How cold is too cold?

When it comes to baseball, that’s been a question debated for years.

Can the game be played at an adequate level in freezing temperatures? Is it healthy to be pitching a baseball in such weather?

The start of spring locally has not been conducive to playing baseball, whether it be at the major league or high school level. Yet, in some cases, games have gone on.

Foolishly so, in this man’s opinion.

Football is an all-weather sport. One could make the same argument about soccer, to a degree. But baseball?

No way.

As much as baseball is being forced into a cold-weather game by seasons opening in March and the World Series not ending until late October or early November, it will never be a cold-weather sport.

It’s just not designed that way.

When the temperature is below freezing, games should not be played.

Pitchers have trouble staying loose and warm. And medical studies show that if a pitching arm isn’t loose and warm, throughout a game, there is a greater risk of incurring injury in cold temperatures.

The Georgetown University Medical Center revealed that pitchers are much more likely to experience tendonitis in their pitching shoulder while playing in sub-freezing weather. The reason is they don’t keep their arms warm enough.

Even wearing a jacket or a long-sleeve shirt underneath the uniform, it’s hard to stay warm with wind-chills around 20 degrees.

Butler and Vincentian played a game Wednesday night in such conditions. The game endured a snow delay and fielders were having trouble locating the ball at times because of the falling flakes.

Come on, now.

It’s spring baseball up north. I get it. You have to get games in. I get that, too.

You still have to use common sense.

Back the schedule up if you have to and play four or five games in a week. Baseball, an every-day sport, is designed to be played that way.

Logan Morrison of the Minnesota Twins put it best. When it’s below freezing, pitchers don’t like to pitch, hitters don’t like to hit, fielders don’t like to field and no one wants to sit outside and watch it.

So why do it?

Pitchers can’t get a feel for the baseball. Some have described it as “like throwing a cue ball.” Hitters feel the sting of connecting with a pitch in on the hands and that sting can last for a couple of innings.

All anyone at the ballpark is concerned about is trying to stay warm.

Simply put, it’s miserable.

Baseball is a warm-weather sport. At least make sure it’s in the 40s before you decide to take the field.

Otherwise, don’t bother.

It’s just not worth it.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle