What if they used today's baseballs?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by steve B

There's plenty of complicated physics, basically the angle and speed matter the most, but the spin and where on the bat you hit, and the initial speed of the pitch all contribute.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/adv...a4569/4216783/

So yes, a BP curve that doesn't curve will go farther than a 94mph fastball, but the 94 mph fastball will leave the bat 3mph faster than a 78mph curve. (Their numbers.) The spin and the spin leaving the bat are very different, and more backspin=more lift=more distance.
So in an actual game, comparing a hit fastball to a hit fastball, the faster pitch will go farther.

Seam height matters too, the high loose seams of well used 1920's balls create more drag and slow the ball down, lower tighter seams don't - too low and they don't generate as much lift lift.

The biggest HR hitters in the 20's-30's were probably every bit as good as the hitters today.

Great post Steve. I remember a interview with Barry Bonds with him saying how Ted Williams said the exact thing I made bold in Steves post. Barry said Ted told him to hit the ball with a slight downward swing to give the ball that backwards spin. I am sure that explains all of the monster HRs Barry hit.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Great post Steve. I remember a interview with Barry Bonds with him saying how Ted Williams said the exact thing I made bold in Steves post. Barry said Ted told him to hit the ball with a slight downward swing to give the ball that backwards spin. I am sure that explains all of the monster HRs Barry hit.

My favorite Ted story was from a guy who spoke at the club, and had played for him in Washington.

The first year he was on them about waiting for a more hittable pitch and made a big difference in team batting average.
The next year they had Nolan Ryan coming in for a game and asked him how they could hit his pitching. He said that early on he'd try to hit the top of the ball to drive it somewhere, but that late in the game he'd try to hit under the ball to get more distance, maybe a homer or sac fly.
And that that comment made most of the guys stop listening since they were asking how to hit a ball they couldn't really see vs his advice of trying to hit it a certain way.

It's sad that Bonds had to take stuff, he probably would have been fairly close to the record without it. Maybe Teds advice helped early and chemistry helped more later?