The Great Debate: Baseball vs Softball

Which is the more challenging task, hitting a baseball or softball? Quite a hot topic indeed. Although these two sports are essentially the same, there are some subtle differences. I'd like to outline some arguments for both sides, and let you make your own opinion.

To assess the two sports equally, we'll examine them at the college level. There is a consistent trend between baseball and softball batting averages with softball stats being slightly higher. Over the past 5 years, the top 3 batting averages for baseball hitters at the NCAA Division 1 level ranged from 0.438 to 0.493. The top 3 batting averages for softball hitters in the last 5 years at the NCAA Division 1 level ranged from 0.466 to 0.568. Maybe these numbers aren't completely convincing, but the trend is distinct, and undoubtedly intriguing. Read on.

Let's examine the differences in the pitching motion. Baseball pitchers release the ball over their head, while softball pitchers release the ball at their hip. In an earlier post I mentioned that it is imperative for softball hitters to focus on the pitcher's hip so they can pick up the ball at the earliest point. By focusing on the hip, it is similar to focusing on the feeder of the pitching machine. Baseball players don't have such a luxury in something to focus their eyes on. While the pitcher always releases the ball in the same general area over his head, the hitter doesn't have a focal point (on the pitcher) for ease of transition from point to ball. Instead, the baseball hitter is looking into space, then has to quickly pick up the ball as it is flying through the air.

Using the same pitching machine analogy, the baseball player would know when the ball is being fed into the machine and the general area of where the machine is set up, but wouldn't be able to see it. Therefore, he must react to the ball after it's fed into the machine. Our eyes are able to focus on things near and far away by means of our ciliary muscles. These muscles contract and relax to change the shape of the lens to focus light on the retina so we are able to focus on objects at varying distances. Hold your index finger 6" in front of your nose and focus on it, you'll notice that the background behind your finger is blurred. Now, shift your focus to the computer screen you're reading from, and now your finger is blurred (doubled). The moral of the story is that we cannot focus on near and far things at the same time. Furthermore, it takes time for our eyes to shift focus from objects near and far away.

Baseball hitters must look for the pitcher's release point at an upward angle, due to the fact the pitcher is releasing the ball over his head as well as he is standing on the mound. Since he doesn't have a distinct focal point to focus on, he must look into a space over the pitcher's shoulder. The next closest focal point for the hitter is the center field fence, 400 ft away. Therefore, there is a lapse of time between the time the pitcher releases the ball to when the hitter can actually focus on it.

In softball, there is a time when the pitcher's hip disappears from sight when she opens her hips to drive off the mound. The next nearest focal point when the pitcher's hip is out of sight is somewhere on the ground behind the mound. Thus, the amount of adjustment the ciliary muscles need to make to focus on the ball (hip) at the point of release is much less than that of a baseball player, and arguably would take less time. We can also consider the size and colour of the ball. Baseballs are just shy of 3 inches in diameter and white, while softballs are just under 4 inches and neon/optic yellow. One could therefore argue that softballs would be easier to focus on from a distance.

Baseball players also have to deal with a large amount of movement by the pitch. Since the baseball mound is 60ft away, compared to 43ft away for softball players, there is more time for the baseball to move. A curveball in baseball can move up to 2ft laterally, while a curveball in softball only moves about 6-10 inches laterally [1]. This also doesn't consider the movement vertically, but in baseball it is significant, while curveballs in softball are relatively flat (sideways riseballs). In softball, since the pitcher releases the ball at her hip, she must always throw the ball upwards or else the ball wouldn't make it to the plate. This phenomenon creates a different dynamic that is the riseball. While in baseball a 4 seam fastball is essentially a riseball in softball in terms of spin, there is a difference in the projection of the pitch. Baseball pitchers always throw the ball down because they're standing on a mound. Softball pitchers throw the ball up, which can then keep rising, or drop down towards the ground. While I mentioned in an earlier post that riseballs in the strike zone don't actually rise, it creates the illusion of rising because the ball's starting point (hip) is lower than the end point (contact), in addition to the spin that fights the force of gravity. One could argue that this "unnatural" ball flight of the softball riseball, along with the natural upwards swing path of the hitter would make hitting a softball harder than hitting a baseball.

Pitches in baseball are thrown harder than pitches in softball. Although the baseball pitcher is farther away from the plate, and the pitch flight times are approximately the same, one has to consider the time through the hitting zone. The hitting zone is the area which the hitter is able to make contact. On average, the hitting zone for a good baseball or softball hitter is 3ft. So, for a baseball thrown at 95 mph spends 0.022 sec in the hitting zone, while a softball thrown at 65 mph will spend 0.032 sec in the hitting zone, giving the softball player a small advantage.

Now, let's consider the types of bats baseball and softball players use. There has been recent action regarding the bats players are using at the amateur level due to the ball's high exit speed. Most recently, Little League baseball has put a moratorium on composite bats, and NCAA baseball has implemented strict testing protocols on their bats, almost eliminating composite bats as well. Softball is also on its way to implement strict regulations on their bats. We know that the higher the exit speed of the ball off the bat, the more likely the player is going to get a hit. Miss-hits that would normally result in outs, will more likely be hit through the infield or even carry over the fence, resulting in higher batting averages. The goal in NCAA Baseball "is that non-wood bats that meet this new standard will perform similarly to wood bats," according to BBCOR as of January 1, 2011. Wooden bats, and the aluminum bats used in baseball today are far less forgiving than composite softball bats, which would also attribute the lower batting averages achieved by baseball players compared to softball players.

Next, we'll consider the dynamics of the different sports. Baseball rosters at the NCAA level consist of upwards of 20 pitchers. That's more than a complete softball team at the NCAA level. The difference is that baseball pitchers need ample rest in between starts to protect their arm, while softball pitchers can pitch every day. There are also different types of pitchers in baseball, starters, closers, middle relievers, etc. Therefore, as a baseball player, you're more likely to see several different pitchers throughout the game. And if the opposing team has done their homework, it's likely you'll face a pitcher that will throw to your weakness later in the game. Unlike softball at the college level, teams will likely have one main pitcher who pitches in all the important games during the regular season, as well as through the post season. Therefore, the hitters gain more of an advantage as the season progresses because they get to face the same pitchers more than once, and the pitchers get worn down.

While hitting in baseball and softball are very similar, there are some distinct differences. Hopefully these arguments have given you a different outlook on the two, instead of believing all that we hear on tv.


References

[1] R.G. Watts and A.T. Bahill. Keep Your Eye on the Ball: The Science and Folklore of Baseball. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1990, pp. 151-175