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The curve ball: yes,
By Charlie Green
(Editor's note: Charlie is
a veteran relief pitcher for
the Nebraska baseball team
and a senior in the School
of Journalism. This is a
technical report he did for
a journalism class.)
Can a human being actual
ly make a baseball curve?
Igor Sikorvsky, international
ly famous expert on aerody
namics, has seemingly ended
the century-old dispute with a
positive answer.
In the earely 1670's, two
major controversies stormed
in the world of sports. It was
California's Gov. Leland Stan
ford who, in 1878, collected
a $50,000 bet by proving that
all four feet of a galloping
horse are off the ground at
the same time. The other
controversy over the curve
ball still rages today after
nearly a century of scientific
debate.
Magazines disagree
Two of the most recent
tests of the curve ball dispute
were made by two national
picture magazines. Each of
them used an elaborate photo
graphic technique and the
conclusions of both were re
garded as authoritative.
Life, in May, 1964, claimed
.that its studies "raised once
more the possibility that this
standby of baseball is after
all onlv an optical illusion."
The other, Look, in the same
month, insisted "that a curve
ball actually does curve."
Ernest Lowry, an outspoken
scientist of the optical illusion
school, said in Sports Illu
strated, "The great injustice
of the much publicized curve
pitch is that of the manner
inwheih millions of American
boys have been misled on the
question. They have been
forced to delude themselves
into thinking that their
pitches actually do curve."
Eddie Sawyer, former man
ager of the Philadelphia Phil-j
lies, said in Sport magazine
in 1960, "I am not positive
whether a ball curves or
not, but there is a pitch in
baseball much different form
the fast ball that separates
the men from the boys. If
this pitch does not curve it
would be well to notify a lot
of baseball players who were
forced to quit the game they
loved because of this pitch,
and may now be reached at
numerous gas stations, river
docks and mental institutions
across the country."
Ex-Cincinnati pilot Luke
Sewell asked a Life reporter
in 1964 a pertinent question:
"Isn't it strange that the op-
Coach Devaney pleased with week of spring drills;
1968 gridders ahead of '67 Cornhuskers' progress
Nebraska football c o a c b
Bob Devaney surveyed the
results of one week of spring
drills and smiled.
It was a tip-off that the
1968 Cornhuskers were
ahead of the 1967 pace be
cause 6C0wls were frequent
last spring as inexperience
slowed the Scarlets.
Asked about the smile, De
vaney replied, "You can say
our enthusiasm for football
this spring is boundless."
Pressed for additional ob
servations about Nebraska's
progress, the nation's win
singest football mentor said:
Offense improved
"Our offense has shown
definite improvement over
1967 and this is an area
where we needed to im
prove." What about the defense, in
view of the fact that All
America Wayne Meylan, All
Big 8 Jim McCord and two
year starter Jerry Patton
have vacated the middle?
"We lost some fine people,
all right," Devaney said.
"But our defense this spring
has shown considerable signs
that it will not be as far away
as we were afraid it would
be prior to spring practice."
As usual a number of spots
are still up for grabs, and
ACADEMY AWARD
fiiikiilATIOHS!
HKLVDIN6
"BEST PICTURE
CF THE YEAR!"
MIKE NICHOLS
LAWRENCE TUKMAW .
Ti'iennoiiTi
coat
I
Bob Feller, Igor Sikorsky agree
' 4
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Nebraska's Keith Winter one optical illusion
coming up.
tical illusion only happens
when someone tries to throw
a curve ball?"
Feller says yes
Bob Feller, former pitcher
for the Cleveland Indians,
said in his book on "How to
Pitch";
"Periodically some
one pops up with the old ar
gument that a baseball really
doesn't curve that it is an
optical illusion. If this is so,
I -have struck out a grest
number of bitters with optical
illusions."
Earl Mack, former mana
ger of the Athletics said,
when asked about the curve
by a Look reporter, "Are
these scientific crack-pots
crediting pitchers with the
power of turning on optical
illusions at will?"
Thus the opinion raged on,
but without scientific proof.
Sikorvsky knew little about
the game of baseball but he
made up for it in scientific
knowledge. He realized that
a pitched balll traveling in
a curved path, is an exam
ple of aerodynamic action in
everyday life. He realized,
it's too early to assign all
the starting berths. And in
juries have hampered several
veterans like halfback Joe
Orduna and defensive back
Dana Stephenson.
But several candidates like
halfback Mike Green, half
back Mickey Ziegler, quar
terback Ernie Sigler, quar
terback Frank Patrick, full
back Dick Davis, center Carl
Ashman, end Tom Penney,
guard Joe Armstrong and a
host of others have sparkled
during the early going.
