MythBusters Episode 83: Baseball Myths
Air Date: August 8, 2007
A baseball bat filled with cork can hit a baseball farther than a normal bat.
busted
This myth operates under the assumption that cork-filled bats can be swung faster because of their lighter weight, and that the springiness of the cork could propel the ball farther. To eliminate the human factor of the myth, Adam and Jamie constructed a special batting rig and used a pressurized air cannon to launch the baseball at it. Tests showed that the cannon could launch the ball 80 miles per hour, which is the average speed of most MLB pitches. Regulation bats could propel the ball away at 80mph while corked bats could only propel the ball 40mph, half the speed of regulation bats. The reason was because cork bats have less mass to transfer force into the ball, and the cork actually absorbs some of the ball’s impact. The Mythbusters concluded that using a cork filled bat will not improve your performance (it will in fact hurt it), and the major league batters who were caught using cork-filled bats risked their careers for nothing.
A dry baseball can be hit farther than a ball stored in a humid environment.
confirmed
The Build Team started off with a small scale test by dropping dry and humid balls from a certain height. The results showed that the dry balls tended to bounce higher than the humid balls. For the full scale test, the Grant built his own rig (dubbed “The Mad Batter”) that could both swing the bat and pitch the ball at the same time. They then tested the rig at a baseball field using humid balls, dry balls, and control balls stored in a normal environment. The results showed definitively that the dry balls were hit the farthest distance and the humid balls being hit the least distance.
A fast ball can lift itself higher into the air.
busted
Despite the testimony of some pitchers, the myth would defy the laws of physics because in order for a fast ball to actually rise, it must exert more force upward than its own weight. However, the maximum force a fast ball can exert is only half of its weight, making a rising fast ball impossible.
On bases that you can’t overrun, it is faster to slide into them.
confirmed
While a popular tactic used by baseball players, some speculate that sliding will actually slow a person down due to the friction being exerted between their bodies and the ground. With some coaching, the Build Team learned how to slide like baseball players. They then timed how long it would take to run to a base and slide to a base. The results showed that all Tory, Jamie, and Grant reached the base faster by sliding rather than running by several fractions of a second. The reason was because as they ran, the Tory, Jamie, and Grant had to slow down at the last second so that their momentum wouldn’t carry them past the base. With such definitive results, the Mythbusters agreed that sliding to a base is faster than running.
A baseball’s stitches can tear and the hide of the baseball will fall off if the baseball is thrown fast enough and hit hard enough.
busted
The Mythbusters modified their cork bat rig to fire the baseball at much higher speeds. It fired the ball at a static bat with speeds over 200mph, which is twice as fast as the fastest pitch ever recorded. However, the ball remained intact. The Mythbusters then fired the cannon at maximum power. The hide of the ball did come off, but the ball was fired at about 437mph, four times faster than any human could pitch.
Newer: Episode 84: Viewers’ Choice Special
Older: Episode 82: Snow Special
A fast ball can lift itself if it has a backspin on it. The backspin creates a low pressure above the ball so it will rise.
August 10, 2007 at 9:23 AMwith the cork bat, they tested the springiness portion of the myth, but didn’t do any tests to see if you could in fact swing the corked bat faster and if it could be sung faster, what effect that would have on the overall hit.
August 10, 2007 at 12:39 PMand have more time to aim
August 10, 2007 at 7:20 PMCorked bats deal with refraction time if you load a bat with lead the ball will go further if you load it with cork it has less refraction. This myth is also proved that while sammy sosa was a great hitter, he was also a supetsitious moron.
August 12, 2007 at 4:36 PMOh and the idea of a rising fastball mainly deals with the mound not the actual ball movement. It appears to rise because it just goes on a straighter path then so a slower pitch.
August 12, 2007 at 4:38 PMThe corked bat was done incorrectly.. The purpose is so the LONGER bat will SWING faster… if you watch the scale on the first swing.. the bat does get there faster.. they slowed it down.. RUINED the test.. THE BAT SWINGS FASTER THAN AN UNCORKED BAT.. that is the purpose.. needs to be REVISTED.
August 13, 2007 at 7:49 PMOf course it swings faster, it just doesn’t hit it further. In fact, much MUCH less.
Grab a lighter bat and you’ll have a better time than with a corked one.
