Perverse Effects of Social Support: Publics and Performance in Major League Sports

Social Forces ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric M. Leifer
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 232596712110088
Author(s):  
Ryan L. Crotin ◽  
Toshimasa Yanai ◽  
Peter Chalmers ◽  
Kenneth B. Smale ◽  
Brandon J. Erickson ◽  
...  

Background: There has been minimal research investigating injury and pitching performance differences between Major League Baseball (MLB) and other professional leagues. Purpose/Hypothesis: This 2-team comparison between MLB and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) involved affiliated players over 5 years. We hypothesized that teams would differ in the injury incidence, mechanism of injury, pitch velocity, and pitch type usage. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Between 2015 and 2019, pitching data as well as injury statistics for the highest level and minor league affiliates of the Los Angeles Angels (MLB) and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp (NPB) were reviewed for significant differences in the injury prevalence, injury type, mechanism of injury, and days missed. In total, 3781 MLB and 371 NPB injuries were studied. Results: MLB-affiliated players were significantly younger, taller, and heavier ( P < .001) than were NPB-affiliated players. MLB-affiliated pitchers threw faster than did their NPB counterparts ( P = .026). MLB minor league pitchers threw more curveballs than did NPB minor league pitchers ( P = .004), and MLB minor league relief pitchers threw more sliders than did NPB minor league relief pitchers ( P = .02). The MLB team had a 3.7-fold higher incidence of injuries versus the NPB team (0.030 vs 0.008 injuries per player-game, respectively) as well as more repeat injuries, with fewer days missed per injury (15.8 ± 54.7 vs 36.2 ± 55.1 days, respectively; P < .001). The MLB team also had a higher percentage of injuries that were throwing related ( P < .001), were contact related ( P < .001), and occurred outside of competition ( P < .001) compared with the NPB team. Conclusion: This is the first empirical study examining injury trends and pitching characteristics between MLB and NPB athletes. MLB-affiliated pitchers threw faster and relied more on breaking pitches in comparison with NPB-affiliated pitchers. From injury data, MLB players were younger, taller, and heavier with a higher percentage of throwing-related injuries, contact injuries, and injuries sustained outside of competition. Overall, the MLB team indicated a 3.7-fold higher rate of reported injuries with fewer days missed per injury than did the NPB team. Competitive conditions are distinctly different between MLB and NPB, and thus, more extensive research collaborations in the future can identify best practices to advance health and performance for both leagues.


Author(s):  
Willibald Ruch ◽  
Alexander G. Stahlmann

Abstract Recent theoretical advances have grounded gelotophobia (Greek: gelos = laughter, phobos = fear) in a dynamic framework of causes, moderating factors, and consequences of the fear of being laughed at. This understanding corresponds to that of vulnerability and translates gelotophobia into a distinguishable pattern of lacking resources (i.e., misinterpretation of joy and laughter) that can result in negative consequences (e.g., reduced well-being and performance) if individuals have no access to further resources (e.g., social support) or are exposed to severe stressors (e.g., workplace bullying). Based on the panel data provided by the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES (N = 2469 across six measurement intervals), this study takes the first step toward empirically testing this model’s assumptions: First, we computed exemplary zero-order correlations and showed that gelotophobia was negatively connected with social support (resource) and life and job satisfaction (consequences) and positively connected with perceived stress, work stress, and workplace bullying (stressors). Second, we used longitudinal cluster analyses (KmL; k-means-longitudinal) and showed that the panel data can be clustered into three stable patterns of life and job satisfaction and that gelotophobia is primarily related to the two clusters marked by lower levels of satisfaction. Third, we computed partial correlations and showed that social support, perceived stress, and work stress (but not workplace bullying) can weaken or completely resolve gelotophobia’s relationships with such diverging trajectories of life and job satisfaction. We concluded that seeing gelotophobia through the lens of vulnerability is useful and that such research warrants further attention using more dedicated, theoretically grounded projects.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Richard J. Paulsen

This paper uses game-level Major League Baseball data to identify whether players with greater job security shirk in their preparation between games. Past work has identified evidence of moral hazard arising in multiyear Major League Baseball player contracts, but little work has been done in identifying when shirking takes place. Using a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, this study finds evidence of an inverse relationship between the number of years remaining on player contracts and performance when the player is playing on short rest, when opportunity to rest is scarce, but not on long rest. Using a triple-difference specification, evidence is found that this inverse relationship between years remaining on a player’s contract when playing on short rest occurs for games played in “party cities.” This evidence would suggest that between game preparation is one avenue through which players on multiyear contracts shirk.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosman Bin Md Yusoff ◽  
Anwar Khan ◽  
Mazen F. Rasheed ◽  
Alamzeb Aamir

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 232596711982583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Jack ◽  
Kyle R. Sochacki ◽  
Takashi Hirase ◽  
Justin Vickery ◽  
Patrick C. McCulloch ◽  
...  

