Nats Manager: Baseball Isn't Exactly a Physically Demanding Sport

Nationals interim manager Jim Riggleman doesn’t want to hear how tired his players are. Because they’re playing baseball, which requires a total of about 15 minutes of real, actual movement over the course of a three hour game, not taking into account bathroom breaks and bubble-blowing contests:

“I never like to use that word ‘fatigued’ or ‘tired,’’ he said. "I think it gets way over used in baseball. We’re not running up and down the court, we’re not playing football with equipment on in 100 degree temperature. It’s a baseball game; it’s not a physically taxing sport. […]

For myself, I tell players, if you’re tired, you have to take better care of yourself, you have to prepare better. I don’t believe that the 32-ounce bat should get heavy in August and I don’t think you should ever concede to that."

He goes on to explain that the 162-game season can be mentally taxing. Agreed. Especially when you play for a 100-loss team.