Now… I really don’t care about Sammy’s old run-in with a corked bat. It really doesn’t help.
Thanks mythbusters :)
August 18, 2007 at 9:37 AMVery dissapointed in corked experiment. The object of corking the bat is to increase bat speed. Experiment was done with both bats being swunt at same speed. Experiment was totally flawed and results invalid
August 20, 2007 at 8:50 PMIf you can swing it faster you would still need swing the bat at 120 MPH just to equal the 80 MPH speed when the ball leaves the bat. and thats just a weak 80 MPH fastball most starters can throw upwards of 90-96 on average, so if you can swing the bat twice as fast THEN it helps but 120 MPH bat swing is not going to happen,
80 MPH pitch 60 MPH swing ball leaves at 40 MPH with cork.
80 MPH pitch 60 MPH swing ball leaves at 80 MPH without cork.
To equal the same results you need to double bat swing speed. I doubt you will swing at 120 MPH.
BUSTED.
August 22, 2007 at 2:12 AMi play baseball and one thing i noticed on the corked bat testing is that they did ot it the ball on the sweet spot of the bat like they did with the non corked bat…and believe me the ball will not go as far without that sweet spot hitting
August 23, 2007 at 11:22 AMAll the comments about bat speed are not quite complete just as the mythbusters looking distance of the batted ball. Bat control is the point.
First, get a bat perfectly suited to a particular batter and have their performance anylized over a number of at bats. Not just hits, but called strikes on half swings, plate coverage, number of pitches per at bat (In other words controlled foul balls.) Then give the batter a corked bat enhance to best reduce their weaknesses. If you measure the performance again you should get a measurable change.
Not all of it will improve, but perhaps a number of poor or average performance would decrease.
August 23, 2007 at 9:48 PMWhat I would really like to know would be if sliding feet first or head first into a base is faster.
August 25, 2007 at 1:23 PMThey screwed up the sliding one. It’s obvious sliding will be the better choice on bases you CAN’T overrun. It is faster and it is used to ADVOID A TAG. What should have been done is whether sliding head first into first is faster than running into first. I hate how they put some myths to the test without checking to see if it’s the right thing to test.
August 27, 2007 at 4:08 PMHaving a corked bat is all about bat speed. Who cares how hard a pitcher is throwing, if you can create more bat speed as a hitter you are going to out peform a hitter that has slow bat speed. Hitting is all about bat speed and getting the bat through the zone.
August 27, 2007 at 6:03 PMAll these comments just go to show that you can bust a myth and people will still refuse to believe it if they’re invested in it.
September 4, 2007 at 7:17 PMFirst of all I would like yo say this was a good episode…
Secondly, many people think that a cork bat will make the ball go farther or faster but in reality it has nothing to do with the cork, its all about the weight of the bat. A cork bat will make the ball go farther because it makes the bat lighter. Wouldnt it just be easier and a lot more legal just to buy a lighter bat.
It will have the same effect and you wont get in any trouble for it!!
September 9, 2007 at 3:47 PMI would like to know if a pitcher throws a slow ball instead of a fater one; how would the ball rebound with a slow ball speed and not go as far?
September 14, 2007 at 1:37 PMWhat this proves is that people love technical bull$hit. Mythsbusters! Pah! Idiotmakers is what they are. Who cares if you can do this or do that according to a few morons who’ve never played the game except in gym class. Or if this or that happens…whatever. Are you all a bunch of fat d!ldos?
September 25, 2007 at 2:53 PMYeah, mythbusters and the rising fastball…whoopee! How fun! Go play ball or play with yourself. These guys are losers…even the girl’s a loser. Why are you watching what you should be doing? They created a hitting machine…holy money. Look at what they spend to get you to watch their cr@phole antics. They are fa@@ots and you become a fa@@ot by watching them do their fa@@ot stuff.