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of hip pain that may lead to decreased performance in Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Purpose: To determine the (1) return-to-sport (RTS) rate in MLB players after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI; (2) postoperative career length, innings pitched (IP) (pitchers), and plate appearances (PA) (position players); (3) preoperative and postoperative performance; and (4) postoperative performance compared with control players matched by position, age, years of experience, and performance. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: MLB athletes who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI and matched controls were identified. Demographic and performance data were collected. RTS was defined as playing in at least 1 MLB game after surgery. Continuous variables of each group were compared using a 2-tailed paired-samples Student t test for normally distributed data. The chi-square test was used to analyze categorical data. The Bonferroni correction was used to control for multiple comparisons, with statistical significance defined by a P value of ≤.007. Results: A total of 50 players (57 surgeries) were analyzed (mean age, 30.4 ± 3.9 years; mean MLB experience at the time of surgery, 7.0 ± 4.6 years). Pitchers (31 surgeries; 54.4%) represented the largest proportion of players analyzed. Of these players, 42 (47 surgeries; 82.5%) were able to RTS at a mean of 8.3 ± 4.1 months. The overall 1-year MLB career survival rate of players undergoing FAI surgery was 78.9%. Players in the control group were in MLB a similar number of years (4.0 ± 2.9 years) to players who underwent surgery (3.3 ± 2.4 years) ( P > .007). There was no significant decrease in IP or PA per season after surgery ( P > .007). There was no significant difference in performance for pitchers and nonpitchers compared with matched controls after surgery ( P > .007). Conclusion: The RTS rate for MLB athletes after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI was high. There were similar IP, PA, and career lengths postoperatively compared with preoperatively and with matched controls. There was no significant difference in performance for pitchers and nonpitchers compared with matched controls after surgery.


Author(s):  
Kyle R Sochacki ◽  
Robert A Jack II ◽  
Takashi Hirase ◽  
Patrick C McCulloch ◽  
David M Lintner ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo determine (1) return to sport (RTS) rate in Major League Soccer (MLS) players following Achilles tendon repair, (2) postoperative career length and games per season, (3) preoperative and postoperative performance, and (4) postoperative performance compared with control players matched by position, age, body mass index, sex, years of experience and performance.MethodsPublicly available records were used to identify MLS players who underwent Achilles tendon repair with a minimum of 1 year follow-up. Demographic and performance data were collected for each player. Matched controls were identified. RTS was defined as playing in one or more MLS games after surgery. Comparisons between case and control groups and preoperative and postoperative time points were made using paired sample Student’s t-tests.ResultsTwenty-two players (mean age 28.4±4.0 years; mean 3.0±2.2 years follow-up) and 23 Achilles tendon repairs (one bilateral repair) were analysed. Seventeen players (18 Achilles tendon repairs; 77.3%) were able to RTS in the MLS at mean 306.6±199.2 days. Players who RTS after repair had shorter careers than matched controls (2.5±2.2 vs 4.5±3.0 seasons, respectively; p=0.021). Additionally, players who RTS after repair played in fewer games per season than matched controls (13.4±8.4 vs 23.2±6.5, respectively; p<0.001). There was no significant decrease in performance postsurgery compared with presurgery.ConclusionThere is a 77.3% RTS rate in the MLS following Achilles tendon repair. Following repair, players had shorter careers and played fewer games per season than matched controls. There was no significant decrease in performance postsurgery compared with presurgery nor in postsurgery compared with postindex. A significantly greater number of Achilles tendon tears occurred in the left versus the right lower extremity.Level of evidenceLevel III.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galen T. Trail ◽  
Jeffrey D. James ◽  
Hyungil Kwon ◽  
Dean Anderson ◽  
Matthew J. Robinson

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test Oliver’s two-dimension (fortitude and community/social support) product loyalty framework. Design/methodology/approach – Oliver categorized each of the two dimensions into high and low, creating a two-by-two framework: low fortitude and low-community/social support (Product Superiority group); low fortitude and high-community/social support (Village Envelopment group); high fortitude and low-community/social support (Determined Self-isolation group); high fortitude and high-community/social support (Immersed Self-identity group). The paper uses two samples. The sample from Study 1 was season ticket holders (n=199) of a West Coast (USA) Major League Baseball team. Results indicated preliminary support for Oliver’s four groups and good psychometric properties of the fan community scale and the individual fortitude scale (IFS). Study 2 focussed on attendees (n=458) at two East Coast (USA) Major League Baseball venues. Findings – The multivariate GLM indicated significant differences among Oliver’s groups, but the variance explained was small on past, current, and future attendance. However, in terms of actual games attended, the Immersed Self-identity group attended between 2.5 and 3 times as many games as the Village Envelopment group over the two years, and more than twice as many games as the Product Superiority group. The groups differed substantially on consumption of product extensions: 22.5 percent of the variance in merchandise purchasing was explained by the grouping, 31.9 percent of broadcast media consumption, and 24.9 percent of print media consumption. In all cases, those in the Immersed Self-identity group consumed significantly more than the Product Superiority and Determined Self-isolation groups. Originality/value – The paper reveals that sport marketers can focus on the Immersed Self-identity segment as the segment most likely to consume the product, repurchase, and purchase product extensions.


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