Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-10-07

tual curve or the Dali due to Its rO-
tary motion and air resistance. | do
not think that the real curve of
the ball in fifty-six feet distance
from the pitchers hand when he
releases the ball, to the home plate)
can be more than twenty inches. /
have heard ball players declare the
ball curve from six inches to five
feet. | tried it once with Orval Ov-
erall, who had, | believe, the mos
sweeping and widest fast curve ball
| eve saw.
I'VE placed twelve big sheets OF
tissue paper between Stats, eight Of
them at short intervals for the first
fifteen feet in front of the plate,
the rest scattered at wider intervals
until the last one vas six feet in.
front of the pitchers slab, and, to my
surprise, his hand struck the paper
as the ball was released, proving
the actual distance of the pitch is
much shorter than usually suppOs-
ed. OF course Overall's reach was
much greater than the average, but
| do not think the actual pitching
distance from hand to plate is more
than "fifty-six feet.
Overall pitched his wide overland
curve. The ball entered the first
sheet Of paper 4 feet to the right of
the string which was placed through
sheet at the home plate ten inches
height of five feet, and almost six
feet above the ground Che was pit
ching off a slight elevation). His
hand hit the paper and tore a hole
a foot lower, showing he had released
the ball before his arm reached the
extreme limit Of its swing. The ball
went through the second sheet, which
was ten feet from the first, just four
and a little over two and a half feet
from the right of the line. 1t was less
than a foot from the line when it
struck the first of the eight sheets
placed closely together in front Of
the plate. and it tore through the
next one a trifle higher. Then it be-
gan it's true curve. Nine feet In front
IF 4ho n1afn IL shrnEn' md uhnf dnun
ward and outward and crossed the
sheetat the home plate ten inches
inches to the outside Chat is. for a
righthanded batter) of the center OF
feet TWO inches downward, through
the force of gravity, the angle at
which it was pitched and the curve
and had angled and curved practi-
cally five feet. The closest c~alcula-
tion we could make was hat the ball
actually curved, as a result Of its ro-
tary motion, approximately seven
teen inches.
The air resistance, which was dis
puted at the time of Tyng's expert
ments, has, Of course become a
known factor with the study of the
science Of aeronautics. The mount
of resistance can be computed close
ly by the use of the barometer. The
ball curves in the direction in which
it revolves. The amount Of the curve
depends upon the rate Of rotation
and the weight of the air. The en-
tire science Of pitching consists in
the deft application of friction upon
some point Of the ball which makes
it rotate in a certain direction, or
which c~ounteracts it natural rota-
ton and cause it to 'wabble' or float
with listle revblying Imotion. The
slow balls, fadeaways, knuckle balls.
all have as their object the precen-
ton Of rotary motion. or to give the
false rotary motion or reverse Eng
lish.' The ball that presents the
most air surface to the resistance of
the atmosphere slows up quickest
and yields more rapidly to gravita-
ton. The one that spins the o~ftenest
mot necessarily fastest) curves
most"