Introduction to Visual Memory in Baseball

In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Major League Baseball, through Bud Selig, commissioned Dr. Robert Adair, Professor of Physics at Yale University, to write a book on the “Physics of Baseball.” Presumably, this book was to help in the decision as to whether Denver, Colorado, should be considered as a place to receive a major league franchise.

Now. . . baseball players are not extremely scientific as a group; probably most of them spent their high school years similar to me—daydreaming during science and math classes about the next baseball game—and girls. College. . .? Much the same, therefore most of us majored in P.E. and coaching. So, only two things from Dr. Adair’s book were actually remembered: 1) A baseball would fly about 9% further in Denver when hit; and 2) A baseball pitched at 90 mph in four-seam fashion does not rise, even though it lifts. All else has been lost, probably because it was too in-depth for most of us.

Prior to the Colorado franchise, the lightest air in MLB was in Atlanta (hot, humid and elevated to 1,000 ft.). The fastball in these conditions lifts, or hops, approximately 1 inch less than at sea level and about the same as in most mid-western venues during the summer weather patterns. So, baseball was just baseball. No money ball. No extensive computer statistical analysis. No science. No mention of PED’s. And, no one knew that the fastball was straighter by 1” less lift on the 4-seamer, yet Atlanta became known as the “Launching Pad” of baseball.

Air resistance is actually a big deal. Even in Coors Field in summer temperatures-- Larry Walker said, “The fastball is by far the most difficult pitch to hit”--and it only deviates from a straight line by about 3 inches (upward) and 5 inches (sideward) at a 3/4 arm slot. To be within 1/16” of center on a fastball, the hitter must remember the pitch track from previous experience; so, during the first 20 feet of the pitch, he is looking for spin to determine the pitch type. Then, the second 20 feet or so, he is deciding location within the strike zone. Finally, in the last 10 to 20 feet he is looking for amount of movement caused by air resistance.

Little does the hitter know the air began pushing the ball off track in the first 20 feet, so if his team has recently switched locations or the temperatures declined from yesterday, then the hitter’s memory needs to be “adjusted.” Even 1 inch additional movement from the invisible air creates a problem for the hitter.

This is the first of several articles involving Visual Memory by Clifton Neeley, creator of the Visual Memory Index© and the web-site www.baseballvmi.com. Clifton pitched and played baseball and fast-pitch softball in the mountainous southwest Colorado area (from 4,000 feet in Grand Junction to 6,000 feet in Durango to 9,000 feet in Telluride) prior to his college experience in baseball.