September 25, 2007 at 2:58 PMThe corked bat was done completly incorect. The corked bat can swing faster givin it more bat speed wich inturn cancles out the resistance of the cork and when the ball hits the bat the bat is moving much faster givin the ball more velocity inturn making it travlr farther. Like katlynn sid the it has nothing to do with the cork it has everything to do with the bat speed. The faster the bat swings, the harder u hit the ball, the farther it flies. This myth has to be revied bigtime and i meen taking the hole thing throwing it out the window and starting from scrach. The best way to start is to get a major leger to swing a regulation bat and then have him swing a corked bat and find the diferance in velocity between the too then take your rig put it in an actual field(so you can see how far the ball travels) have the ball come out at 85 miles an hour(the average speed of a fartball) and set the reaction time so that bolth bats hit the ball in the sweet spot(barrel or power section of the bat)and you will find that the corked bat will hit the ball much farther. This mith like i said befor has to be completel revised because you can swing a corked bat faster
September 29, 2007 at 7:15 PMPlease retest the baserunning to have them run through the bag as apposed to sliding into it,I believe that is the question people are asking. Also can you test the issue does warming up with a donut on your bat increase your bat speed when you take it off. P.S. Can you also design some sort of protective harness before the guys go sliding again, they are more likely to get hurt doing that then all the other dangerous things they do. pretty funny to watch
September 30, 2007 at 5:05 AMAbout the corked bat. They don’t always use cork, most of the time they use super balls, whole, or ground up. That way it puts more spring in the bat.
September 30, 2007 at 10:35 AMThe rising fastball myth is not whether or not the ball is thrown fast enough, but instead the amount of spin that you put on the ball. Totally need to revisit this one. you want motion you need spin!
October 9, 2007 at 11:00 PMThe rising fastball myth is not whether or not the ball is thrown fast enough, but instead the amount of spin that you put on the ball. Totally need to revisit this one. you want motion you need spin! trust me I’m a catcher and i work with my pitcher all the time on spin.
October 9, 2007 at 11:02 PMThe reason some hits become homeruns and others are an easily caught fly ball has less to do with the speed of the ball or bat as it does with what part of the bat hits the ball. This is simply physics. The “sweet spot” on the bat delivers nearly 100% of the torque to the ball. The further from the sweet spot that the ball hits the bat, the more force is absorbed through the batter’s hands. The purpose of the corked bat is to enlarge the area of the bat that makes up the sweet spot thereby increasing the chances of delivering maximum force to the ball. Thet mythbusters didn’t control for what part of the bat hit the ball.
October 15, 2007 at 8:42 PMNewton’s Second Law states that:
October 15, 2007 at 11:22 PMForce = Mass*Acceleration
By this thinking one would assume that if you could accelerate a light bat faster than a heavy one thereby creating more force. But is the loss of mass offset by the increase in acceleration? After all wrecking balls move very slowly, but generate a lot of force in comparison to a 100 mph fastball! I wonder how fast you need to swing the bat in order to compensate for the loss of mass. I think there is a book called the Physics of Baseball that the Mythbusters might want to check out before revisiting these myths.
The corked bat result needs more work. I could see that the ball was not being struck on the sweet spot of the corked bat. It was hit off the end. The sweet spot is further from the end than one might think. The bat will not vibrate as much on contact and launch speed will be higher.
October 15, 2007 at 11:44 PMI think someone mentioned earlier that during the corked bat test, the bat did not excellerate through the ball, which is what every great hitter does. It’s increased bat speed, but continued through the zone. Also, using a smaller bat can increase bat speed, but can a corked bat give more bat speed, but with the same force ? The ball does not know the bat is corked. If this makes any sense. Most major leaguers user smaller and lighter bats. The same could be said for slow pitch softball. Make good contact and accellerate the bat speed after contact through the zone and the ball will go further. Also, they said the average MLB pitch is 80 mph. This would mean that there are equal amounts of 60 mph pitches and 100 mph pitchers. In the home run derby, they toss the ball in there easy and they hit it a ton, so the mph might not matter that much. If these myth busters ever picked up a ball or read a box score once in a while it could have been better. They are just nerds. Don’t expect too much. This shows what a freak of nature Babe Ruth was. Ruth swung a big, heavy bat, and he accellerated through the ball. he hit the longest balls on record. Bill Jenkinsen’s book on the babe is a great read. Well researched.
October 16, 2007 at 12:41 AMok the reason why the science on this episode is flawed is pure physics. the whole premise behind a corked bat is that it is lighter, allowing it to be swung with more velocity. i’m sure that more goes into it than this, but kinetic energy = .5 * mass * velocity^2. when mass increases, kinetic energy increases at a linear rate. when velocity is increased, KE increases exponentially. it’s just math. so when they conducted the controlled experiment where velocity was kept constant, i knew before it even happened that the corked bat would be outperformed by the heavier bat. that was pretty obvious. i can’t really say whether the increase in swing speed can really make that much of a difference in kinetic energy, but a lighter bat gives the player better swing control, and more importantly, a psychological advantage.
