Their conclusion: the trampoline effect was bogus.īut there was another way corking might work: a corked bat is a few ounces lighter than an unadulterated one, and a lighter bat means a batter can swing faster, which means he can generate more force and hit the ball farther. If anything, the ball came off the corked bat with a slower speed than off a normal bat. So the researchers hollowed out a bat, stuffed it with bits of cork and fired a ball at the bat from a cannon. “There was some anecdotal information from players that there’s something like a ‘trampoline effect’ when the ball bounces off a corked bat,” says Nathan, one of the authors of the new study. It was scandalous…but does it work? That’s the question that intrigued Alan Nathan, a professor emeritus of physics at the University of Illinois (and a die-hard Red Sox fan). A corked bat is one in which a cavity is drilled out of the barrel and filled with a lightweight material such as cork. In June 2003, Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa was caught using an illegal corked bat-hardly the first time it’s happened in the Major Leagues. The results are published in “Corked Bats, Juiced Balls, and Humidors: The Physics of Cheating in Baseball” in the June issue of the American Journal of Physics. To separate fact from fiction, four scientists from three universities spent days firing baseballs at bats. And can making a baseball moister really thwart a slugger from putting one in the bleachers? Well, maybe-depending on how hot it is outside.
But not all trickery actually works, especially in baseball.Ī corked bat can hit the ball farther, right? That’s a myth, say physicists studying the national pastime. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.Cheating in sports might be as old as the race between the tortoise and the hare. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. Not all offers available in all states, please visit sportsbook websites for the latest promotions for your area. In 11 games this season, the 26-year-old has a 5.46 ERA and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up a batting average of.The righty last appeared on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he threw five innings, allowing four earned runs while giving up five hits.He is 3-5 with a 5.46 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings pitched. Houck makes the start for the Red Sox, his 12th of the season.Red Sox pitchers combine to rank 22nd in baseball in home runs given up (82 total, 1.3 per game).
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