Three-deep lineups going
into the second week drills
will end on May 11 with the
annual intra-squad game):
Offense
Tight End Paul Topllff.
Jim McFarland, Bob Logan
Left Tackle Glenn Pater
son, Don McGhee, B e b
Grenfell
Left Guard Dan Dc-
laney, Mel Brichacek,
Dennis Ford
Center Carl Ashman
Joe Buda, Bob Mawhlnney
Bight Guard Joe Arm-
strong, Ben Beland, Ron
Volberding
Right TacUe Ed Hansen
Gale Williams, Wally Win
Sets from
1 .V;
Ytw Officio! Orange
too, that the force which
caused a ball to move in
flight is the same force
known to engineers as the
magnus effect
Professor G. Magnus of
Berlin started research in this
field but his subject wasn't
baseballs it was cannon
balls. He was trying to find
out why German artillery
couldn't throw more strikes.
How much stuff?
Sikorsky's first problem
was to determine how much
"stuff 'or spin a pitcher can
put on the ball in the regula
tion 60-feet, six-inch distance
from the mound to the plate.
Careful studies were made
in New ork of rapid-fire flash
photographs showing the pro
gress of a single pitch. United
Aircraft's technicians, in 1965.
experienced in observing the
behavior of whirling propel
lers, examined the change in
the position of the ball's
stitches from picture to pic
ture. They figured that the ball
was spinning at the rate of
1-3 revolutions during each
1-30 second between expo
ters
Split End Tom Penney,
Rex Lowe, Guy Ingles
Quarterback Frank Pat
rick. Ernie Sigler, Tony
Dvorsak
Left Halfback Mike Green,
Joe Orduna, Dan Schniess
Right Halfback Mick
Ziegler, Larry Frost,
Paul Rogers
Fullback Dick Davis
Buster Vannon, Phil Vassar
Defense
Left End Mike Wynn
Suerwiiin Jarmon, Dennis
Gutzman
Left Tackle Bob Liggett,
Lonnie DeOrio, Mike Bur-
dic
S5
Traveling?
Bios torn Art carved mi Columbia Oiomoad Dealer
The Daily
it rea
sures. Since the entire pitch
took less than 1-12 seconds,
the rate of rotation was seen
to be about five revolutions
for the pitch, or about 600
per minute.
The engineers then knew
how much spin a human
could put on a pitched base
ball but they still had to find
out whether that was enough
to make it curve.
Wind tunnel test
Using officail National and
American League balls, Si
korsky put them on a slen
der spike connected to the
shaft of a small motor. Dur
ing the next "standby time"
between aircraft tests, the
balls were inserted into a
wind tunnel and rotated by
the motor at speeds from
zero to 1,200 revolutions per
minute.
The motor was mounted on
a delicately-balanced scale
which measured the direction
and force of all pressures
brought on the balls. The
forward speeds of the air
moving through the tunnel
were varied between 80 and
110 m.p.h., which is about
the average speed for a ma
jor league pitcher.
To observe maximum and
minimum effects, the base
balls were spiked and rotated
at two angles. In one posi
tion, four seams met the
wind during each revolution.
This produced the greatest
amount of side force on the
ball. In the other position
only two seams met the wind,
producing less friction and
less side force.
The wind results were
plotted on conventional en
gineering graph sheets. The
results have so much signifi
cance that they could cause
changes in pitching and bat
ting techniques. These are the
four basic Sikorsky conclu
sions: Yes, Virginia . . .
1. It can be concluded de
finitely that a pitched base
ball does curve, in addition
to any optical illusion that
may exist.
2. A pitched baseball tra
vels in a uniformly curved
path from the time it leaves
the pitcher's hand until it
reaches the catcher's glove.
There is no such thing as a
sharp-breaking curve. j
3. To an observer at or be
hind the plate, it appears that
the ball travels fairly straight
most of the way and then
breaks suddenly and sharply
near the plate. Actually the
curve ball arcs toward or
Middle Guard Bill Horn-
bacher, Tom Linstroth, Ed
Periard
Right Tackle Ken Kuss-
erow, Dave WaDine, John
Hopkins
Right End Ron Drakulich,
Karl Quinten, Jim Miller
Strong Linebacker Dan
Kobza, Jerry Murtaugh,
Ervin naynes
TRY PERKY'S
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its' many tbr at Lincpin'i Jtwtlen
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Sartor Biamann
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Nebraskan
ly does
away from the plate through
out its flight; but the batter
because he views the flight
at an angle, cannot discern
this.