October 16, 2007 at 12:06 PMI was wondering about a hollow bat. Instaed of filling with cork or another substance just leave it hollow. That would also reduce the weight of the bat and risk of infraction.
October 17, 2007 at 11:25 AMFast hands are key to hitting the long ball. With a corked bat, which is lighter then a regular wooden bat, will obviously speed the head of the bat up, causing more force behind it, driving towards the ball, with a lot more force. This will make the ball go farther and move a lot quicker.
October 19, 2007 at 4:13 PMI agree with Terry’s comment on Sept. 30. It is obvious that it is better to slide if you are trying to stop at a base. The question has always been about 1st base since you can run through it without stopping. That is what should have been tested. Whether it is better to run through first base or slide in.
October 25, 2007 at 2:45 PMOkay, several problems, here.
1.) ball rotation: yes, yes, it is impossible to actually lift the ball against gravity, sure. But one should keep in mind that a pitcher is used to what a thrown ball should look like. A faster ball will, obviously, fall less than a slower ball when making its way to the glove.
But for the purpose of this myth, one should remember we’re mostly interested in rotation; and we should remember the optical expectation of the pitcher. Can the rotation become enough that the ball floats above the pitcher’s expectation? Can the rotation raise it above the normal arc?
I think the most probable answer is, “yes.” This would give the illusion, to the pitcher, that the ball was rising; since he’s used to seeing it go a particular way, and, suddenly, the ball is higher than where it should be; thus, the “rise” effect. I’d love to see the test done to verify THIS effect.
2.) The corked bat has several problems.
Yes, the kinetic energy is reduced, since the bat has less mass*acceleration to transfer to the ball; reduce the mass, and the power transferred is less. Even if the bat is swung faster, the kinetic throughput–the amount of kinetic energy actually transferred–will be smaller, as the bat will be slowed down faster, and some energy will be lost to starting inertia. The bat will “bounce back” sooner. The velocity will have to be so much higher to overcome this, the bat would, I think, break, before it could be done.
However, for putting the energy correctly into the ball, the lighter bat does have several advantages.
These advantages have to do with accuracy. The increased speed of the bat will, somewhat, overcome the energy transfer disadvantage…I guess, maybe, 1/3 of the loss from mass will be overcome by the speed increase. Assuming human speeds.
But most of the advantages of the cork bat will be due to accuracy. Yes, accessing the “sweet spot” easier will help. We’ll call that, Item a. Additionally, hitting the ball more often will be, theoretically, possible; call that item b.
Now, putting your body behind the swing may be able to overcome some of the lower weight disadvantage; I don’t know, though.
However, increased accuracy from being able to support the bat, easier, can also–in theory–allow you to adjust the arc of your fly ball; as we all know, the better the arc, the more distance you can get from the same velocity. We can call that Item c.
With all that going for us, it is theoretically possible to get better distance with a lighter bat. This assumes you’ve trained enough that you are able to get more stroke efficiency from your lighter bat.
Otherwise, the heavier bat (assuming the same length; the longer bat wins here, too) will give you the most power available.
As for Item d., we should keep in mind that a swung item may “flex,” and a flexed bat will swing slower at the beginning, and faster at the end. Check out the physics of graphite rods used in golf clubs. A more “whippy” bat will end up subtracting, then adding, speed to the end of your bat. This net-zero effect can be optimized if you hit the ball during the “adding” time. Think of the difference between being having a rubber band thrown at you, and being “snapped” by one. We’ll call (theoretical) elastic enhancement Item d., and say that it can pertain to a number of possible constructions, and may not apply, here. Perhaps a graphite- or fiberglass-cored bat, though….
Again, in theory (but theory that golf club manufacturers use all the time). Longer bat means more torque; heavier bat means more power, and harder bat (assuming a non-absorptive surface and ground material; there are some special composites that will actually remove energy from collisions) means more elasticity in your collision, which means more of the available power is transferred to the ball. Elastic construction also a big plus.
