How would you play baseball on the moon?

[sara195]

How would you modify the game of baseball in order to play it indoors on the moon? (The game would be played in a structure that would stimulate “earth like” air conditions) Nothing else regarding the moon’s environment would change. Concentrate on what would affect the game, such as the gravity and the appropriate modifications that would need to be made. Any help I can get would be very helpful, Thanks. (Simple people Talk Thank You)[?]

 

[J-Man]

My main concerns would be to make it so that any reasonable player could throw the ball at least from the far wall to second base, and at the same time, not be able to hit the ball past the far wall easily.

If there was a pressurized structure with 1 atmosphere of air pressure, you wouldn't need a spacesuit if the structure was shielded from the sun as well. This would make moving much easier. If the building was not shielded from the sun, then some type of suit would still be required and hence motion will be hindered. If you still need a suit, then I would reduce the distance between the bases.

I think the biggest change would be the distance to the far wall and the ball used because of the reduced gravity. I would extend the wall a bit, say 500 feet or so and use a ball that was less massive than a normal baseball. Something more like a wiffle (sp?) ball - low mass, with slices for the air to help slow it down as well, though a little more mass than a wiffle ball.

You might need to change the size and/or material of the bat as well. If you need a suit, I'd make the bat slightly larger at the hitting end, otherwise keep it about the same. If everybody hits the ball too far, then I would change the material of the bat to absorb more of the momentum/energy.

You'd also have to fill in the craters or put down a floor.

 

[Daminc]

Why not just increase the dimensions of the pitch by a factor of 7 and give all the players *7 mag binoculars?

 

[Aurora Eveline Jai]

Erm...

This is a really good site for what I'm doing. I'm new, but I know how to navigate around thesekind of forums. I'm applying for a camp in Maryland, and I have to write an essay on baseball and the moon. the problem is, the last time I ever took a course on space stuff was when I was in fourth grade and I'm in a grade higher than fourth. I can't use any help writing from someone else, but I can use info. I think it's spelled wiffel, but I can't be entirely sure since my spelling sucks. I just remember wiffel is supposed to ryme with my 5th grade teacher Mr. Cliffel, I think. I feel really dumb in this sort of thing when people talk about physics and I talk about Harry Potter and other kid stuff. Is anyone here like in 6-12 grade?

 

[russ_watters]

Why not just increase the dimensions of the pitch by a factor of 7 and give all the players *7 mag binoculars?

Since the trajectory equation is a square function...


...Jim Thome hits a long fly ball, deep center field, right over the 18,000 foot marker on the wall.

 

[Janitor]

I was in 12th grade once. In fact, I was in 12th grade twice.

 

[faust9]

Or, make the ball more massive. Make the ball 25oz instead of 5oz or something crazy like that...

 

[Falcon]

but then the ball would be much heavier... i mean, the horizontal speed of the ball would be comparable to Earth baseball.. so, someone catching that 25oz ball better have a THICK padded glove

why not just use the same ball, etc, the ONLY change being the dimensions of the field... only downside is a hard to see ball

 

[Falcon]

ooop.. i just thought of somethin..

the OTHER downside would be far reduced accuracy of throwing and hitting

EDIT: ok.. just thought of yet another thing.. lol.. i must be tired tonight

the heavier ball would still have the same amount of energy as the players put into it here on earth, so it would travel much slower

so, forget what i said about the padded glove.. BUT it would make the game much easier if the ball was thrown so slowly

 

[Janus]

ooop.. i just thought of somethin..

the OTHER downside would be far reduced accuracy of throwing and hitting

EDIT: ok.. just thought of yet another thing.. lol.. i must be tired tonight

the heavier ball would still have the same amount of energy as the players put into it here on earth, so it would travel much slower

so, forget what i said about the padded glove.. BUT it would make the game much easier if the ball was thrown so slowly

Problems with the more massive ball. It would throw off the mechanics of the pitch, and since the ball would travel much slower, the batter would have a lot more time to see the pitch, increasing batting averages.

Another point not mentioned is the fact that the reduced force of gravity will also decrease the force of friction between the players and the playing surface. The players would have trouble maintaining traction.

 

[Janitor]

"The players would have trouble maintaining traction."

In addition to using a corked bat, the cheater would use some kind of suction grips in place of cleats on the soles of his shoes.

 

[joeyschmoey]

haha i think half the people on here are applying for SMART camp and CHEATING! CHEATERS! the lot of you!
just kidding.
i'm in 9th grade
i went to CMST last year, and the application question was the same as it is this year, so I'm pretty much set, lol. I'm just using all my research from last year ;)
good luck on your application guys! maybe i'll see you at camp?

 

[joeyschmoey]

question for falcon:
if the mass of the ball was increased, i thought that that wouldn't have an effect on the weight.. right? because gravity's pull is all weight is, and if gravity's pull is 1/6 of the pull on earth, and the ball were made 6 times more massive, or dense, or whatever, then that shouldn't have an effect on the weight. n'est pas?
~jo