finest basketball players in the world are in Dublin."
These Dublin basketball players can also kick points off their ''bad foot'' nearly as good as their good foot

Mad isn't it..

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 26/06/2021 13:30:59    2353464

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Replying To ConnollyDub:  "These Dublin basketball players can also kick points off their ''bad foot'' nearly as good as their good foot

Mad isn't it.."
A man would kick a score with a wooden leg if he waited to take a 100% shot on, same as the fella with one hand could palm in a goal.

High skill stuff alright.

More like devolution than evolution.

AfricanGael (UK) - Posts: 1947 - 26/06/2021 15:49:16    2353499

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Replying To AfricanGael:  "A man would kick a score with a wooden leg if he waited to take a 100% shot on, same as the fella with one hand could palm in a goal.

High skill stuff alright.

More like devolution than evolution."
Would a man manage it with 2 wooden legs ?-:)

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 26/06/2021 15:57:16    2353501

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Remember that time Aidan O'Shea went over to try his hand at NFL kicking? He had a couple of goes and they said "yeah, maybe he's more of a catcher".
I think Jackie Tyrell did something similar and they said "yeah he's OK I suppose".
I think you are underestimating the standard and competitiveness of US Sports. Just because a fella can hit a hurling ball, does not mean he can compete with the top players in the US at a game they have played their whole lives and the ball curving up right down left etc."
It was called The Toughest Trade. TV3 maybe.

Great show. You would love the one where Lee Chin takes up ice hockey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXus8AbWGps

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 26/06/2021 16:19:45    2353503

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Replying To GreenandRed:  "It also might help the hurling skills of some players from a cricket backgound. We havd had Pakistani commnity in Ballyhaunis for more than 40 years now and a cricket club. Many of the Pakistani children went to school there and some tried their hands at hurling. Some played for Mayo and won underage All Ireland C medals.

link"
When I came to London as a young lad (with my parents). The first time I batted playing cricket at school, I walloped the ball all over the place, I remember a clearly impressed sports teacher saying to me at the end "I think I might put you into the year above's team". I had always put this down to the eye to ball coordination that I had acquired from playing hurling at early age back home in Kilkenny. But, since reading, many years later about the strong cricket culture in Kilkenny during the 19th and early 20th century, maybe it was in my genes?

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2453 - 26/06/2021 17:08:15    2353514

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Christy Ring tried his hand at baseball. He didn't have the power to hit one home run even though they tossed him a load of soft throws. That's not a slur on him. Baseball is a great game. Brian Lohan would be the most famous hurler I know who's a huge fan. Its an individual and team sport..Lonely walk to the plate, all the eyes on you. Equally for a pitcher getting roasted, it's tough.

bloodyban (Limerick) - Posts: 1710 - 26/06/2021 22:29:17    2353606

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Replying To StoreysTash:  "Remember that time Aidan O'Shea went over to try his hand at NFL kicking? He had a couple of goes and they said "yeah, maybe he's more of a catcher".
I think Jackie Tyrell did something similar and they said "yeah he's OK I suppose".
I think you are underestimating the standard and competitiveness of US Sports. Just because a fella can hit a hurling ball, does not mean he can compete with the top players in the US at a game they have played their whole lives and the ball curving up right down left etc."
You are right StoreysTash, hitting a baseball is a completely different skill and it is way harder than it looks. The batter only has a split second to react to the pitch and in addition to anticipating the flight of the ball, he also has to guess the spin and adjust accordingly. And the way you swing a baseball bat is almost the exact opposite of how you swing a hurl. The arms, wrists and elbows need to be kept completely rigid and you only rotate your upper body. I found this out the hard way when I was invited to play a game of softball in Canada - the first time I hit the ball, I swung the bat in much the same way as a hurl and the impact nearly broke my wrists!

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 996 - 27/06/2021 02:32:08    2353640

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "
Replying To GreenandRed:  "It also might help the hurling skills of some players from a cricket backgound. We havd had Pakistani commnity in Ballyhaunis for more than 40 years now and a cricket club. Many of the Pakistani children went to school there and some tried their hands at hurling. Some played for Mayo and won underage All Ireland C medals.

link"
When I came to London as a young lad (with my parents). The first time I batted playing cricket at school, I walloped the ball all over the place, I remember a clearly impressed sports teacher saying to me at the end "I think I might put you into the year above's team". I had always put this down to the eye to ball coordination that I had acquired from playing hurling at early age back home in Kilkenny. But, since reading, many years later about the strong cricket culture in Kilkenny during the 19th and early 20th century, maybe it was in my genes?"
You are probably right as Hurling did start in Ireland as a side game to cricket….Cricket was played in this Country in every County before the GAA all organised by British landlords… I would say all our top hurlers would have no problem turning their hand to playing cricket at a very good level… Baseball is different as the bat is so much thinner…

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 1919 - 27/06/2021 09:42:39    2353655

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Replying To lionofludesch:  "Rounders was one of the original GAA sports in 1884.

