November 25, 2003
A.K.A., DEATH TO FLYING THINGS:
Psychophysics: How fielders arrive in time to catch the ball (Peter McLeod, NICK REED & ZOLTAN DIENES , 11/20/03, Nature)
Tracking an object moving in three dimensions, whether as an insect pursuing a mate on the wing or as a batsman aiming to hit an approaching ball, provides the spatial and temporal information needed to intercept it. Here we show how fielders use such tracking signals to arrive at the right place in time to catch a ball — they run so that their angle of gaze elevation to the ball increases at a decreasing rate while their horizontal gaze angle to the ball increases at a constant rate (unless the distance to be run is small). Allowing the horizontal angle to increase minimizes the acceleration that the fielder must achieve to reach the interception point at the same time as the ball.
Spooky--that's exactly how Mickey Rivers describes catching a fly ball. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 25, 2003 4:50 PM
Never thought of it that way before, I just thought it was a combination of luck and skill.
Posted by: Blaine Hilton at November 25, 2003 4:59 PMBlah blah blah, boy, there is nothing like a science geek to take all the beauty and grace out of Willie Mays tracking down a fly ball.
I prefer the famed anti-intellectual Wee Wille Keeler who, when asked how to hit, said "hit 'em where they ain't".
Or like Steelers defensive end Dwight White, who once 'intercepted' two passes in a game against Oakland - when asked how, he said: "I did my hands like this, and the mu******s stuck!".
Posted by: jim hamlen at November 25, 2003 10:35 PMAn don't forget the greatest Mickey Rivers quote of all time, "Don't worry about things you can't control, 'cause if you can control them, you've got nothing to worry about." No wonder he fielded the way he did.
Posted by: Jeff at November 26, 2003 8:53 AMJeff:
I'm partial to his analysis of Reggie:
"Reginald Martinez Jackson...yo' fust name, Reginald, a white man name. Yo second name, Martinez, a Spanish name. Yo third name, Jackson, a black man name. Reggie, no wonder you so f***ed up."
Posted by: oj at November 26, 2003 9:05 AMHe was a beauty. One of the best bad ball hitters in recent times. A fast ball up in his eyes was gone.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 27, 2003 10:00 PM