4. The pitcher who learns
to release the balll so that
all four seams meet the wind
each time it rotates will have
the nearest thing to a "Jug
handled" curve. If he can
throw a ball over 80 m.p.h
with a spin of 600 revolutions
per minute a pitcher can
make the ball curve as much
as 19 inches.
Sikorsky, then, has con
cluded that the curve ball
does curve but the batter
because of his angular view
of the pitch, experiences the
optical illusion that the ball
curves more radically than it
does.
Tourney
scheduled
by Chess
League
The first Midwest Intercol
legiate Chess Tournament
sponsored bv the Intercolleg
iate Chess Leaeue of Ameri
ca tICLA) will be held at the
Nebraska Union on April
20-21.
There will be a guaranteed
prize fund of $100 including
trophies
The entry fee will be $5 and
the student must be a mem
ber of the United States Chess
Federation and a school mem
ber of the ICLA, or he may
join at the tournament by pay
ing the annual dues of $10.
Tennis team tips
Omaha U., 5-2
The Husker tennis team
racked up its second win in
as many days as they beat
Omaha University 5-2 in Oma
ha Wednesday.
Bill Fink, Tom Wiese and
Bob Hurlbutt each won their
singles matches. The Husker?
also won both doubles
matches while falling in the
Xo.s 3 and 5 singles.
Bill Roehr, coach Higgln-
botham's top single man, did
not make the trip because of
a sprained instep in his foot.
Higginbotham is now look
ing to his first Big Eight en
counter next Wednesday with
Oklahoma. This match is part
of a southern swing by the
netmen that includes meets
with Oklahoma Baptist and
Missouri.
Weak Linebacker Adrian
F i a I a, Dan Hartman,
George Chandler
Fullback Al Larson Wil
fred Minor, Dave Morock
Halfback Dana Stephen
son. Tom Heller, Marlin
TerwMiiger
Safety Randy Reeves.
Jim Jansen, Fred HoIIstein
ATTENTION SENIORS
GRADUATING IN JUNE 19B8
With a Non-Technical Degree
Considsr Career Opportunities With
The "COLLEGE LIFE
1. The most dynamic com
pany in the industry, in
taring only college trained
people, hiring only college
graduates.
3. Average first year earn
fngs of $8,090. Can expect
yearly increase of about
$2,000. Earnings above this
leve! limited only by your
initiative. Tight weeks
yearly vocation.
5. Gsograpbiral I sections mw available include: California;
Wcshir-t-n, DC? Georgia; lova; Massachusetts; Nebras
ka; Texas; and I'tch.
For The rVI Story en "COU J Name
USI lir" Moil Thi Attsubwd '
Ceoaft i J Addres
Mr. Mol HsnweW J '
140 Horth 48th J phone
Suite o
Lincoln, Nebraska 08504 j Major
Olympic
mat trials
set for ISU
Ames, Iowa The biggest
wrestling invasion in its his
tory is possible when Iowa
State holds the final Olympic
mat trials May 9-14.
Those are the dates that all
qualifiers and possibly a
few others assemble in
Ames to get down to the task
ot making the United States
Olympic team. If all district
meets were held and all qual
ifiers arrive at Iowa State, the
total could reach 424. Add to
this number the men who are
outstanding wrestlers but who
were unable to qualify for the
meet and the total couia move
up toward the 450 mark.
The latter grouping is pos
sible because a top performer
might have been sick or in
jured, and therefore unable to
get to a district meet. It is
the intention of the Olympic
wrestling committee to have
the best men available for the
team.
The too two or three men
coming from the final trials
at Iowa State will report xo
Adams State in Alamosa,
Colo., about three weeks be
fore the Olympic meet in
Mexico City. A series of
matches at Alamosa will de
termine the final makeup of
the teams which will repre
sent the United States.
Season tickets for the final
trials at Iowa State are on
sale at the business office in
the Athletic Department. Only
season tickets, which are the
only reserved seats to be sold,
are on sale now. The season
ticket price is $10.
Husker
Happenings
Thursday
Nothing scheduled.
Friday
Baseball Kansas, double
header at NU diamond, 1 p.m.
Saturday
Baseball Kansas, NU dia
mond, 1:30 p.m.
Track Air Force and Oc
cidental at Colorado Springs.
Golf at Missouri.
.!. J
I Current Monies'
1 J
Cum rornhdu4 kr ttnuu
LINCOLN
CooperLincoln: "Bonnie and
Clyde', 7:00. :00.