This is one of the reasons I don’t like any bat that “vibrates” when you hit the ball (like those aluminum bats); that means that some of the energy of your swing is being lost into creating the vibration. You’re getting less-than-perfect efficiency in energy transfer. Ticks me off.
October 27, 2007 at 3:27 PMif corking a bat didnt didnt help in fact yall said it made it worse but anyway if it was worse why would it be ilegal they didnt make the rule for nothin and just like everyone else its all about weight
October 29, 2007 at 4:28 PMwhat flies farther a baseball or a softball?
October 30, 2007 at 6:44 PMHey guys I watched the “corked Bat” Episode. just wanted to let yall know that when somebody says a “Corked Bat” it is not real cork…we normally use super balls or if the bat is metal we use racket balls…drill out about a foot into the bat and throw about 8 little 25 cent balls also known as super balls into it then put the top back on…that’s how Sammy Sosa got busted….just thought you would like to know…love the show keep up the great work
November 1, 2007 at 5:39 PMJust so you guys know, all of you who said that the corked bat experiment was done wrong are idiots. The only problem is they didn’t explain well enough what they found. In scientific testing, it doesnt matter if the bat is moving or the ball is moving or if they’re both moving. It’s all about relative velocities. And for the fact that a corked bat can be swung faster, it has been shown that it has about a 3 percent effect on swing speed. So instead of swinging it at 60 miles per hour, you could swing at 61.8 miles per hour. Do you honestly thing that it this 1.8 mph difference could make up for the 40 mph difference in batted ball speed shown when the corked and wood bats are swung at the same speed. In all honesty, a corked bat will help your contact, but it will decrease your power. End of story.
November 28, 2007 at 5:08 PMBaseball Myths – A baseball’s stitches can tear and the hide of the baseball will fall off if the baseball is thrown fast enough and hit hard enough.
busted – What about the variables ? 100 m ph pitch 100mph bat swing = 200mph . That is about the max one could expect in the real world roughly ! Age of the Ball ? End of innings ? After how many contacts with those impact figures – Across the gravel how many times – etc etc – I have seen it happen to a well aged baseball and aged cricket ball – Pro level you probably find they do not let there balls get in that condition – How can this so simple a truth be dismissed so easily – It make it look like the least time you spend with ball sports the better – Never mind that was the stated facts too – How could you miss the obvious ? Science is about facts ! Maybe I have it wrong and Mythbusters is a comedy show ?
December 3, 2007 at 9:39 AMuse tok mince
December 14, 2007 at 4:45 PMI’m also not satisfied with the cork experiment. One question I have is, what are they calling speed? Any body rotating about an axis will have a different speeds everywhere, that is, the handle of the bat is moving much slower than the tip of the bat. As has been mentioned before, the advantage of the cork could be that you can use a longer bat that you can still swing, thus gaining alot of speed at the tip of the bat, near the sweet spot.
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ffjhfbhfrharsigjtuijijijreoijeoiriorjiiiiiiiiiifgjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr mvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvelopppppppppppppppppppppppuvnutttttttttttttttttttttttskyking162 » Blog Archive » Rising Fastballs
[…] less than a pitch without as much backspin. If you want conclusive proof, there’s a great Mythbusters that investigates a number of baseball myths, including the rising fastball. Roger Clemens even […]
August 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM skyking162 » Blog Archive » Rising Fastballs
[…] less than a pitch without as much backspin. If you want conclusive proof, there’s a great Mythbusters that investigates a number of baseball myths, including the rising fastball. Roger Clemens even […]
August 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM skyking162 » Blog Archive » Rising Fastballs
[…] less than a pitch without as much backspin. If you want conclusive proof, there’s a great Mythbusters that investigates a number of baseball myths, including the rising fastball. Roger Clemens even […]
August 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM tskyking162 » Blog Archive » Rising Fastballs
[…] less than a pitch without as much backspin. If you want conclusive proof, there’s a great Mythbusters that investigates a number of baseball myths, including the rising fastball. Roger Clemens even […]
