Deadened Baseball? LOL.

So long of season, so few games to make judgements on

Exit velocity is not the parameter to consider when talking about the change in this season's baseballs. What was supposed to be different is not that the ball is "deadened", which I would take to mean softened. Rather, the purported change is increased air resistance. That will have no bearing on the velocity of the ball upon leaving the bat. What it does mean is that a ball in flight will slow more quickly and therefore not travel as far. The question is whether air resistance has indeed changed and whether the ball indeed does not carry as well.

Now ask Polanco. 

I'm no physicist, but doesn't air resistance also vary greatly with weather conditions? As we get to the hot, muggy summer would we expect less carry?

The warmer it is the less air resistance. Balls fly further the warmer it is. I cant remember how it works for dry air versus humid air but one of those promotes moving through the air more than the other. 

It seems counterintuitive but Harmon always maintained that the ball carried better on a humid day.

I'm no physicist, but doesn't air resistance also vary greatly with weather conditions? As we get to the hot, muggy summer would we expect less carry?

Absolutely.

But if the ball is more resistant to airflow it will be so regardless of air density.

My initial guess, based on no substantive data whatsoever, is that the ball has not changed enough to make a big difference.

It seems counterintuitive but Harmon always maintained that the ball carried better on a humid day.

Not counterintuitive. On the contrary. Water vapor is less dense than atmospheric gases. Hence, humid air is less dense than dry air and the ball will carry better.

Air density is a major reason that Fulton County stadium in Atlanta was also known as The Launching Pad. First, Atlanta had the highest elevation of any MLB city at the time. Phoenix (just barely) and Denver have since supplanted it from that status. Second, Atlanta tends to have warm temperatures. Third, Atlanta tends to have higher humidity. Of course, the fact that it was a small stadium also helped a lot. I'm sure #44 was very glad to have played so many games there.

Humid air = more water vapor in air, less nitrogen in air

 

Nitrogen weighs more than water vapor (by about 33%), therefore balls fly further in humid air as there is less air resistance.

 

We think of humid air as being heavier as that's how it makes us feel physically. Our lungs have to work harder in humid air.

Dry air is considered to be about 78% nitrogen (molecular mass 28), about 21% oxygen (molecular mass 32), and about 1% argon (atomic mass 40). The rest are trace gases. Water vapor (molecular mass 18) rarely makes up more than about 3% of the atmosphere but it is enough to slightly decrease air resistance on very humid days.

Not counterintuitive. On the contrary. Water vapor is less dense than atmospheric gases. Hence, humid air is less dense than dry air and the ball will carry better.

Air density is a major reason that Fulton County stadium in Atlanta was also known as The Launching Pad. First, Atlanta had the highest elevation of any MLB city at the time. Phoenix (just barely) and Denver have since supplanted it from that status. Second, Atlanta tends to have warm temperatures. Third, Atlanta tends to have higher humidity. Of course, the fact that it was a small stadium also helped a lot. I'm sure #44 was very glad to have played so many games there.

I said it seems counterintuitive. I wasn’t disagreeing. It also why the the fresh concrete theory that people ridiculed is true. Concrete cures for several years by giving off water vapor. When you consider the massive amount of concrete poured in a new stadium it’s no wonder Target field was a launching pad early and now is not.

I'm no physicist, but doesn't air resistance also vary greatly with weather conditions? As we get to the hot, muggy summer would we expect less carry?

Absolutely.

But if the ball is more resistant to airflow it will be so regardless of air density.

My initial guess, based on no substantive data whatsoever, is that the ball has not changed enough to make a big difference.

I misread PDX's post when I replied originally.

Absolutely, air resistance varies with weather conditions. But as we get to the hot, muggy summer we will expect more carry, not less.