Give your opinion on this argument. Throwing a baseball through a 24" tube without hitting sides.

[tubby_mcgee 686]

So long story short, was with a group of folks, and there was a 24" PVC tube that was 4" inside diameter.

I'm always thinking of "what ifs" and "what would you do in this scenario" questions...

Anyway... I held up the tube, showed it to someone and said ...

"do you think it would be possible, from any distance at any angle to throw a baseball through this tube and not have it touch the interior wall of the tube?"

(and no, you can't set it vertical and just drop the ball through it).

Anyway...think about it.

--The arc of a pitch.

--The distance of 24" through the tube

--The diameter of tube (4") vs diameter of baseball (2.93" in diameter)

I picture the best chance being a slight downward angle (exit is slightly lower than entrance) at about 20-30 feet.

I have a hard time thinking a human could do it. 24" is just too much with only .5" to allow for the baseball arc or drop.  "Thinking" 24" vs seeing it...is a big visual difference. I think to myself "yeah, I suppose" then look at the 24" shelf in front of me and think "no way". 

What ye all think?

 

[Mike Honcho 4,035]

Sounds like a problem @OldMaid has some experience in solving.  

[Gutterboys Flip Flops 96]

3 minutes ago, Mike Honcho said:

Are you dating Old Maid?

When she was 10 ?

[posty 2,296]

Yes it can be done, but I doubt I could do it...  Maybe get it once, but consistently, nah...

[edjr 5,567]

me thinks you doth protest too much

[TimmySmith 2,782]

2 feet? No problem. 

[vuduchile 1,941]

I believe there are MLB pitchers with incredible control who could do it.  The average Joe would need a lot of luck. 

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,584]

24 inches is too big, I would say 12 inches would be a good test

24 is easy for most MLB pitchers

if your ball moves more than that good lord

but think about this a fastball that moves 2 inches from release has great movement

 

[posty 2,296]

7 minutes ago, RaiderHaters Revenge said:

24 inches is too big, I would say 12 inches would be a good test

24 is easy for most MLB pitchers

if your ball moves more than that good lord

but think about this a fastball that moves 2 inches from release has great movement

 

I think you misread...  The tube is 24 inches long and 4 inches in diameter...

At least that is the way I am reading it...

[Djgb13 2,338]

Bet Greg Maddux could do it 

[JustinCharge 2,397]

Well, the human male body is kinda designed to do that.  Our strength is our wide shoulders and ability to toss with accuracy. Give enough practice, sure.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,584]

17 minutes ago, posty said:

I think you misread...  The tube is 24 inches long and 4 inches in diameter...

At least that is the way I am reading it...

oh sh1t you are right not possible imo

 

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,584]

7 minutes ago, Djgb13 said:

Bet Greg Maddux could do it 

id take that bet all day

Greg Maddux cant throw a baseball straight

 

[posty 2,296]

1 minute ago, RaiderHaters Revenge said:

id take that bet all day

Greg Maddux cant throw a baseball straight

 

You know, I have always wondered if he could throw one perfectly straight if he had to do so...  The guy was a master, but like you said, I doubt he could...

[JustinCharge 2,397]

There are people that are amazing at carnival games and do things you think are impossible.  I'd probably go find some of them to try it.

[JustinCharge 2,397]

 

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

Have to have enough lateral speed to balance the gravity of earth.  What is diameter of pvc assuming its 24 inches long?  That's your issue..diameter.  the ball is dropping no matter what.  How much room it has to drop is the key. A baseball is about 3 inches diameter..gives you an inch of play.  So your allowed an inch of vertical drop over 2 feet of distance.  Easy to calculate the velocity necessary to achieve that.

[The PosterFormerlyKnownAs 61]

1 hour ago, posty said:

Yes it can be done, but I doubt I could do it...  Maybe get it once, but consistently, nah...

Agree - could happen by chance but probably too difficult to do consistently.  Or pitchers don’t get paid enough and the strike zone is too big.

[Djgb13 2,338]

Didn’t throw it but used to have a batting cage in my backyard growing up. Ended up hitting the ball back at it at exactly the right speed and angle for it to go straight back into the little slot where the pitcher is thrown from and have it spit it back out. 

[5-Points 2,729]

I might could get lucky throwing sidearm. 

[TBayXXXVII 2,117]

Who is a physics person?  Do the math.  How fast must an object travel in order for gravity to not impact it's elevation for 24?  I'm thinking that you'd need a known distance though.  You need to know how far away the ball is being thrown.  I'm guessing that only athletes would be able to do it with a legitimate shot.  For any of us, I'd say it would be 100% luck.  A baseball player, possibly a QB, may actually have a true chance at it where luck isn't the one and only factor.

[edjr 5,567]

Imagine if you threw like this? You couldn't throw it into a pool from the porch.