August 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttutuutututttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyyyjkl,/
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[urtttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttskyking162 » Blog Archive » Rising Fastballs
[…] less than a pitch without as much backspin. If you want conclusive proof, there’s a great Mythbusters that investigates a number of baseball myths, including the rising fastball. Roger Clemens even […]
August 28, 2007 at 12:00 PM fjofgiuthdrhfghertiuyhgiutygiughutughguoguuuirurffvjffhhjgjhgjikfjkkdkdkdkldkgjkfjvffgkjugosdyeyhguogyhoudhgsjkhgonhujhhohjgoifdjhojohjsksldjhkjhdjhdkljhkldjfkkdhjnjghdjhfjkhgdfjghkjfhjhhfhghjfsdhhfhfhjfgjhfhhfhfdnfnbfbnbfdsbbcbcbhrghhrehhgdgffgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggfghgfdkjjsklfkgb kokbvjifdghfgjfhgjfhghjhjhgtrjfghfhjtghtuiyughigughihgiuhiuhuhuiyuhhuuhuhihiuhiuhuihiuhuihiuhiuhhhhhhhhhhhjhjhjhjjhjhjhhjjhjhhhhhhhhhhhhhghvfgijrdhgsfdjtugfhtuhbgudcghyvncbghnxdjhscvy3vcxjfuv3vuvgbubvytgotygurrty48095uy90e7uy09u784bvjn v juc ujxj jcudgubngbrub9rtufyhj
December 24, 2007 at 7:21 AMhow agreas with comants
December 24, 2007 at 7:22 AMwho agreas
December 24, 2007 at 7:22 AMcan you put helium in a basketball and it be lighter then a reguler basketball
January 1, 2008 at 10:36 AMA few years ago I played a league fast pitch softball. I do not know about a baseball, but our fast pitch softball pitcher could consistantly get the ball to rise between the mound and Home.
January 1, 2008 at 3:04 PMAgree with Jimmy. This sliding vs standing up myth would have been better demonstrated at first base. How many times have we seen a Major Leaguer slide into first base on a close play? Should be revisited using first base.
January 3, 2008 at 7:41 AMi need to know how to build an easy batting rig. could you tell me? that would be great. thanks!!!
January 14, 2008 at 5:16 PMThe problem with the whole baseball episode was the obvious inexperience all the investigators have playing baseball.
If you don’t understand the question you are asking than how can you answer it?
Ever seen a Golf Ball rise?
February 3, 2008 at 3:53 PMI saw your episode on using cork to inhance the power of the bat.You should have taken it one more step forward.Try howling the bat from handel to front end of
February 4, 2008 at 11:18 PMthe bat.I would sugust about 16 OZ of liquid Mercury to start. By the time the batter gets his full swing the liquid would produce abount 20 additional pounds of force on the incomming ball. We did it when we were kids. (lots of home runs)I have a lot of other mythbusters where you cut your self short.Hope to hear from all of you Joel Heipp
How can Mythbusters say that the outrunning the base theory was busted when it was inconclusive. If fact I thought it was sloppy work. Considering the fact that they had to slow down to try to hit the base. If that was 1st base or home base the runner would not stop. You need to make adjustments to the trigger system in the bases so that the runner dosen’t have to slow down so much. With this handycap it is no wonder the slide is more successful. It is quite possible that the slide is faster than the run, but unless you can conduct your experiments without conclusive proof, you cannot really say that it is busted.
February 9, 2008 at 5:33 AMIm not complaining, but the myth about a fastball rising is possible. If you put enough spin on the ball, the wind and other elements would lift the ball depending on how much spin you put on it. I am a pitcher and i have managed to accomplish this a few times :)
February 10, 2008 at 11:18 AMHaving looked at the physics of a baseball, have you considered the even more complicated physics of a cricket ball? Not so popular in the US, but the interaction of the ball with the pitch means that the aerodynamics of the ball change over time, and the circumferential seam affects the interaction of the ball with the air and with the pitch. Incidentally, there was an incident in the 1980s where one player used an aluminium bat which was later banned, but most authorities think that (like the cork bat) it would actually make one’s batting performance worse.
February 22, 2008 at 8:18 AMWow, Cococrip. Why the anger and hatred? According to you, the Mythbusters are a bunch of losers, and we’re losers for watching them. Oh enlightened Cococrip, what should we watch? Soap operas, or Jerry Springer? Maybe we should tune in to Maury for the hundredth time to find out who fathered some poor woman’s child?
February 25, 2008 at 4:11 AMwow, cococrip why the anger and hatred? Oh enlightened Cococrip, what should we watch instead of mythbusters? Soap operas or Jerry Springer?
