How fast does a baseball travel ?

Question

A pitcher can throw a hardball at 100 mph (roughly).

A hitter can add at least the same energy swinging a bat with two arms.

If the ball leaves the bat at 200 mph is that enough speed and energy to be a homerun?

How much velocity is required for a homerun in a typical ballpark?

How much speed is lost to friction with air?

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How does corking the bat improve its performance? Is the bat lighter or is the trampolene effect of the outer surface improved?

Answer 1

Wow dude I think you might need a Physics Professor to answer that one. I would love to get into detail and try to answer it but it would be too long of an answer so maybe next time.

Answer 2

Let me get this straight... you are MIT and you're asking me??? Isn't that kinda like Heather Locklear asking Joan Rivers for beauty tips?

Okay, here goes. I will give you what I know that I learned from the pros.

A hitter cannot "add" power to a 100-MPH fastball. If the timing is right and the ball is hit squarely the ball will go anywhere, over the wall or off the outfield wall, or maybe a hot grounder to an infielder. There are no guarantees of a homerun (at any speed).

Velocity: Ted Williams is the only player to hit a homerun off Rip Sewell's "Eephus" pitch. A "blooper" pitch that reached an arc of 25-feet and slow as Aunt Hattie with a walker. In that case Williams knew in advance it was coming and was prepared. Ted did have to supply more power than normal.

As for different parks... Denver is mile high and baseballs fly outta there better than, say, St. Louis due to elevation. (So I'm told)

Atlanta's Stadium is called the launching pad also but for different reasons.

Friction: Don't know. But humidity plays a part. Makes the ball seem heavier not lighter.

Corking the bat: Cork is supposed to strengthen the bat resulting in more power against the ball. Again, not necessarily a homerun but could get a ground ball faster past an infielder.

That's it. Hope some of this helps.

Answer 3

I found a great website that has every answer that you asked and a LOT more.

The physics of baseball. Very impressive stuff!

http://webusers.npl.uiuc.edu/~a-nathan/p...

Answer 4

Pretty d**n fast.

Answer 5

Who knows that? Why dont you ask your high school science tacher