The Physics of Baseball

beatleadam writes "After seeing Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitch a perfect game (coverage here), I searched Slashdot in the hopes of reading more about what the Slashdot readers thought of this feat of athleticism and science and to learn more about the physics of baseball (More information to be found here and here). As nothing was posted, I submit for your viewing pleasure a "course" in the Physics of Baseball and the subtle science that is pitching."

Comments

Laws of baseball physics

[AtariAmarok]

Don't forget these:

"If you build it, he will come".

The law by which Red Sox and Cubs are repelled by the World Series and especially by the prospect of each other's presence in it.

The Goat Rule

The Curse of the Bambino

Re:Forget baseball.

[mike_mgo]

You might be interested then in The Physics of Hockey by Alain Hache. I bought it last year and found it interesting. he covers the basics from skating and stopping, to slapshots, chechs and saves. I think he even covered some of the thermo for making an ice rink.

Knuckleballers

[kalidasa]

Less on the physics than the effects of that physics, from the New Yorker last week; here's a general audience article on knuckleball physics, an interview with Robert K. Adair, and finally, another physicist, Joel Hollander, who works on baseball: if you look at the master's theses list, you'll see one on the physics of pitching.

Re:Baseball happens in the real world...

[strictnein]

Baseball is the "geekiest" of the 4 major (US) sports. The statistics tracked in baseball dwarf any other sport. Stat analysis is a integral part of baseball.

What other sport do you have stats like: Batting average with runners in scoring position, two outs, late innings, versus a right handed pitcher.

Baseball stats scream "geek".

Re:How to catch a fly ball

[Jonny Royale]

http://www.public.asu.edu/~mmcbeath/mcbeath.resear ch/CatchFly/CatchFly.html

or

http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathtrek_10_14_02.ht ml