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Mathematics in sports
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Softball is full of mathematics from the pitch of the ball to the angle of fielding the ball. When you think about sports, I’m sure that math isn’t the first thing you think of, but maybe it should be because in order to succeed in most sports, you need to know the mathematics behind it. Softball for example, you need to use math all the time whether you know it or not. Obviously you aren’t setting up an equation in your head or drawing it out in the dirt, but a lot of it has to do with angles and distances. When you are fielding the ball on the ground or even attempting to catch a ball in the air you need to make sure that you have the right angle at the ball so you can field (catch) it correctly or make sure that it stays in front of you.
So now that we have learned about what we actually need to play softball let's start with the positions in softball. First there is the Pitcher that is in the middle of the field in a circle called the pitcher's mound. Second there is a Catcher behind home plate. The Catcher catches passed balls and strikes. Then there's the First Baseman, the Second Baseman, and the Third Baseman. There is a Shortstop between 2nd and 3rd and a Left Fielder in the outfield between second and third. A Center Fielder which is in the outfield behind second, the Right Fielder which is in the outfield between first and second
Baseball statistics are meant to be a representation of a player’s talent. Since baseball’s inception around the mid-19th century, statistics have been used to interpret the talent level of any given player, however, the statistics that have been traditionally used to define talent are often times misleading. At a fundamental level, baseball, like any game, is about winning. To win games, teams have to score runs; to score runs, players have to get on base any way they can. All the while, the pitcher and the defense are supposed to prevent runs from scoring. As simplistic as this view sounds, the statistics being used to evaluate individual players were extremely flawed. In an attempt to develop more specific, objective forms of statistical analysis, the idea of Sabermetrics was born. Bill James, a man who never played or coached professional baseball, is often credited as a pioneer in the field and for coining the name as homage to the Society of American Baseball Research, or SABR. Eventually, the use of Sabermetrics became widespread in the Major Leagues, the first team being the Oakland Athletics, as depicted in Moneyball. Bill James and other baseball statisticians have developed various methods of evaluating a player performance that allow for a more objective view of the game, broadly defined as Sabermetrics.
The rules of baseball and softball are extremely complex, so only the basics are necessary to distinguish the sports. In both sports the primary rule is to advance the runner around the bases to home plate when the ball is hit. In baseball stealing the bases is another way to advance the runner, but this is not permitted in softball because the ball must be hit before a runner can leave the base. Baseball requires nine innings to complete a game, and softball only requires seven. The softball player is out if the last hit is a foul ball, while the baseball player stays at the plate until another strike is called or hits successfully. As one can see, a player that switches games must familiarize himself with the difference in the rules to succeed.
The researcher has chosen to write this paper on hitting because she has played softball for twelve years and the perfect softball swing has always eluded her. The softball swing is one of the most difficult softball skills to achieve greatness in. There are a number of great hitters all with different batting stances and styles, each one comfortable to them. There are many different tactics and coaching ideas out there to help improve hitting. In fact, there are several videos now on the market to help the softball player perform better. Coaches often teach hitting drills to improve batting techniques and ability. Confidence is an important factor in hitting. If the player lacks confidence then she will not be a good hitter. Softball is not only a physical game but a mental game.
Baseball/softball was, is, and always will be one of the most popular sports of all time. Homeruns, stealing second base, and spectacular plays and catches on the playing field will continue to catch the eyes of millions of people around the globe. Today I’m going to give you a brief demonstration of how the game of baseball/softball is played.
Now if you're anything like me, you know that when you start a sport for the first time. You have questions like my first question, “what in the world is softball”. Well now that I am a”softball”player I can tell you all there is to know about softball. Softball is a game between two teams with two sections to the field in field and outfield. There is the pitcher, the catcher, 1st,2nd,and3rd baseman, shortstop, and left,right,and center field.
