Kagan: The physics of the MLB report on home run rates
From SABR member David Kagan at The Hardball Times on June 5, 2018, with mention of SABR member Alan Nathan:
On May 25, Major League Baseball made public its “Report of the Committee Studying Home Run Rates in Major League Baseball”. The committee was headed by Dr. Alan Nathan, and its findings stated, “…measured changes in the drag coefficient since 2015 can explain the observed increase in home run production…”
The report leaves us with a number of questions, not the least of which is: What the heck is the “drag coefficient?”
Let’s start with the basics. The flight path of a baseball is determined by three forces. Gravity pulls the ball down toward Earth throughout its flight. The air around the ball exerts the other two forces.
Read the full article here: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/the-physics-of-the-mlb-report-on-home-run-rates/
Originally published: June 5, 2018. Last Updated: June 5, 2018.