Still is, as far as I know. Though you don't see it covered much on The Sunday Game."
Still popular in Dublin

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 27/06/2021 22:14:03    2353953

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Replying To Suas Sios:  "It was called The Toughest Trade. TV3 maybe.

Great show. You would love the one where Lee Chin takes up ice hockey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXus8AbWGps"
I was at a work do in the Dallas Cowboys stadium years ago. Some place - roof, air conditioning. Bands, free beer and burgers, and, best of all, they had left several hundred American football's scattered about, so we all had a go at kicking them (off the ground) over the Y-shaped posts. Like a rugby ball, bit smaller. People there were a mix of Europeans and Americans. The American lads were unbelievably good at throwing the ball. They could throw it like a missile, straight as an arrow, for a ridiculous distance. Every non-American's throws were pure rubbish by comparison. Culturally, lots of American blokes can sure throw a ball.

But you see kicking the ball? The American lads were spectacularly useless. Jaw-droppingly bad. They just don't do it. They don't grow up like blokes in most other parts of the world do, kicking a ball about in the yard or at playtime at school. All the Europeans were pretty good at kicking it over the bar, but the US lads were shockingly bad. Initially, I thought they were drunk, or messing. One lad (not drunk) swung at the ball, sent it sideways, about 90 degrees off target, and then fell. Puzzled, I asked them what was wrong with them, and they said they had just never really kicked a ball in their life. It was as alien to them as cricket would be to me.

I've never forgotten it. It felt very odd to be among a bunch of guys who literally couldn't kick snow off a rope. Of course, they were equally startled by how dire we were at throwing.

essmac (Tyrone) - Posts: 1141 - 27/06/2021 23:53:24    2353998

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Replying To Cockney_Cat:  "
Replying To GreenandRed:  "It also might help the hurling skills of some players from a cricket backgound. We havd had Pakistani commnity in Ballyhaunis for more than 40 years now and a cricket club. Many of the Pakistani children went to school there and some tried their hands at hurling. Some played for Mayo and won underage All Ireland C medals.

link"
When I came to London as a young lad (with my parents). The first time I batted playing cricket at school, I walloped the ball all over the place, I remember a clearly impressed sports teacher saying to me at the end "I think I might put you into the year above's team". I had always put this down to the eye to ball coordination that I had acquired from playing hurling at early age back home in Kilkenny. But, since reading, many years later about the strong cricket culture in Kilkenny during the 19th and early 20th century, maybe it was in my genes?"
Strong Anglo-Norman genes in Kilkenny, so you could be right. ;)

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2038 - 30/06/2021 23:09:39    2355051

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Replying To BrendanCarroll:  "Good baseball hitters have extraordinary vision and great reflexes. Although there is no league in Ireland (please never), I wonder if a pitching machine is available, and if athletes have tried it. The game is mind numbingly boring now, but colleges award scholarships. I wonder if it would be worth it for a young hurler who shows a knack to find extra time to practice in the cage. Ability to bat either right or left is rare and prized.

Many years ago I caught a couple of Eddie Keher points high behind dressing room stands at Gaelic Park in NY. I tossed them to kidgers. He could have been a top baseball player. I could see the game was slowed down in his mind and anticipations. For hurling's sake I'm glad he didn't try!"
There is a baseball league in Ireland.

One thing baseball is good at is historical stats and it appears there have been 47 Irish born players who played in the Major Leagues.

The last one appears to have been in 1945 for the Washington Senators, Joe Cleary, a pitcher born in Cork. One game in the major leagues! intriguing.

The one with most appearances was Patsy Donovan, again from Cork in a 17 year career from 1890 to 1907 with over 1800 games at bat in a number of teams.

the_creeler (Leitrim) - Posts: 119 - 03/07/2021 20:48:46    2355755

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I think the New York Mets currently have a young pitcher who is actually Irish born, can recall his name though.

minor93 (Wicklow) - Posts: 74 - 04/07/2021 15:40:03    2356019

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