February 25, 2008 at 5:14 AMYou mth busters are great… you take little questions and turn them into huge responses. to all who think that yall are dumb or whatever… lets see them get off their fat butts and try what you do themsleves. thanx mythbusters you rock :)
March 5, 2008 at 4:20 PMa rising fastball is possible for some, but it depends on how you throw it, if thrown overhand or 3/4 wether its plus or minus, the exsesive backspin will cause a little jump right after the realease, because its imposible to make it rise after the ball is on the way to the plate. if thrown underhand or submarine the ball will rise like softball pitches.
March 10, 2008 at 6:32 PMHaving been a baseball catcher for 35 years, and have played baseball with players from all skill levels. I have seen fastballs rise. The same physics as a slider or a curve, apply to a fastball. Location of the fingers on the seams of the ball and speed of rotation. Rotation of the ball causes lower pressure below the ball causing lift. Sideways spin on the ball causes it to move left or right depending upon the direction of the spin.
April 28, 2008 at 8:40 AMI have no idea how some people are still questioning the corked bat theory, the ball will not go farther cause there was less density in the bat but the bat will go faster. So just use a lighter bat, it’s legal. Saw someone say as well that softballs rise not just baseballs. They don’t casue in softball its how the ball is coming out(underhand) that give it that illusion. Baseballs don’t rise either it’s all just a product of illusion. Durrrrrr
May 13, 2008 at 10:32 AMThey really screwed up the corked bat myth.
The really important factor here is kinetic energy – and mass only affects this linearly, while velocity does exponentially.
For example, if the corked bat’s weight was exactly 1/2 the weight of the standard bat, the batter would only have to increase the bat speed by 40% (which is not unreasonable, considering it’s significantly easier to swing) to compensate for the decrease in mass.
1/2*mass_orig*vel_orig^2 =
1/2 * (1/2 * mass_orig) * vel_cork^2
vel_orig^2 = 1/2 vel_cork^2
sqrt(2) * vel_orig = vel_cork
vel_cork / vel_orig = 1.41 –> 40% faster
So let’s say the batter can swing 50% faster – the ball would have 10% greater velocity, and thereby go farther.
It’s trivial physics!
July 28, 2008 at 2:33 PMThe hide coming off of a baseball is wrong because I’ve had it happen to me. I hit the ball and it ripped along the stitches and when it hit the ground the hide totally came off of the insides.
September 26, 2008 at 9:27 PMFastpitch softball pitchers routinely throw a riser.
When I pitched baseball I had a tailing fastball that came up and in on right handed batters. Not an illusion, the backspin clearly has an effect.
September 29, 2008 at 8:44 PMGive the Mythbusters a break. They’re special effects experts, not scientists.
Anyone who believes everything they see on television is a moron.
September 30, 2008 at 6:25 AMYou can’t trust your eyes on the rising fastball. That’s why they’re called “optical illusions,” because you interpret what you see as different from the reality. The backspin, which creates the Magnus effect, keeps the ball aloft, but there’s not enough spin on the ball to create enough upward force greater than the weight. I didn’t see this particular episode, but all you need to do is get a pitcher who allegedly throws a rising fastball (overhand or 3/4) and track the ball’s arc using high speed cameras. The ball doesn’t gain height.
If you don’t trust the Mythbusters, then at least trust the physicists who all claim it’s impossible. Or, find a more scientific demonstration (as I suggested) that tracks the ball’s arc.
November 12, 2008 at 5:51 PMthey elimated the human factor in this expiriment, heavier bats only hit the ball farther up to one point, if you have a fast swing like major leager, then a corked bat is for you its simple math if you just hold out a corked bats like the MYTHBUSTER IDIOTS DID then of coarse then the ball will go farther on a heavier but not when swung really fast
March 12, 2009 at 4:32 PMYOU ARE ALL TOTAL IDIOTS GO HOME ITS SNOWING AT YOUR HOUSE JUMP OUT THE WINDOW AND RUN HOME YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS IF YOU THINK THAT THESE MYTHBUSTERS PEOPLE R RIGHT
I remember reading somewhere that an MIT student put small dimples in a bat like a golf ball and he could hit a ball 20% further. This was due to less air drag on the bat just like a golf ball. It also did not significantly reduce the mass of the bat so you could basically swing the same bat faster.
