Anybody watch Sports Science?

[Vegasdad]

On the Fox sports channel Sunday night. The age old question of softball pitching versus baseball. They had this college pitcher throwing 95 against a plexiglass thing that measured force. He threw about five or so pitches into it. Then Jennie Finch steps up and on the first pitch, shatters the thing! Hilarious

[BIG PAPA 18]

Saw that too. Jenny Shatered It First Pitch..! Funny...

[Tucson]

That has been around on Youtube for awhile. I didn't pay too much attention to the comments about it, but some said that what ever had hit the plexiglass next was going to shatter it. There were other comments that said that the tape had been edited, too. But I really don't remember the particulars. Some said that he was a non starting college player.

It is a fun clip, though.

[wadeintothem]

Baseballs hit harder than softballs, and I've been hit hard by both at very high level ball. I have seen the Utube thing. Great promo.. but a little misleading IMO. Thats just my humble opinion. But softballs can clean you up good! No doubt about that. I buy and wear the best baseball equipment to work softball, but there is a reason many (dumb) umpires or even male FP catchers dont wear much/any equipment (other than a mask).. you wont see that in baseball.

[wadeintothem]

"But softballs can clean you up good!"

I had the "pleasure" of experiencing a cleaning this weekend warming up a pitcher. Good thing DW keeps the jewels in her purse.

Hey, wanna see something funny.. this is my son umpiring his first year (he's off in the Army now, so all your 18G's are once again safe from this evil boy)



I never could break him of the habit, he would tell me "Youre old and dont need them anymore, I'm protecting mine."

[Tucson]

I have never seen a backstop made out of concrete block. Note the concrete corner in your picture.

[Sftbll4ever]

"But softballs can clean you up good!"

I had the "pleasure" of experiencing a cleaning this weekend warming up a pitcher. Good thing DW keeps the jewels in her purse.

ROFLMAO

Classic!!!

[Bretman]

I've seen the video several times. While entertaining, the "science" is sorely lacking.

My professional background is in engineering. I've had lots of experience in calculating how things break, bend and deform (failure analysis). Here's my take on the video and the shattering plexiglass.

Notice that all of the strikes by the baseball hit just about in the center of the plexiglass. It flexes and bends, but does not break. That is an expected result, as plexiglass can withstand a good deal of bending stress.

Now, watch the one where Jennie breaks the thing. The ball hits off-center, right along a metal bracket that the glass is mounted to. That the ball hit near a fixed point would result in more of a shear stress than a bending stress. Plexiglass cannot withstand nearly as much shear as bending.

If you've ever cut glass or plexiglass, the way you do it is to score the glass, then place something near the score and snap it off. That takes advantage of the natural properies of glass- it's inability to withstand shearing stress.

Now there's some real science for ya!

Instead, the experiment essentially failed, so instead of fixing the equipment and performing the test again, the program simply concluded that the softball had more force behind it. Bad science!

Besides all that, the formula for calculating kinetic energy would tell anyone that the faster moving baseball would have to generate more force, despite the slightly higher mass of the softball.

While the "science" was lacking, I will have to admit that anything with Jennie Finch does have a high entertainment factor!

[pitchslap]

I couldn't tell you whether a baseball or softball hits harder. I can tell you that a softball hits pretty hard, especially in the eye. Two emegency room doctors, three optimologists and my optomologcal surgeon would tend to agree.

[Martin]

I couldn't tell you whether a baseball or softball hits harder.

No doubt, both baseballs and softballs hit pretty hard. To answer your question as to which hits harder, swing by an 18U travel baseball team and see how many coaches warm up the pitchers while wearing no protection and/or sitting on a bucket.

I've been brave enough to warm up fastpitch hurlers (with a fastball around 65mph) wearing no protection. It takes a LOT of concentration and I'd prefer to at least have a helmet on, but I've done it. There is NO WAY I would warm up a baseball pitcher throwing in the upper 80s without complete protection. The closing speed is significantly greater and when the baseball hits you it hurts. A lot.