1. ARE YOU GOING TO FIGHT OR FLEE?
BASEBALL EDITION

2. THE SPECIFICS ON A BASEBALL FIELD PT1
 Dura Mater: consists of strong white tissue and serves as
the outer layer of the meninges and also the inner
periosteum of the cranial bones. Contains 3 inward
extensions; Falx Cerebri, Falx Cerebelli, and Tentorium
Cerebelli. In relation to Baseball, this covering of the
meninges could be considered the Outfield. They are the
outer layer of defense for the team.
 Arachnoid Membrane: It’s a very delicate, cobweb
looking layer lying between the Dura Mater and the Pia
Mater. In relation to Baseball, this covering of the
meninges could be considered the Infield. They are the
middle layer of defense between the outfield and the
catcher and pitcher.

3. BASEBALL COVERINGS SPECIFICS
 Pia Mater: Transparent
and adheres to the outer
surface of the brain and
spinal cord and contains
blood vessels. In
relation to Baseball, this
covering of the meninges
could be considered the
pitcher and the catcher.
They are the first line of
defense before the
7©
infield or the outfield.

4. BASEBALL COACHING STAFF SPECIFICS..
 Function of CSF: Even with bony and membranous
coverings, a cushion of fluid both around the organs
and within them protects the brain and spinal cord.
The CSF is also a reservoir of circulating fluid that,
along with blood, the brain monitors for changes in
the interior environment. In relation to Baseball, I
would consider this to be the coaching staff. They
are there to help make adjustments in the defensive
positioning and are always watching (or monitoring)
to make necessary changes.

5. WHERE IS CSF?
 The CSF is found protecting the brain and spinal
cord from injury by supplying a cushion of fluid
both around the organs and within them.
 Circulation: the continuous motion of blood
throughout the body conducted by the heart.

6. KEEPING THE GAME IN PLACE
 Structure and Function of Spinal Cord: Performs
two functions; provides conduction routes to and
from the brain and serves as the integrator for all
spinal reflexes. The Spinal cord tracts provide
conduction paths to and from the brain. In
relation to Baseball, I would consider this to be
the 1st and 3rd base coaches who are there to be
the active coaches on the field to aid in the
adjustments needing to be made in the game.

7. 7©
WHAT KEEPS THE GAME IN PLACE?
Just as the coaches keep the game together so does the spinal cord.

8. SPINAL CORD SPECIFICS
 Where it’s at: The Spinal Cord lies within the spinal
cavity starting at basically the neck and down to the
first lumbar vertebra.
 Shape: It’s an oval-shaped cylinder that tapers
slightly as it descends down the back. Contains two
bulges, one in the cervical region and the other in the
lumbar region.
 Nerve roots structure and function: Nerve roots
project from each side of the spinal cord. They carry
sensory information into the spinal cord.

9. HOW IS YOUR BODY HELPING YOU
BE ON YOUR FEET?
 The nerves in your
that are in the
sympathetic nervous
system, which is a
part of ANS, come
from the chest and
lower back part of the
spinal cord.
7©

10. STAY ON YOUR TOES AND LET YOUR
BODY DO THE REST
 Parasympathetic nervous system is what controls
your involuntary movements and bodily functions
 This helps with baseball because you must be
alert and practice so much that your body already
knows what to from muscle memory
 Pitching Batting and Catching are all helped by
the parasympathetic nervous system

11. THE THIRD BASE COACH 4 MAIN
FUNCTIONS OF BASEBALL (CEREBRAL
CORTEX)
 These are consciousness,
language, emotions and
memory.
 A third base coach giving
the pitcher signals is a
perfect example of how
all these coexist into one
scenario.
6©

12. FUNCTION 1 & 2:
CONSCIOUSNESS & LANGUAGE
 When the coach gives the player the signals he
consciously receives it, scientist haven’t pin pointed
the exact mechanism of the brain that produces
consciousness.
 The signals can also be considered a type of
language to the players; the language center of the
brain in 90% of the population is located in the left
cerebral hemisphere.

13. FUNCTION 3 & 4:
EMOTIONS & MEMORY
 Emotions come into play because the pitcher can
decide whether or not he feels that pitch is right
for the situation; these emotional processes take
place in the limbic system of the brain.
 A huge part of the signal system is memorization
of all the different signals the base coach could
tell you; memorization happens through the
temporal, parietal and occipital lobes.

14.  They would be
the motor and
sensory
functions and
come from
two different
gyri of the
brain
7©
THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST 4 FUNCTIONS…

15. FUNCTION 5:
MOTOR
 Motor senses come from the precentral gyrus,
these include functions such as the ability to
swallow, move your toes, ankle, or hips.
Basically the somatic motor functions in your
body control any voluntary movement; this
comes back to the third base coach because he
voluntarily moved certain body parts to form a
signal for the pitcher.

