9781422274750

INTRODUCTION

Casey Jones, Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Lou Gehrig, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Jackie Robinson all have one thing in common. They are all expert users of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills. Okay, they are also all legends of the game of baseball. However, every great baseball and softball player uses the skills and methods of STEM. It may seem unlikely that these areas would interact, but the fact of the matter is neither baseball nor softball would be possible without science, math, and even engineering. Furthermore, new advances in technology are moving these sports into a whole new area in the twenty-first century. The interactions cross several areas and are often surprising to consider as an aspect of what is largely considered an athletic activity. From the physics of throwing the ball to the mathematics involved in the statistics used throughout Major League Baseball (MLB) to the engineering and technology behind creating perfect balls, helmets, and other gear, STEM and baseball are intertwined. Don’t forget the science of running, swinging, and power hitting. Even looking into the future, new gadgets and technology propel the game ever forward like a juggernaut. Far from being dumb, so-called jocks often use complex scientific concepts and other STEM-based ideas without even realizing it. Teams now hire coaches to teach players to intentionally employ the math, science, engineering, and technology of baseball.

Read on to learn how they do just that.

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