▁pitch ing ▁area ▁in ▁the ▁in field . ▁ ▁Bat bo ys ▁also ▁help ▁sh ag ging , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁reported ly ▁considered ▁a ▁great ▁honor ▁among ▁bat bo ys ▁to ▁be ▁asked ▁to ▁do ▁this . ▁ ▁This ▁pre - game ▁activity ▁is ▁widely ▁dis lik ed ▁by ▁pitch ers , ▁who ▁argue ▁that ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁benefit ▁them ▁at ▁all , ▁since ▁it ▁dra ins ▁their ▁energy ▁and ▁actually ▁increases ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁st iff ness ▁in ▁the ▁lower ▁back ▁and ▁leg ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁prolong ed ▁standing . ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁these ▁claims , ▁several ▁teams ▁have ▁ex empt ed ▁pitch ers ▁from ▁having ▁to ▁sh ag . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁N ipp on ▁Professional ▁Baseball ▁( NP B ) ▁league , ▁teams ▁pay ▁groups ▁specifically ▁assemble d ▁to ▁sh ag ▁fly ▁balls ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁pitch ers , ▁and ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Ang els ▁of ▁Ana heim ▁rec ruit ▁local ▁fire fig h ters ▁in ▁Arizona ▁to ▁do ▁the ▁job ▁when ▁the ▁team ▁plays ▁in ▁the ▁C act us ▁League ▁during ▁spring ▁training . ▁ ▁D angers ▁ ▁Although ▁sh ag ging ▁is ▁not ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁dangerous , ▁several ▁fre ak ▁inj uries ▁have ▁occurred ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁eng aging ▁in ▁it . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁just ▁one ▁season ▁after ▁collect ing ▁his ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 th ▁hit , ▁Paul ▁W an er ▁accident ally ▁g ashed ▁his ▁foot ▁while ▁sh ag ging ▁a ▁fly ▁ball