Rounding the Bases Faster, With Math

An anonymous reader writes "The fastest route around the bases, mathematicians show, is one that perhaps no major-league ball player has ever run: It swings out a full 18.5 feet from the baseline, nearly forming a full circle. 'I would definitely experiment with it,' says former American Major League Baseball outfielder Doug Glanville, who last played with the Philadelphia Phillies. 'There's no question in my mind that runners could be more efficient.'"

Comments

Re:Hitting the brakes slows you down.

[coaxial]

If that really worked, everybody would be doing it already.

Tell that to Dick Fosbury.

The researcher seems to expect ball players to gamble with every such run, betting their play on what the researcher thinks is "almost certain".

If you've hit in the gap it's clear you're going to get a double. Everyone knows that.

That means that, while trying to hit the ball, the player must know the tactics and maximum speeds of all the opponent fielders. I don't think that's going to happen.

If only they had scouts and game film, and played like 162 games.

In all seriousness, you've never watched a sporting event at any level have you?