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.
MR. Busters, can you retest on this base? The rules are completely different.

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…

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.

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?