Sinistrality and Reduced Longevity: Reichler's 1979 Data on Baseball Players Do Not Indicate a Relationship

Abstract

Halpern and Coren's 1988 results concerning the longevity of sinistral and dextral baseball players have been used to support the idea that sinistrality is associated with reduced longevity. Halpern and Coren stated that they used Reichler's 1979 The Baseball Encyclopedia, which has longevity data through 1978, as their source. Apparent errors in reporting findings from that source suggested the possible value of analyzing Reichler's 1979 data. That analysis indicated findings that did not confirm Halpern and Coren's 1988 findings. Coren, however, related in 1992 that, although Halpern and Coren used Reichler as their source, they considered longevity data only through 1974. We therefore contend that the present findings represent what Halpern and Coren would have found had they considered Reichler's longevity data through 1978. Procedures used to analyze baseball players' longevity and the possible value of and potential problems with an updated baseball study are discussed.