Is the torpedo bat here to stay in baseball?

Baseball players are using a new kind of bat—the torpedo bat. In this podcast, an expert digs into whether its a trend or a new standard.

Georgia Tech • futurity
April 24, 2025 • ~2 min

Up against Hank Greenberg, baseball’s first Jewish superstar, antisemitism struck out

Ninety years ago, Greenberg had a momentous decision to make: Should he play baseball on Yom Kippur?

Robert Gudmestad, Professor and Chair of History Department, Colorado State University • conversation
Oct. 3, 2024 • ~9 min

50 years after the first procedure, Tommy John surgery is more common than ever − especially for young athletes

It’s saved the careers of hundreds of MLB pitchers. But teenage athletes dreaming of fame and fortune are now having the surgery in record numbers.

Kevin W. Farmer, Professor of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Florida • conversation
Sept. 19, 2024 • ~7 min

Japan’s Ohtani Gets $700 Million, Biggest Team Sports Deal
VOA Learning English • voa
Dec. 11, 2023 • ~5 min

Two wrongs trying to make a right – makeup calls are common for MLB umpires, financial analysts and probably you

Erroneous calls increase the chances of subsequent calls in favor of the person who was harmed. What drives this behavior, and do people even recognize they’re doing it?

Meghan Thornton-Lugo, Assistant Professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, University of Akron • conversation
Sept. 27, 2022 • ~8 min

Young Cuban Players Dream of US Major Leagues
VOA Learning English • voa
Aug. 14, 2022 • ~5 min

Sticky baseballs: Explaining the physics of the latest scandal in Major League Baseball

Pitchers in Major League Baseball have been striking out more batters than ever, and some people say it's because they're adding sticky stuff to the balls.

John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics, University of Lynchburg • conversation
June 15, 2021 • ~8 min

Baseball stadiums are filling up – but an analysis of the NFL’s 2020 season holds a warning about COVID-19 case spikes

Crowd size matters. When football games had thousands of fans in attendance, COVID-19 case numbers tended to spike within three weeks.

Justin Kurland, Director of Research, National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, The University of Southern Mississippi • conversation
April 2, 2021 • ~7 min

What baseball can learn about COVID-19 case spikes and crowd size from the NFL’s 2020 season

Crowd size matters. When football games had thousands of fans in attendance, COVID-19 case numbers tended to spike within three weeks.

Justin Kurland, Director of Research, National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, The University of Southern Mississippi • conversation
April 2, 2021 • ~8 min

Vision training may boost batting performance

A program of ten weeks of vision training improved baseball players' batting performance, according to a small study.

Duke University • futurity
Aug. 3, 2020 • ~5 min

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