College Professors Offer Baseball Insight as the World Series Begins

The 2014 World Series kicks off on October 21, 2014 between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Professors in the School of Sciences and Mathematics at the College of Charleston offer insight into modern day baseball.

Have you ever noticed that no one hits .400 any more?

Ted Williams

Math professor Martin Jones says it’s because today’s baseball players are highly specialized. Ted Williams was the last person to hit over .400 and that was in the 1940s. During that time, the players would switch positions mid-game, an outfielder becoming a pitcher, which allowed a wider gap in batting averages.

RELATED: Watch professor Martin Jones explain why no one hits .400 any more.

A home run is affected by gravity and air resistance. Physics professor Jeff Wragg looks at how far home runs go on different planets. He says it’s an easier home run on Mars than on Earth, but it is very difficult to hit a home run on Jupiter.

RELATED: Watch physics instructor Jeff Wragg explain the difference between a homerun on Earth and Mars.

How baseballs (left) compare with sharks (right)

Are baseballs like sharks?

Biology professor Andrew Clark says yes. Both are composite structures – they’re made up of different materials. He says they’re both very similar in terms of their strength and other characteristics.

RELATED: Watch biology professor Andrew Clark explain why sharks are like baseballs.