Nara Women's University
Differences in body size between left-handed andright-handed Japanese professional baseballplayers
メタデータ

言語: English
出版者: 奈良女子大学文学部スポーツ科学教室
公開日: 2014-07-16
キーワード (Ja): pitcher, バッター, ピッチャー,メジャーリーグ, 日本
キーワード (En): batter, Japan, MLB
作成者: 中田,大貴
メールアドレス:
所属:URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/10935/3748

Differences in body size between left-handed and right-handed
Japanese professional baseball players
Hiroki Nakata1)

Abstract
The present study investigated differences in height, weight, and body mass index (BMI)
between left-handed and right-handed Japanese professional baseball pitchers and batters.
Some 345 pitchers and 356 batters who played in 2001, and 352 pitchers and 269 batters whoplayed in 2011 were evaluated.

Analyses of variances (ANOVAs) revealed significant

differences in height and weight, but not BMI, between left-handed and right-handed pitchers
and batters. ANOVAs also showed a significant difference in body size between the players in2001 and 2011. The findings suggest that left-handed baseball pitchers and batters are smaller
than right-handed pitchers and batters in Japan as well as major league baseball.
（Research Journal of Sport Science in Nara Women's University, 16: 41-45, 2014）

Keywords: batter; pitcher; Japan; MLB
キーワード：バッター；ピッチャー；日本；メジャーリーグ1)

奈良女子大学文学部人間科学科スポーツ科学コース〒630-8506 奈良市北魚屋西町
Nara Women’s University, Faculty of Letter, Department of Human Sciences, Sports Science
Kitauoyanishi-machi, Nara, 630-8506－ 41 －Introduction

Baseball is a very popular sport in Japan, but there
have been no previous studies focusing on a

Several previous papers have reported thatdifference in body size between left-handed andleft-handed major league baseball pitchers wereright-handed pitchers.

significantly smaller than right-handed pitchers (1,studies have not analyzed the effect of handedness

2).

on BMI, the accepted tool for screening weight

However, the mechanisms responsible for

In addition, previous

this phenomenon have not been clarified, and thestatus (3, 4).

results have still to be confirmed in other countries

examine the difference in body size between

with professional baseball leagues.

left-handed and right-handed Japanese baseballSince in

The second objective was togeneral, left-handed pitchers are rarer thanbatters.

right-handed pitchers, right-handed batters havedifferences in body size between Japanese baseballlower averages against left-handed pitchers thanplayers in 2001 and 2011.

against right-handed pitchers.

body size in Japanese baseball players has changed

In addition, sinceleft-handed batters also tend to fare worse against

The third objective was to compare

It is hypothesized thatover this decade.

left-handed pitchers, a short relief/ spot reliever

Methods

has been sometimes used as a situational
lefty/left-handed specialist/left handed one out guy.
Further, since the number of left-handed batters is

Somesmaller than that of right-handed batters, someright-handed = 243) and 356 batters (left-handed =left-handed batters actually fare better against

114; right-handed = 242) who played in 2001, andright-handed pitchers than right-handed batters do

352 pitchers (left-handed = 113; right-handed =against right-handed pitchers.

Therefore, it is239) and 269 batters (left-handed = 128;

hypothesized that teams tend to more readily sign

right-handed = 141) who played in 2011 wereleft-handed players, even if left-handed players areevaluated.

physically smaller than right-handed players.

used to classify pitchers.

The current study had three objectives.

was defined based on the batting, not throwing

The first345pitchers(left-handed=102;

Throwing hand (left or right) wasHandedness in batters

was to investigate differences in height, weight,hand.

and body mass index (BMI) between left-handed

Professional Baseball (NPB) league.

and right-handed Japanese baseball pitchers.

of the players were collected from publications.

－ 42 －All players belonged to the Nippon
The dates

Players who were not born in Japan were excluded.

Handedness (F (1, 622) = 8.895, p < .01, η2 =Switch hitters, who can hit left-handed or0.229) for weight, and Year (F (1, 622) = 51.346, p

right-handed, were also excluded.

< .001, η2 = 0.951) for BMI.

47 pitchers(left-handed = 22; right-handed = 25) and 90

Table 2 shows the number of left-handed andbatters (left-handed = 28; right-handed = 62)right-handed players in 2001 and 2011.

played in both 2001 and 2011.

of left-handed pitchers was similar in 2001

Height,and BMI were subjected(29.6%) and 2011 (32.1%), but the rate ofseparately to analyses of variance (ANOVA) with

left-handed batters was clearly larger in 2011

Handedness (Left vs. Right) and Year (2001 vs.

