Hardest sport to go pro in

[Donoghus]

This might be a pretty good spin off-topic/poll. 

[Donoghus]

I just spun off a poll thread for hardest thing to do.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=33654.msg636185;topicseen#new

Please make suggestions for options since my mind is still waking up this morning.

[Surferdad]

I prefer to address the opposite question:  Which sports is easiest?  The OP asked about professional so we have to include all the minor leagues and all the sports.  In the US, there are many minor leagues and teams:  AAA, AA, A, instructional leagues, legion ball, etc. and the rosters are larger than basketball.  It just seems to me there are more opportunities than most other sports (maybe there are similar opportunities in soccer overseas?  I don't know).  Now the trick is, how can you be a pro baseball player, but not have to consistently hit a fastball well?  I've always felt the answer is:  Be a catcher.  It's a skill you have to learn, but they always seem to be in demand, and you're not expected to hit for high average.

[Chris]

I prefer to address the opposite question:  Which sports is easiest?  The OP asked about professional so we have to include all the minor leagues and all the sports.  In the US, there are many minor leagues and teams:  AAA, AA, A, instructional leagues, legion ball, etc. and the rosters are larger than basketball.  It just seems to me there are more opportunities than most other sports (maybe there are similar opportunities in soccer overseas?  I don't know).  Now the trick is, how can you be a pro baseball player, but not have to consistently hit a fastball well?  I've always felt the answer is:  Be a catcher.  It's a skill you have to learn, but they always seem to be in demand, and you're not expected to hit for high average.

I agree that for a good baseball player, if he wants his best chance to make it to the majors, then he should be a catcher (or a left handed reliever).  The problem is, catcher is probably the hardest position to play defensively in baseball.  It is very physically demanding, because of the way it wears on the knees, it requires you to have an exceptionally strong arm (I think people underrate just how strong most catchers arms are), you need tremendous hand-eye coordination, and you also need to be smart, because you are basically the QB out there.

To answer the question though, I want to go with Basketball, but because of Europe, it seems like there are a lot of places to play.  That is why I am going with Football.  Yes, they have big rosters, and they have short careers, but other than the CFL (I don't count Arena Football, because it is really a different sport IMO), there really is not many other opportunities. 

[wdleehi]

I'd say basketball only because they have the smallest rosters.  I do understand what your friends are saying though.  Since the hardest thing in all of sports is to hit a baseball, I guess it would be the toughest to gain the skills to be a professional baseball player.

Don't get me wrong, I understand how hard it is to hit a baseball, especially one thrown by a major league pitcher. But I disagree that hitting a baseball is that hardest thing in sports. I don't have time to come up with specific examples, but there are lots of things in both basketball and football that look easy but are incredibly hard to do. Oh, here's one - try threading a one-handed bounce pass between 3 defenders on a fast break running full speed down the court. Or try rolling off your defender, jumping, catching, and slamming a lob pass all in one motion (a la KG). And since we're comparing hitting a baseball off a major league pitcher, then imagine pulling off the bounce pass or the alley oop against NBA competition.

I would bet a guy of average athleticism could take some batting practice and eventually get a real hit off a real major league pitcher in a real major league game. I would also bet that that a guy of average athleticism couldn't pull off either of the aforementioned basketball plays if they were thrown into a real NBA game.

Everyone in professional baseball is expected to be able to hit a ball. How many guys in the NBA can pull of the KG roll-off your man and alley oop dunk all in one motion? Way less than half the NBA for sure.

In conclusion, hitting a baseball is not the hardest thing in professional sports.

And everyone in basketball is expected to know how to dribble a basketball. But which is more difficult? Go out and try to dribble a basketball, something that happens in every pro basketball game. Now go try to hit a 95 MPH fastball, something that happens in every pro baseball game.

You are comparing threading a bounce pass between three defenders on the run with hitting a baseball. What you should be comparing is threading a bounce pass between three defenders on the run with catching a great knuckleball while simultaneously trying to get out of your stance as a catcher to throw out a runner at second.

Well, you're sorting of making my point for me. There are things arguably more difficult in baseball than hitting a ball. But the point remains the same - hitting a baseball is not the hardest thing to do in professional sports. If you like my alley oop example as proof, that's fine. If you like your example of catching a knuckleball better, that's fine. I'm not arguing one sport's skills are harder overall, I'm just arguing that hitting a baseball isn't the hardest thing to do in sports.

It's the hardest thing you have to be able to do to be a pro in a sport.

You HAVE to be able to hit a baseball to be a baseball player.

Now compared that with HAVING to be able to dribble a basketball to be able to play basketball or be able to skate on ice to be able to play hockey or be able to hit a ball long and straight off the tee to be a golfer or be able to run and block to be able to play football or to be able to throw a strike in order to bowl or to be able to kick a ball to play soccer.

Hitting a baseball and to be able to do it regularly well to make the pros is easily the hardest thing  you have to be able to do to be ABLE to play pro baseball. Is doing a bicycle kick in soccer, catching a tough knuckleball in baseball, holding onto a pass over the middle while being simultaneously rocked with a hit in football, hitting a ball between your legs for a winner in tennis or catching and slamming an alley oop in basketball tougher? Maybe. But those are individual plays and not a skill you HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO to be a pro in those sports.

Yeah.

Imagine a player hitting on 28% of your jump shots and having it be consider good.

[housecall]

I feel baseball is the hardest/toughest american pro sport to break into...i see it under the microscope more in its evaluation of talent.Today MLB  uses sabermetrics to help evaluate players whereas in some cases in basketball its more about height.It seems in some cases if you are 7'0 with a pulse,you are worth a mil.dollars,just look at guys like Mikki Moore that get in & stay around based more on height than talent.

[wdleehi]

I am leaning towards football.


The reason, there are only two countries that have pro football.

[Edgar]

horse riding.

[Surferdad]

Okay, we need an answer to the following question:
Has anyone reading this ever tried to make a go of it as a professional athlete of any kind (includes minor leagues)?If you have, we want to hear from you!

[Edgar]

Okay, we need an answer to the following question:
Has anyone reading this ever tried to make a go of it as a professional athlete of any kind (includes minor leagues)?If you have, we want to hear from you!

I tried to make my national triathlon team as amateur
after failing because i swim like a duck I realize I am Not as good as needed even if my bike and running WERE above average
I playes second league soccer but never jump into first pro league then university.
Long time ago