Shagging (baseball) since it drains their energy and actually increases the risk of stiffness in the lower back and leg as a result of prolonged standing. In response to these claims, several teams have exempted pitchers from having to shag fly balls. In the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league, teams pay groups specifically assembled to shag fly balls in place of pitchers, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim recruit local firefighters in Arizona to do the job when the team plays in the Cactus League during spring training. Although shagging baseballs is not considered to be dangerous, several freak injuries have
Baseball in the Tampa Bay Area home to several teams in the Florida State League (which is now a Class-A Advanced circuit), including the Tampa Tarpons, the Clearwater Threshers, the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Bradenton Marauders, and the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Several major league organizations also field squads in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and the Florida Instructional League. Besides hosting actual baseball games, the corporate offices of Minor League Baseball have been located in St. Petersburg since 1973. St. Petersburg was the home of the St. Petersburg Pelicans in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989–1990. The league featured former major league players who