Star power behind HR explosion

April 27, 2000

BY ELLIOTT HARRIS

Baseball's home-run explosion is a matter of some gravity.

Never have so many hit so many in so few games. Some folks would say the nature of the game is being ruined.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that, although Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Doug Glanville sounds like one.

"A solar flare from the star Betelgeuse caused disruptions in the earth's gravitational field, thus reducing the strength of the field by a factor of 1.3," the Penn graduate and former Cub told ESPN.com. "Therefore, by the equation F=mg (m=mass, g=gravitational strength), `g' has been reduced by this same factor causing less force to be `holding down' any object in question. A baseball will indeed travel considerably further. Hence, more home runs."

That being said--whatever it means--how does baseball compensate for such dramatic increases in home runs?

"Pump pseudo gravity into every stadium, kind of like putting weights on every baseball," Glanville said. "They could say, `The PG stopped that ball from going out.' Announcers would love it. Fans would have to go through gravity-adjustment training, but that would be part of the fun. Just don't drop your hot dog on your foot."

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sports/1hit27.html

-- - (x@xxx.com), April 27, 2000

Answers

Must be the global change in weather patterns - more low pressure systems allowing the balls to go farther. The Northeast has entered a permanent mud season, looks like. (Course, I'm not worried. If the weather ever improves, we still have that high pressure system called Pedro to compensate here in RedSox Nation.) ;^)

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), April 27, 2000.

Has anyone noticed an increased sexual drive during this Beatle-juice flare up ???

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), April 27, 2000.

Sure have, capnfun. I tell you, I just can't keep women off of me. 8^)

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), April 27, 2000.

It's my understanding that the baseball greats are/were all shape- shifting aliens. This was revealed to the American public via the alternative press through the documentary entitled "The X Files" last Sunday. An FBI agent named Fox Mulder did the interview.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), April 27, 2000.

Most of the home run explosion is due to people who are NOT stars hitting them. Mike Bordick, an unknown shortstop, leads the major league in RBI's? This is a weird season so far.

And my team's in last place. So things are bound to change soon.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), April 27, 2000.

The increase in home runs is being caused by a Y2K glitch.

-- FutureSHock (gray@matter.think), April 27, 2000.