(47.6%) than in 2001 (32.0%).

weight,2011) as factors.

The rate

Statistical tests were performed

using computer software (SPSS for windows ver.

Table 1: Body size among pitchers and batters in 2001 and16.0, SPSS). Statistical significance was set at p2011< .05.

Results

Table 1 lists the height, weight, and BMI ofleft-handed and right-handed pitchers and battersin 2001 and 2011.

For the pitchers, ANOVAs

showed a significant main effect of Handedness (F(1, 694) = 29.023, p < .001, η2 = 0.992) for height,Year (F (1, 694) = 13.277, p < .001, η2 = 0.678)

Discussion

2and Handedness (F (1, 694) = 6.298, p < .05, η =The present study investigated body size in0.322) for weight, and Year (F (1, 694) = 11.337, p2< .01, η = 0.971) for BMI.

Japanese professional baseball players in 2001 andFor the batters, ANOVAs demonstrated a2011.

significant main effect of Handedness (F (1, 622)
2= 9.308, p < .01, η = 0.970) for height, Year (F (1,622) = 30.030, p < .001, η

2= 0.771) and

The first objective was to investigate thedifference

inheight

andweight

betweenleft-handed and right-handed Japanese pitchers.

－ 43 －

Table2:

Numbersofleft-handed

left-handed

andleft-handed batters are closer to first base thanright-hander batters, they would have a temporalright-handed players

advantage when it comes to reaching first base.
Additionally, the swing-generated momentum of
left-handed batters carries them towards first base,while a right-handed batter's momentum isdirected down the third base line.

In Japan, homerun distances to the right field pole are basically
The results demonstrated that the left-handed

the same as those to the left field foul pole,

pitchers were significantly smaller in height andwhereas in the U.S., home run distances to theweight, which was consistent with previous studies

right field pole are frequently closer than those toon MLB pitchers (1, 2), and cricket bowlers (5).

the left-field pole.

However, there was no difference in BMI between

left-handed batters might be excluded.

left-handed and right-handed pitchers.

The

possibility is that left-handed people are smaller insecond aim was to examine the difference in bodysize, though confirmation of this would require

size between left-handed and right-handed batters.

data from the general population as well as

Again, the left-handed batters were significantly

professional baseball players.

smaller in height and weight, but not in BMI.

combination of the two possibilities may apply.

Next, it is necessary to consider why theleft-handed players were smaller.

Thus, park design bias for
A second

Of course, aThe third objective was to compare differences

One possibility

in body size between Japanese baseball players inis that the selection process is less stringent for‘2001 and 2011’. The players were significantly

left-handers, since they compose a much smaller

heavier, and also had significantly larger BMI

proportion of the population than right-handers butvalues, in 2011.

make effective pitchers and batters.

baseball players now need to weigh more toIndeed,although left-handers account for approximately

These results indicate that

optimize performance.

10 % of the Japanese population (6), they made up

In conclusion, the results of the present study

29.6 and 32.1% of Japanese baseball pitchers, anddemonstrated that left-handed players including

32.0% and 47.6% of batters in 2001 and 2011,

pitchers and batters were significantly smaller thanrespectively (Table 2).

right-handed players in height and weight, but notFurthermore, since－ 44 －

BMI.

This phenomenon has been confirmed inboth Japan and the MLB.

lateral preference of Japanese people. Journal of General
Psychology, 121: 377-380.

References

1) Fudin, R., Renninger, L., and Hirshon, J. (1994) Analysisof data from Reichler's (1979) The Baseball Encyclopedia:
right-handed pitchers are taller and heavier than left -handedpitchers. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78: 1043-1048.

2) Abel, E.L. and Kruger, M.L. (2007) Lefties are still alittle shorter. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 104: 405-406.

3) Saint Onge, J.M., Krueger, P.M., and Rogers, R.G. (2008)
Historical trends in height, weight, and body mass: datafrom U.S. Major League Baseball players, 1869 -1983.
Economics and Human Biology, 6: 482-488.

4) Huang, Y.C. and Malina, R.M. (2010). Body mass index
and individual physical fitness tests in Taiwanese youth aged
9-18 years. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 5:404-411.

5) Pollard, R. (1995) A differ ence in heights and weights
between right-handed and left-handed bowlers at cricket.
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 81: 601 -602.

6) Hatta, T. and Kawakami, A. (1994) Cohort effects in the－ 45 －