Baseball's mound height linked to injuries

MILWAUKEE , N.Y., March 24 (UPI) -- The height of the pitcher's mound affects throwing arm motion and may cause injuries to baseball players, a U.S. study found.

Study leader Dr. William Raasch of the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee presented the findings at the 2007 Major League Winter Meetings.

"Compared to flat ground, pitchers using a 10-inch mound experience an increase in superior shear and adduction torque in the shoulder -- meaning there's a greater amount of stress on the joint surface and surrounding structures that may result in injury to the shoulder including tearing of the rotator cuff or labrum," Raasch said in a statement.

The study did not result in enough data to recommend reducing the 10-inch mound height, which became standard in 1968, but Raasch said the findings can help trainers determine if pitchers would be better off practicing on flat ground -- especially after an injury.

The researchers observed 20 Major League or NCAA Division I-A pitchers during 2007 spring training in Arizona and at the Froedtert & Medical College Sports Medicine Center in Milwaukee using eight cameras to record the three-dimensional positions of 43 reflective markers on the athletes' bodies as they threw from 10-inch, 8-inch, and 6-inch mounds as well as flat ground.