 

[MTSkiBum 1,594]

17 miles per hour is how fast it would need to go.

 

.08 seconds to drop 1 inch

2 feet divided by .08 seconds gives 25 feet per second

25 feet per second is 17 miles per hour.

[MTSkiBum 1,594]

What a stupid argument though.

 

Why not argue about something interesting with coworkers, i can give some ideas.

• Can an airplane take off from a treadmill
• If you have a crab boat with a water tank and you add crabs does it make the boat heavier if the crabs are swimming
• If you put more weight on the bed of the truck does it increase the air pressure of tires.

 

[posty 2,296]

7 minutes ago, MTSkiBum said:

What a stupid argument though.

 

Why not argue about something interesting with coworkers, i can give some ideas.

• Can an airplane take off from a treadmill
• If you have a crab boat with a water tank and you add crabs does it make the boat heavier if the crabs are swimming
• If you put more weight on the bed of the truck does it increase the air pressure of tires.

 

• Has HT ever said, or done, anything smart and/or useful in his miserable life?

[Alias Detective 1,179]

As a former professional pitcher, minor leagues, I say it can be done but with zero consistency.  
 

WTF is the OP smoking to come up with that random a question?

[tubby_mcgee 686]

3 hours ago, vuduchile said:

I believe there are MLB pitchers with incredible control who could do it.  The average Joe would need a lot of luck. 

Anyone is going to need luck.   And obviously no consistency.  That is a given. 

I'm just wondering if it's possible.  Overhand throwing motion. Arc. 24" only 1" leeway.

After thinking about it...if the pipe is parallel to the ground....I'd bet that over 1000 tries, an MLB pitcher would put it through 0 times.

[Old School 360]

Much easier to throw a hotdog down a hallway.

[tubby_mcgee 686]

2 hours ago, RaiderHaters Revenge said:

id take that bet all day

Greg Maddux cant throw a baseball straight]

 

 

Its not a matter of straight.  

Its a matter of velocity and drop. 

[tanatastic 2,061]

MLB pitchers and Digby yes, anyone else here, no.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,584]

3 minutes ago, tubby_mcgee said:

 

Its not a matter of straight.  

Its a matter of velocity and drop. 

yes but again you only have an inch of movement either way as well.  Maddux's ball tails and cuts too much naturally

also I dont think a lefty could do it

 

[Thornton Melon 544]

The likelihood of achieving this is about the same likelihood as a pitcher hitting a seagull as it passes by home plate.

[RaiderHaters Revenge 3,584]

2 minutes ago, Thornton Melon said:

The likelihood of achieving this is about the same likelihood as a pitcher hitting a seagull as it passes by home plate.

so only the Unit

 

[JustinCharge 2,397]

2 hours ago, Cloaca du jour said:

 the ball is dropping no matter what. 

Actually, the first post said nothing about the ball HAD to be dropping.  So if you throw it straight up and clear the pipe, its good.

[JustinCharge 2,397]

Only if you buy the pipe dinner first.

[nobody 2,043]

1 hour ago, MTSkiBum said:

17 miles per hour is how fast it would need to go.

 

.08 seconds to drop 1 inch

2 feet divided by .08 seconds gives 25 feet per second

25 feet per second is 17 miles per hour.

I got closer to 19 mph.

1 in. = 0.5 x 386.4 in/s^2 x t^2 => t = 0.072

 

 

[MTSkiBum 1,594]

31 minutes ago, nobody said:

I got closer to 19 mph.

1 in. = 0.5 x 386.4 in/s^2 x t^2 => t = 0.072

 

 

In true engineering form I rounded the numbers. I used 0.1 feet as 1 inch

 

I didn't think anyone would check my work.

[t.j 35]

1 hour ago, nobody said:

I got closer to 19 mph.

1 in. = 0.5 x 386.4 in/s^2 x t^2 => t = 0.072

 

 

If the apex of the trajectory is halfway through the pipe, then you have 2" of drop to work with, not just 1".

2 in = 0.0508m = 0.5 x 386.4 in/s^2 x t^2 => t = 0.102s

Which means 24" / .102s = 24" * (.0254 m per inch) / .102s = 5.98 m/s * 2.24 mph / (m/s) = 13.4 mph, not counting for air resistance or the extra 0.07" of leeway, obviously.

[Mookz 1,287]

1 hour ago, RaiderHaters Revenge said:

so only the Unit

 

I still think that is the greatest play in MLB history.  

Firstly, the poof of feathers is something out of Looney Tunes.

Secondly, any pitcher would have killed a bird with any pitch, but it had to be Randy Johnson?

 

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

1 hour ago, JustinCharge said:

Actually, the first post said nothing about the ball HAD to be dropping.  So if you throw it straight up and clear the pipe, its good.

I'm assuming its borizontal