Well, there are multiple things to consider here. What's your bottom line? Is it: "Is it harder to hit a softball pitch vs. a baseball pitch?" Is it: "Is it harder to pitch a softball 55 MPH or a baseball 90 MPH?"

What's your goal here? :)

But...but...but...

Some leagues and ages don't pitch from 40 feet! Might be 35 or 43 or 46.

Baseball pitchers release the ball 3-4 feet in front of the plate? Even Randy Johnson?

Front of the batter's box versus back of the box? Every batter's a little different.

What about the cross sectional area of the ball? A softball is bigger, so there is more drag and it slows at a greater rate than the baseball. Are you ready to introduce a little calculus into your FAQ's? Probably not.

No matter which of these adjustments you make, your answer will be nothing more than a rough estimate. It's impossible to come up with a formula that takes every variable into consideration. So make it simple.

Stick with the 60 ft/40 ft ratio between the baseball and softball pitching distances. (You can forget about that darn 6 inches, since this is a rough estimate and it won't make much difference).

That's 60/40, or 3/2, or 1.5.

Using that ratio, a 55 mph softball pitch at 40 feet will reach the plate in about the same amount of time as a baseball pitch traveling:

55 mph X 1.5 = 82.5 mph

the mens' speed
 

Now do the math for men's fast pitch at 75-80mph from 40 feet. Them boys that can hit it have extraordinary reflexes.

I've played men's FP from age 13 until age 30. In between one year baseball. I still can hit a softball, but got one season long 3K in BB.
It's not only (extraordinary) reflexes, more what one is gotten used to. Having the pitch coming down from shoulder height or getting up/staying at belly-heigt...
A danish pitcher, who was in our team somewhere in the 90's, had a riser I couldn't catch. In the last five years I've faced him as a PU, still missed that pitch every time! Now he knows: When I'm the PU, he doesn't want or expect that pitch be called a strike by me...

I've never done the math for compairing BB and men's FP; I've always liked SB better than BB...

I also know that when the catcher whiffs on a fastball from a D1 pitcher or you get that pesky foul that comes looking for you and it hits you, it hurts like a (your euphanism here).

One of three things:

1) It is on the ground, or
2) It is about to head there whether the pilot wants to or not, or
3) It is flying into a heck of a head wind (assuming you are talking about ground speed)

While we are working on complicated math problems, maybe one of you geniuses can help me with this one.

Two umpires start two games at exactly the same time. Also, two trains, one in Philadelphia heading west and one in Chicago heading east, both travelling at 65 mph leave at exactly the same time the games the umpires are umpiring started. One umpire has excellent game management skills, while the other allows teams to lolligag around while he and his partner discuss the hot moms in the stands. As a result, the lolligagging umpire ends up with a game that is tied at the end of regulation, and must go into ITB. The train from Philadelphia is aided by a headwind of 25 MPH. Now, considering all of this information, what time is beer thirty?

Scott,
That's the easiest question I've ever seen on a board. Answer = NOW.:D

Steve,

Your solution is true, beer-thirty is now, but beer-thirty is always now. Hence, it is always beer-thirty.

And, since we both contributed to the solution, I say Scott buys us both beer.

OK, I'll drink to that.:D