FRS 001S — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 55885 — T 12:10-1:00pm — 2130 Bainer
The Science of Baseball

Instructor: Mont Hubbard, Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, College of Engineering

Description: The course subject matter will be the physical principles relevant to the game of baseball. These include an examination of the aerodynamic forces on the ball and their effects on pitched and batted ball paths and the bat-ball collision. A series of simple in-class experiments will be conducted through which the students can participate in measuring some of relevant parameters in the mathematical models of flight and impact. The main goal will be for the students, at the end of the course, to appreciate that the game of baseball is governed fundamentally by scientific laws and to understand the implications of these principles for the game.

Prerequisites: High School Math (geometry, algebra & trig., calculus preferred) and High School Science (physics).

Format: The seminar will meet for one hour each week. Additionally we will organize a field trip to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game. Class time will be divided between informal lecture presentations, discussion, experiments to demonstrate the basic ideas discussed in the lectures, and student presentations of HW. Before each meeting students will be assigned reading in the textbook - Keep Your Eye on the Ball; Curve Balls, Knuckleballs and Fallacies of Baseball, by Watts & Bahill. They will be expected to complete the assigned reading and homework before class and to participate actively in class discussions. The students will be divided into five groups of four students each and the groups will alternate in explaining their answers to the rest of the class. Grading: The course grade will be based on the quality of the homework (25%), on the ability to explain answers to the rest of the class (25%), on the frequency and quality of participation in class discussion (25%) and on a 1000 word term paper (25%).

About the Instructor: Professor Mont Hubbard is a member of the faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. His research interests include mechanics and optimization, biomechanics of human motion, applications of modeling, estimation, control and optimization in mechanical and biomechanical systems with special interests in sports in general, and baseball in particular.