Mythbusters

[timwakefield 68]

A ball which is fouled straight back may actually travel at a higher velocity than it traveled when it was first pitched. Myth or truth?Feel free as well to post any other baseball myths you know. We might need to get LLY in here for this one.

[DCJ001 0]

A ball which is fouled straight back may actually travel at a higher velocity than it traveled when it was first pitched. Myth or truth?

Myth.

[showstopper24 0]

There are 216 stiches on a baseball.I actually want to know the answer to this. I have heard that there are 216 stiches, but I am not sure and have never counted.

[PMJackson21 0]

There are 216 stiches on a baseball.I actually want to know the answer to this. I have heard that there are 216 stiches, but I am not sure and have never counted.

There are 108 double stitches, so yes, 216.

[WKTSWAY 0]

They already had a show on this (baseball myths). Don't now if you could think of enough for a whole other show.

[timwakefield 68]

Yeah, I just wanted to know about the foul ball going backwards. Dane declared me busted though .

[aadams_22 3]

I can't remember enough of college physics to answer this correctly. However, something tells me that if a fastball with downward spin (pretty typical) is thrown and then hit by a bat in such a way that it exaggerates the same spin on the ball then I would think that it is possible for it to speed up. Since the mechanics of a four seam fastball rely mainly on the spin to cause the air to hit all four "flat" surfaces of the ball (reducing air resistance), instead of the amount of force put on it by the pitcher, then I would think that an exaggerated spin would in fact cause it to speed up if only for a second.I could be wrong here, so don't quote me on this.

[jeff_536 3]

Any object acted upon by an outside force travelling in a different direction is going to slow down. There's not a chance in hell a straight-back foul speeds up.

[aadams_22 3]

Any object acted upon by an outside force travelling in a different direction is going to slow down. There's not a chance in hell a straight-back foul speeds up.

true in most cases, but there is always more than meets the eyethink of the airplane on a conveyor belt...the conveyor belt puts an equal but opposite force on the tires of the plane, but the plane is still able to take off

[DCJ001 0]

true in most cases, but there is always more than meets the eyethink of the airplane on a conveyor belt...the conveyor belt puts an equal but opposite force on the tires of the plane, but the plane is still able to take off

I've never seen a baseball with a jet engine on it.And, if there were one, it would be extremely difficult to get a piece of it with a bat.

[aadams_22 3]

I've never seen a baseball with a jet engine on it.And, if there were one, it would be extremely difficult to get a piece of it with a bat.

the jet engine is irrelevant since a force opposite but equal to the force of the jet is being applied to the tires by the conveyorit has everything to do with the dynamic properties of the ball (drag and air flow with respect to rotation of the seams of the ball)

[timwakefield 68]

Any object acted upon by an outside force travelling in a different direction is going to slow down.

In a vacuum. My whole "theory" is that it speeds up because of the added spin, which causes it to cut through the air faster, and the amount that the bat slowed it down is negligible because it barely made contact. I'm not saying I believe this, but this is the 'myth.'

[aadams_22 3]

In a vacuum. My whole "theory" is that it speeds up because of the added spin, which causes it to cut through the air faster, and the amount that the bat slowed it down is negligible because it barely made contact. I'm not saying I believe this, but this is the 'myth.'

wow, I was spot on in my assumptionmaybe I remember more from college than I give myself credit for

[timwakefield 68]

wow, I was spot on in my assumptionmaybe I remember more from college than I give myself credit for

Hehe, well that's just what I made up in my head so don't pat yourself on the back yet . I definitely didn't 'create' the myth - I've heard it before and that's why I asked about it, but my little science breakdown is totally made up, and just my theory on why it could be true.

[aadams_22 3]

Hehe, well that's just what I made up in my head so don't pat yourself on the back yet . I definitely didn't 'create' the myth - I've heard it before and that's why I asked about it, but my little science breakdown is totally made up, and just my theory on why it could be true.

from what I remember you theory is pretty close to true, and was the exact same thing I was thinkingexaggerating the spin on the ball should create a more violent reaction with respect to air flow (Bernoulli) and cause it to go faster

[timwakefield 68]

from what I remember you theory is pretty close to true, and was the exact same thing I was thinkingexaggerating the spin on the ball should create a more violent reaction with respect to air flow (Bernoulli) and cause it to go faster

Sounds good to me. Let's get LLY in here and see if we're right .

[jeff_536 3]

In a vacuum. My whole "theory" is that it speeds up because of the added spin, which causes it to cut through the air faster, and the amount that the bat slowed it down is negligible because it barely made contact. I'm not saying I believe this, but this is the 'myth.'

you're wrong. the ball isn't moving fast enough for those principals to take over. There used to by a myth about a shortstop one hopping a throw to first base..that it would get there faster because of the topspin. Umm...no. You throw a ball on the ground, it slows down. You hit a ball with a bat and the ball continues in the same direction, it slows down.

[MDXS 0]

There used to by a myth about a shortstop one hopping a throw to first base..that it would get there faster because of the topspin.

That's a weird one because a ball thrown anything like a fastball would have backspin on it.

[timwakefield 68]

OK here's another myth - diving headfirst into first base is slower than running it out. Obviously people love to dive on close plays, and I've heard lots of people say that it is apparently slower than running it out.

[king1305 0]

OK here's another myth - diving headfirst into first base is slower than running it out. Obviously people love to dive on close plays, and I've heard lots of people say that it is apparently slower than running it out.

Well, from what I've always been taught this is true. The reasoning behind it was that in order to dive, you are slowing down and changing the way you are getting there instead of keeping your momentum/motion going forward and continuing on through the base. I was taught that the only time(s) to slide into first were on an errant throw that drew the first baseman off the bag so as to avoid the tag.Sliding, while looking cooler, actually impedes your getting to first base.

[PMJackson21 0]

Well, from what I've always been taught this is true. The reasoning behind it was that in order to dive, you are slowing down and changing the way you are getting there instead of keeping your momentum/motion going forward and continuing on through the base. I was taught that the only time(s) to slide into first were on an errant throw that drew the first baseman off the bag so as to avoid the tag.Sliding, while looking cooler, actually impedes your getting to first base.

The only reason to slide I find semi-reasonable other then the example you gave, was something I heard Omar Visquel say. He basically said in some cases he slides at first to hopefully confuse the umpire into thinking he is safe on close plays.The best comment, I can't recall who said it (prob an on air guy), I've heard was that they would start thinking sliding at first was faster when they saw Olympic sprinters sliding at the finish line.

[Tactical Bear 3]

OK here's another myth - diving headfirst into first base is slower than running it out. Obviously people love to dive on close plays, and I've heard lots of people say that it is apparently slower than running it out.

Yeah, there's no way diving speeds you up. You have to get your hands DOWN. The only benefit is that you'll be very likely to avoid a tag. In some situations it's probably correct, but very, very rarely.

[DCJ001 0]

A baseball Mythbusters just started 3 minutes ago.

[TMoneyBags 0]

ha, Im currently watching it

[Swift_Psycho 1]

A baseball Mythbusters just started 3 minutes ago.

ha, Im currently watching it

Any good ones revealed?