licking fingers

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Crabby_Bob

A softball is less dense than a baseball thus, is more susceptible to aerodynamic forces. From a doctoring viewpoint, the object is not to add a great mass of goop to the ball, but to alter the boundary layer of air flowing over the ball, in particular by changing the smoothness over a region. A gross example of this can be seen in the curveball trainers found in sporting goods stores. Much less dense than a baseball (same size though) and it has a series of grooves over half the surface.

Here's the thing... compared with a baseball, a softball has greater mass and travels a shorter distance. The aerodynamic forces would, therefore, have to be greater to influence the linear momentum of the ball (product of velocity and mass) quickly enough to have any material effect. It is possible to doctor a softball to cause this, but simple saliva won't cut it. And, as Mike pointed out, compared with the mass of the softball, the saliva has no shot at unbalancing the ball, either.

It is a stupid rule.

[shipwreck]

I agree, stupid rule. If the pitcher wets their fingers to be able to grip the ball better, to be able to control it better, but must wipe off, why not make spitting on your hands before you grip the bat illegal also? They should have to wipe off also. They are doing THAT to be able to grip the bat better and have more control with it. Dave

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by shipwreck

I agree, stupid rule. If the pitcher wets their fingers to be able to grip the ball better, to be able to control it better, but must wipe off, why not make spitting on your hands before you grip the bat illegal also? They should have to wipe off also. They are doing THAT to be able to grip the bat better and have more control with it. Dave

Here and I thought they did that to discourage the ODB from using the batter's expensive bat!

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Here's the thing... compared with a baseball, a softball has greater mass and travels a shorter distance. The aerodynamic forces would, therefore, have to be greater to influence the linear momentum of the ball (product of velocity and mass) quickly enough to have any material effect. It is possible to doctor a softball to cause this, but simple saliva won't cut it. And, as Mike pointed out, compared with the mass of the softball, the saliva has no shot at unbalancing the ball, either.

I thought the greater mass, hence more stitches and surface are what helped in the ball movement, provided the pitcher imparted enough spin and maximized the number of seams catching air. I played ball with a lefty that could throw a flat curveball that broke 12 to 15 inches. You could hear the ball hissing from the spin he was able to impart on the ball.

Ted

[Dakota]

Consider a ball pitched without spin in a straight line. It will have linear momentum equal to its mass times its velocity moving in that straight line. If a force (such as aerodynamic forces generated by spin breaking up surface tension or creating aerodynamic "lift" so to speak on one direction or another) is to influence this straight-line momentum, it will need to generate enough force to cause a change in the direction of the flight of the ball, and it has only about 35 or so feet and .2 seconds to accomplish this. Other than allowing the pitcher to get a better grip on the ball (and hence impart more spin, etc.) the change in aerodynamic force from a little saliva has no shot.