'arsitT! 'Blackbeardi Ghost.
1:00, 3:06. 5:12, 7:18, 9:24.
Stale: The Graduate'. t:00,
J:0. 5:00. 7:00. 1:00.
Stuart: 'Did You Hear The
One About The Traveling Sales
lady', 1:20. J:20, :20. 7:20, :20.
Jovo: 'High Wild And Free,
7:15,' 9:15.
Nebraska: 'Stay Away Joe",
1:10, J:05. 5:05. 7:05. 9:05.
S4tb c O: In The Heat Of The
Night. 7:30. 'Duel At Dearlo'.
9:25. Last complete show, S:30.
Starvlew: Cartoon, 7:30, The
Glory Stampers. 7:37. 10:50,
'Mary Jane', 9:20.
OMAHA
Indian Hills: 'Gone With The
Wind', 9:00.
Dundee: "Half a Sixpence.
9:00.
Cooper 70: 'Dr. Doolittle. :00.
INSURANCE CO.
2. Clientele guaranteed and
proved by "College life"
in the fastest growing mar
ket in the country.
4. Early promotions avail
able. Promotions based an
merit alone ind made from
within "College Life."
Second largest indoors
10th annual rodeo
planned for May
The University's 10th annu
al rodeo, the state's second
largest indoors, is being pre
pared for May 3 and 4 pre
.ntatinns at the State Fair
Grounds Coliseum by the Un
iversity Rodeo CluD. accon
ing to Tom Cunningham, pres
ident Th vearlv event, previous
ly attended by 7,500 or more
rodeo enthusiasts, has be
come a popular area attrac
tion because of the uniqueness
nf the events and because of
its support of the Lancaster
County Association for Re
tarded Children, which re
ceives a portion of total gate
Such events as the eirls
pajama game supplement the
roping, dogging and riding,
all of which are open to en
trants who meet general Uni
versity participation require
ments.
Nebraska has much at
ctake in the upcoming compe
tition, for Chip Whitaker and
John Sennett rank first and
third respectively in bulldog
pine in the Great Plains Re
gion, and may qualify for
I
Sastem Style Restaurant
1763 South St
Serving Chinese, Indian,
and American food.
1
423-8169 Closed TuestUyi I
II M M M H w M M II II ! M l " '
HPS
PAT PAULSEN
of the Smothers Brothers
Comedy Hour
w ill appear with the Sandpipers
Friday, April 26 in Pershing Auditorium
K M mem Urketa n wle la Mm Nekratka tfalta
""3SsWfC
432-1465
13th IP Street
"FLiU'ET OF THE APES' IS A
DLOCKDUSTEIL
)r. fc
RQDDK McDOWALi MAURICE EVANS
KIM HUNTER -JAMES WHflMORE JAMES DALY
UNDA HARRISON"' PRODUCTIONS HORl ABRAHAMS HtANKUNJ SOttfflia
MKtMa'wiLSON KJDSJiUNS nan mumT'nm 'ul' Mwmtor- CUM SOUS
PARKING WA'iu.
' - '
iwyAMAMAu
rP
Eeisisfeiateins
perfect
N
PH1SEEY
BBSS Mm
m. . s-gjr -m-inf.-. ..-; iMiiiil ii i i i 11JJ
Thursday, April 11, 1968
the national championship fi
nals. Further, all entrants wil
be vying for over $1700 of
trophies and awards.
The rodeo, the third for
the Great Plains Region
(Kansas, North and South
Dak6ta, Iowa, Wisconsin and
Nebraska), is the primary
fund-raising project of the ro
deo club, with over 100 ac
tive members selling adver
tisements' and promoting the
event
This past year, the club
joined the National Intercol
legiate Rodeo Association
which has boosted the pres
tige of the rodeo.
The call has now been giv
en for girls of the University
to apply as queen candidates.
Organized living units or in
terested individuals are be
ing urged to select their re
presentative who will be gen
erally interviewed April 26.
followed by a horsemanship
contest April 28. The queen
will b? crowned May 3 dur
ing the first show on Friday
evening.
i
CONTINUOUS FROM 1 PJH.
TOMORROW
FASCHlOTOr
Liz Smith, Cosmopolitan
?0TH CENTURY-fOX PRESENTS
CHARLTON HESTOM
n m ARTHUR P. JACOBS prodgcUm
5u,e m m A
jmmm , ,. ,
CONTINUOUS FROM 1 PJW.
rrinTf
Altli IUUAT
'-, J. A,
4 , V i.7
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