The Physics Behind Baseball
Armando E Segui Rodriguez
Armando E Segui Rodriguez
This Christmas I took the time to read a book that explained the physics of baseball. It was given to me by my dad on my birthday and what a better time to read the book than now. It is amazing how physics explains everything that happens around us, even sports. The following facts summarize the physics behind baseball.
· If the baseball had no seams, the ball could travel a distance 10% to 15% smaller than if it had them.
· The distance traveled by a baseball is affected by various factors like height, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, speed of throw, wind, and others, wind being the factor of greater influence. A wind speed of ten miles per hour can make the difference between a fly ball caught at 370 feet from home plate if the wind were traveling in its opposite direction and a 430 feet home run if the wind was in favor of the ball.
· A fast-ball thrown by a pitcher takes generally 0.4 seconds to reach home plate, and the batter takes 0.3 seconds from the moment he sees the ball to the moment he completes the swing. If the batter takes more than 0.1 seconds to see the pitch and identify it, it is probable that he will fail to hit the ball.
· Lubricating substances like saliva, sweat or oil applied to the ball before being thrown can make an average pitcher throw like a pro.
· The material the bat is made of makes a huge difference in the distance a baseball can be hit. For instance, aluminum bats can hit the baseball 10% farther than wood bats.
· Baseballs hit to the outfield are in most cases in the air between 4.3 seconds and 5.1 seconds. Outfielders take approximately two seconds to identify the direction and the distance the ball will carry, which leaves little time to catch successfully if the ball hit was not read correctly.
· Balls hit to the center of the field have little or no spin, which makes them much harder to catch than balls hit to the right field or the left field.
· A runner takes approximately 3.5 seconds to steal second base, which is more or less the same time it takes the ball to go from the pitcher to the catcher and from the catcher to second base. A difference of 0.1 or o.2 seconds in favor of the runner or the defense can make the difference between a steal and an out.
· The use of the legs and the hips in a throw gives about 50% of the velocity, the backward movement of the arm gives approximately 20% of the velocity, 20% of the velocity is also given by the movement of forearm, and the last movement of the wrist and the quick touch of the fingers adds up to approximately 10%.
These are only some of the many interesting facts I learned by reading this book. Being a baseball player myself, it is now great to understand how every aspect of the sport works thanks to the study of physics. Actually, sports are a great manifestation of physics. Without its study, we wouldn’t be able to understand the greatness in them.
· If the baseball had no seams, the ball could travel a distance 10% to 15% smaller than if it had them.
· The distance traveled by a baseball is affected by various factors like height, temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, speed of throw, wind, and others, wind being the factor of greater influence. A wind speed of ten miles per hour can make the difference between a fly ball caught at 370 feet from home plate if the wind were traveling in its opposite direction and a 430 feet home run if the wind was in favor of the ball.
· A fast-ball thrown by a pitcher takes generally 0.4 seconds to reach home plate, and the batter takes 0.3 seconds from the moment he sees the ball to the moment he completes the swing. If the batter takes more than 0.1 seconds to see the pitch and identify it, it is probable that he will fail to hit the ball.
· Lubricating substances like saliva, sweat or oil applied to the ball before being thrown can make an average pitcher throw like a pro.
· The material the bat is made of makes a huge difference in the distance a baseball can be hit. For instance, aluminum bats can hit the baseball 10% farther than wood bats.
· Baseballs hit to the outfield are in most cases in the air between 4.3 seconds and 5.1 seconds. Outfielders take approximately two seconds to identify the direction and the distance the ball will carry, which leaves little time to catch successfully if the ball hit was not read correctly.
· Balls hit to the center of the field have little or no spin, which makes them much harder to catch than balls hit to the right field or the left field.
· A runner takes approximately 3.5 seconds to steal second base, which is more or less the same time it takes the ball to go from the pitcher to the catcher and from the catcher to second base. A difference of 0.1 or o.2 seconds in favor of the runner or the defense can make the difference between a steal and an out.
· The use of the legs and the hips in a throw gives about 50% of the velocity, the backward movement of the arm gives approximately 20% of the velocity, 20% of the velocity is also given by the movement of forearm, and the last movement of the wrist and the quick touch of the fingers adds up to approximately 10%.
These are only some of the many interesting facts I learned by reading this book. Being a baseball player myself, it is now great to understand how every aspect of the sport works thanks to the study of physics. Actually, sports are a great manifestation of physics. Without its study, we wouldn’t be able to understand the greatness in them.
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