16. FUNCTION 6:
SENSORY
 Sensory senses come from the postcentral gyrus
of the brain; this includes the sensations of touch,
pressure, temperature, or your body’s position.
Sensory motor functions basically control your
body’s ability to feel and also come back to the
third base coach because he used his motor skills
to move his finger up to his nose but, used his
sensory senses to feel that he had actually placed
his finger on his nose.(©1)

17. DORSAL &VENTRAL
1 BASE & 3 RD BASE
ST
 The Dorsal and Ventral root splits the spinal cord
(dorsal sensory and ventral movement) but they
connect. So if Ventral was first base and dorsal was
third base they both split the second base and the
home run
 If you run to first base and get it out than your
chances of going to third base are over. Which means
if Ventral (1st base-movement) stops working than
the Dorsal (3rd base-sensory) isn’t quite working well

18. 4 MAJOR NERVOUS PLEXUSES
1) The Cervical plexus
2) The Brachial plexuses
3) The Lumbar plexuses
4) The Sacral Plexuses

19. 1.) PITCHING WITH THE
CERVICAL PLEXUSES
 The cervical plexuses is
found deep within the neck
Ventral rami of the first four
cervical spinal nerves (c1-
c4), along with a branch of
the ventral ramus of c5,
exchange fibers in the
cervical plexuses
 So when the pitcher pitches
the baseball he moves is
neck and as he’s moving the
cervical plexuses
7©

20. 2.) BATTING WITH THE
BRACHIAL PLEXUSES
 The brachial plexuses is used whenever the
pitcher pitches the ball the brachial is found deep
within the shoulder, even the batters use the
brachial plexuses as they approach the ball with
the bat

21. 3.) GETTING TO BASE WITH THE
LUMBAR PLEXUSES
 The Lumbar plexuses divides into many branches
supplying the thigh and leg
 If the batters make a home run, they use there
lumbar plexuses while they’re running from base
to base

22. 4.) BATTING WITH THE
SACRAL PLEXUSES
 The sacral plexuses lies in the pelvic cavity on
the anterior surface of the piriformis muscle.
Because of their close proximity and overlap of
fibers, the lumber and sacral plexuses are often
considered together as the “lumbosacral plexus”
 The batters use the their pelvic as the switch their
hips to swing at the baseball as well as the pitcher
when he pitches the ball.

23. THE BASICS TO BAESBALL:
DERMATOMES & MYOTOMES
 Dermatomes and Myotomes are the distribution
of the spinal cord appear to follow an ordered
arrangement, but detailed mapping of the skin
surface had revealed a close relationship
 Dermatomes are in the use of skin so as a batter
dives to touch a base their skin might ended
getting scratched up from the dirt and the
myotomes are in the use of muscle, myotomes are
used throughout the game of baseball.

24. STRUCTURES & FUNCTIONS OF
BASEBALL
 Thalamus- impulses from appropriate receptors, on
reaching the thalamus, produce conscious
recognition of the crude, less critical sensations of
pain, temperature, and touch
 Cerebellum- controls posture, skeletal muscles to
maintain balance
 Medulla Oblongata- contains cardiac, vasomotor,
and respiratory centers. Various nonvital reflexes
such as vomiting, coughing, sneezing, hiccupping
and swallowing.

25. CONTINUATION..
 Hypothalamus- pleasure centers and reward
centers for the primary drives such as eating
drinking and sex
 Diencephalon- located between the cerebrum and
the midbrain. Contains thalamus and
hypothalamus
 Pon- contains centers for reflexes mediating by
the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth cranial nerves

26. THE ACTUAL BASEBALL DIAMOND
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Cerebellum
Diencephalon
Pon
Medulla Oblongata
7©

27. CRANIAL NERVES WERE MADE FOR
BASEBALL
 Olfactory: This helps you
smell the hotdogs, nachos,
popcorn, and people in the
crowd
 Optic: This helps you see
the ball
 Oculomotor: This helps
you slow down the ball in
your mind and blink
slowly and let your pupils
dialate
9©

28. MORE CRANIAL NERVES…
 Trochlear: This makes your eyeball rotate and follow the ball as
your batting
 Trigeminal: This helps you chew that tasty gum
 Abducens: This helps you when your at bat and are scanning the
field side to side to where you should hit the ball
 Facial: This helps keep your face composed and intimidate others
with your facial expressions
 Vestibulocochlear: This helps listen to the crowd and get pumped
up and keep your emotions balanced
 Glossopharyngeal: This helps you taste those baseball snacks and
stick out your tongue when something tastes nasty

29. CRANIAL NERVES CONTINUATION…
 Vagus: This is what
helps you yell to your
team mates and
encourage them
 Accessory: This helps
you loosen up your
shoulders and your
neck as you go up to
pitch or bat
 Hypoglossal: This
helps you stick out your
tongue and tease the 7©
other players

30. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AFFERENT &
EFFERENT: AFFECTED BY THE GAME TO
EFFECT THE GAME
 Afferent is when you are affected by the game and
everything around you, whereas Efferent is your
effect on how you play to influence things around
you, such as the game