March 15, 2009 at 1:09 AM“While a popular tactic used by baseball players, some speculate that sliding will actually slow a person down due to the friction being exerted between their bodies and the ground.”
No one who has ever played or watched baseball thinks this and no one who does neither would think of it. This isn’t right. It’s not even wrong. The only sliding controversy ever has been about sliding into first.
As for the cork thing, yes, lighter bats don’t hit as hard at the same swing speed, but there’s one big advantage to swinging more quickly: more time to figure out if it’s a pitch you should swing at.
The covers of baseballs do get knocked off, but it’s exceedingly unlikely to happen to a new ball. Go get some practice balls from a high school team and try those.
Really, how is it possible that A) the Mythbusters never played baseball B) the build team never played baseball C) no one on the production crew ever played baseball? How hard would it have been to run these by one of the hundred million Americans who knows the basics of the national pastime?
May 9, 2009 at 4:17 PMI agree with Jeff’s comments
You can’t trust your eyes on the rising fastball. That’s why they’re called “optical illusions,” because you interpret what you see as different from the reality. The backspin, which creates the Magnus effect, keeps the ball aloft, but there’s not enough spin on the ball to create enough upward force greater than the weight. I didn’t see this particular episode, but all you need to do is get a pitcher who allegedly throws a rising fastball (overhand or 3/4) and track the ball’s arc using high speed cameras. The ball doesn’t gain height.
If you don’t trust the Mythbusters, then at least trust the physicists who all claim it’s impossible. Or, find a more scientific demonstration (as I suggested) that tracks the ball’s arc.
Way back in the 70’s early 80’s on the tonight show with Jhonny Carsson, a guy was invited to the show, and he showed using a transparent box with a wind tunnel, don’t remember the wind speed they used, but he put different balls on a very sensible gadget that made them spin very fast backwards, and the only ball that rises was the golf ball, and he mentioned that was because of the dimples, now I would like for the program to do the same and assure the seams are correctly orientated using a wind speed 90 mph or greather, and also do the testing that Jeff was suggesting using a background wall with lines and using a high speed camera to see the arc go up instead of down as all of my friends say it raises before reaching home plate, also using the correct 60 feet distance used in softball.
May 9, 2009 at 10:11 PMSuggested revisit:
Corked bat – most players use superballs in wood bats and racketballs in metal bats, not actual cork.
Sliding – main issue should be tested at first…is it faster to run through first or slide? Next, is it faster to slide head first or feet first (this is constantly debated on baseball diamonds)? No one player has ever questioned whether it is faster to slide rather than slow down at a base you can’t run through.
Would love to see this one revisited…
June 15, 2009 at 2:53 PMI have long time played baseball, but now i am a certificated baseball coach. I agre with your article, you provided some good points for later discussions.
October 25, 2009 at 5:05 AMI can guarantee you that NO softball riseball pitcher will EVER let a high speed camera PROVE that his/her pitch does not curve upward. They don’t want to be busted. The fact is, they release at a lower point and throw a ball that initially goes from a lower point to a higher point on a straight trajectory….then it begins to decline. Put her at 43 feet, throwing at 65mph, and it sure looks like it’s jumping, but it isn’t. The grip and release are used to keep the point of release low. The spin doesn’t do a damn thing. A 10 yr. old can throw an “angle” rise, and guess what? They are all angle rises, but like I said, Jennie Finch will NEVER submit to a high speed camera test, because it’s important to keep the myth alive…go figure…
November 12, 2009 at 4:07 PMThat is crap if u say a softball pitch rose. aint no dern way and we r talkin about baseball not the sissy little sport softball. and yea a cork bat goes faster but it dont hit harder, if i hit you with a car at ten miles an hour and a penny at 100 which would hurt worse
January 7, 2010 at 4:45 PMI agree with Gordon on the sliding.
Where did they come up with the Myth of sliding vs. running? As Gordon said, the only controversy has been with sliding into first. When you slide into second your body slows down on its own without consciously doing it. This makes it easier to stop yourself. When you run the ground isn’t there to stop you and you consciously have to do it.
When you slide or run into first base you don’t have to stop. So the Myth has always been if over running first base is faster than diving head first into first base.
January 8, 2010 at 1:41 PMMR. Busters, can you retest on this base? The rules are completely different.