Texas Tech has proven that hitting a softball is way harder to hit than a baseball. A softball pitcher is very close to you at the pitcher's mound. If you are in the batter's box it feels like they are right on top of you especially since most softball pitchers can be up to about 6 feet in height. It is scientifically proven that a softball player has less time to react to the ball because of the distance and speed of the pitch. Also, softball pitchers not only throw hard, but they also throw tricky pitches to hit. The pitch that rises upwards is called a rise ball. When this pitch comes in, most coaches will say just let it go instead of risking this pitch. Baseball players throw breaking balls, but unlike in softball they don't suddenly leap up right as you're going to swing at it. Pitchers in softball can also throw a curve ball that curves away from the batter but still in the strike zone. A screw ball moves closer to the batter. Same as a curve ball it is still in the strike zone just right on the edge of it. Softball players throw many more change ups than in baseball. Change ups catch the player off guard causing them to swing and become frustrated with themselves. As you can tell softball pitchers don't mess around using every inch of the plate to pitch the ball and strike the batter
I spend six days per week for twelve months straight practicing catching, throwing, and hitting a softball. My friends call me crazy when I have to leave their house at ten o’clock on a Friday night to go play in a midnight madness softball tournament. They think I am insane for travelling to away, out-of-state tournaments each weekend. However, ten years of competitive, travel softball and nearly nine hundred games have molded me into the person I am today. Many people do not understand why I spend the majority of my time playing competitive softball, and they fail to recognize that my entire identity is a result of this sport. However, I am aware that I would not be who I am without it.
Baseball is a very well known sport and often known as “America’s pastime” and softball is highly similar, but with a few key differences. Many people just assume that the sport of baseball is more difficult than softball, but don’t actually know the specific parts of each of the two. Also, if you’ve never played one or the other sport, you shouldn’t be assuming anything at all in the first place. Although many assume one may be harder than the other, baseball and softball both have particular factors which make them both complex in their own way.
As Paige and I walked across the field towards our team I felt euphoric. Four long years of work, sweat, and dedication had led up to this night. It was the perfect end to my senior year of softball. The scoreboard just beyond the mass of sweaty, screaming softball players read 15-0. This was the final score of the district championship game, a game my team had never won before. The applause and cheers of the fans echoed in my ears for hours afterward
When I first started playing softball, I never thought I would be where I am today, which is finishing up my senior year of college and still playing softball. I started playing softball at the age of nine, with no skills and only knowledge from watching baseball on television, learning to play a new sport was challenging, but learning to play a sport with teammates was rewarding and tested my willpower and determination for the game. However, through tenacity, patience, hard work, and constantly practicing, my playing ability developed rapidly. Depending on what level of softball I was playing, we practiced anywhere from four to ten hours a week as a team, and individually I would put in two to three hours a day. Although practice didn’t make me perfect, it taught me to never give up and that if I wanted to live my dream as a college softball player, I was going to have to develop the work ethic to get there.
Softball is a very exciting sport, it’s my favorite sport because it’s harder than people think, and I like a challenge. There are 9 positions for this sport and all positions must be filled. There is normally 12-15 girls to a team. Some may be good at this sport and some may not be that good but it doesn’t matter, as long as you love playing.
ESPN’s television series called Sports Science addresses the aspects of speed in fastpitch softball. According to Sports Science, from the release of the pitch, a 70 mile per hour softball can reach home plate in as little as .35 seconds. When the pitch is released, a 100 mile per hour baseball can reach home plate in .38 seconds. The softball batter must decide to swing in as little as .025 seconds. The baseball batter must decide in .055 seconds if he should swing. Also, since the size of a softball field is smaller, the offense gains an advantage. In baseball, since the size of the field is larger, the defense gains an advantage.
The topic of this essay is to compare Softball and Baseball. I’ll be reading two articles talking about the differences and comparisons of both Softball and Baseball. The reason i chose this topic was because i have been playing softball since my freshmen year of highschool. I love the sport and i want to show people that there’s actually a difference and how they're both great sports.
As softball season rolls around, every player is preparing themselves for the season. Smelling the dirt and fresh grass makes every softball player antsy for the first game. Most girls have loved this sport ever since they started T-ball at the age of four. So many memories from growing up playing softball all summer long with your best friends. Singing chants in the dugout to making double plays in the field. Softball can’t be compared to anything else because there’s nothing like receiving a regional championship plaque after a long, hard fought game. Some may say that softball is the least dangerous sport, but how about taking an 100 MPH line drive to the head? That’s where a face mask would come into play.