Alan Nathan
@pobguy.bsky.social
Professor Emeritus of Physics, U of Illinois. Physics of Baseball: baseball.physics.illinois.edu. Mostly post about baseball. Sometimes Con Law, basketball, physics, WW1, Twilight Zone, ...
Very nice graphic! Are you showing the path of the tip of the barrel or some other point?
A streamlit app for generating a batter's typical bat path:
barrelovertimeplots-3kgk2mj9g35ngrt9ypqqin.streamlit.app
barrelovertimeplots-3kgk2mj9g35ngrt9ypqqin.streamlit.app
January 19, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Very nice graphic! Are you showing the path of the tip of the barrel or some other point?
Jane is another of my favorites
Future commissioner Jane Leavy and Orioles broadcaster Melanie Newman at the Babe Ruth chapter’s annual SABR Day meeting.
January 19, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Jane is another of my favorites
Sig is one of my favorite people in all of baseball. We talk often about all manner of baseball-related issues of mutual interest, especially those than can be addressed with physics.
Orioles VP Sig Mejdal speaks to an attentive SABR Day crowd at the Baltimore Babe Ruth chapter’s annual meeting.
January 19, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Sig is one of my favorite people in all of baseball. We talk often about all manner of baseball-related issues of mutual interest, especially those than can be addressed with physics.
Reposted by Alan Nathan
It's so cold in Chicago that I'm using which direction the players' breath blows as it comes out of their mouth to verify that the @weatherapplied.com model for Soldier Field is accurate at the 6 foot level.
January 19, 2026 at 12:33 AM
It's so cold in Chicago that I'm using which direction the players' breath blows as it comes out of their mouth to verify that the @weatherapplied.com model for Soldier Field is accurate at the 6 foot level.
Reposted by Alan Nathan
This is such a cool illustration of how the Mercator map distorts the size of Greenland, which looks as big as the whole continent of Africa on that map but is actually the size of Mexico.
January 18, 2026 at 7:43 PM
This is such a cool illustration of how the Mercator map distorts the size of Greenland, which looks as big as the whole continent of Africa on that map but is actually the size of Mexico.
Reposted by Alan Nathan
In 2017 I sat for an interview with Nick Davis, director of the Ted Williams documentary on PBS. Snips were used in the broadcast film, but here is the longform interview: www.pbs.org/wnet/america...
John Thorn | Interview | American Masters Digital Archive | PBS
www.pbs.org
January 13, 2026 at 11:18 PM
In 2017 I sat for an interview with Nick Davis, director of the Ted Williams documentary on PBS. Snips were used in the broadcast film, but here is the longform interview: www.pbs.org/wnet/america...
Reposted by Alan Nathan
PSA: Examples of a judicial warrant and an administrative warrant. ICE cannot enter your home with only an administrative warrant.
January 11, 2026 at 11:03 PM
PSA: Examples of a judicial warrant and an administrative warrant. ICE cannot enter your home with only an administrative warrant.
Here's a great story for these troubled times:
share.google/s6IPE19JdMNL...
I met Donell today. He's one great guy!
share.google/s6IPE19JdMNL...
I met Donell today. He's one great guy!
January 9, 2026 at 10:38 PM
Here's a great story for these troubled times:
share.google/s6IPE19JdMNL...
I met Donell today. He's one great guy!
share.google/s6IPE19JdMNL...
I met Donell today. He's one great guy!
Reposted by Alan Nathan
This is an incredibly interesting article, with incredibly important implications for how teams think about long-term deals for players.
Under the Hood of The Aging Hitter
by Joshua Rodrigues (@jrodrigues39.bsky.social)
www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...
by Joshua Rodrigues (@jrodrigues39.bsky.social)
www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article...
Under the Hood of The Aging Hitter | Baseball Prospectus
As always, there are hidden taxes.
www.baseballprospectus.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:55 AM
This is an incredibly interesting article, with incredibly important implications for how teams think about long-term deals for players.
Reposted by Alan Nathan
"An analysis of footage from three camera angles shows that the motorist was driving away from—not toward—a federal officer when he opened fire."
Great video analysis of Minneapolis shooting from NYT. These frames show drawing of gun and exact moment of first shot.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Great video analysis of Minneapolis shooting from NYT. These frames show drawing of gun and exact moment of first shot.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
January 8, 2026 at 12:48 PM
"An analysis of footage from three camera angles shows that the motorist was driving away from—not toward—a federal officer when he opened fire."
Great video analysis of Minneapolis shooting from NYT. These frames show drawing of gun and exact moment of first shot.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Great video analysis of Minneapolis shooting from NYT. These frames show drawing of gun and exact moment of first shot.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
Reposted by Alan Nathan
It’s a good time for nineteenth-century style political cartoons.
This one from the Toronto Star
This one from the Toronto Star
January 7, 2026 at 1:26 PM
It’s a good time for nineteenth-century style political cartoons.
This one from the Toronto Star
This one from the Toronto Star
Reposted by Alan Nathan
Last night I wrote to you about Trump’s desperate efforts to rewrite history. Today, on the taxpayer funded WH website, he’s using our resources to pursue Orwellian 1984ish revisions. It’s our job to stop him. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
The Dangerous Revision Of Jan 6 History On The Official WH Website
As I wrote to you last night, five years on from January 6, Donald Trump is trying to rewrite the history of the insurrection.
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Last night I wrote to you about Trump’s desperate efforts to rewrite history. Today, on the taxpayer funded WH website, he’s using our resources to pursue Orwellian 1984ish revisions. It’s our job to stop him. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
Reposted by Alan Nathan
Re: the Phamgraphs article, in which I'm mentioned, and this sentence: "If WAM can measure this for homers, perhaps they can measure it for outfield fly balls, as well."
@weatherapplied.com does measure the wind impact of every fly ball. Also, for every pitch.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
@weatherapplied.com does measure the wind impact of every fly ball. Also, for every pitch.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
Tommy Pham makes his case for MLB’s next big metric: He calls it PhamGraphs
Pham proposes a statistical system that would account for how often a hitter faces high-leverage relievers and how defenders cope with wind.
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Re: the Phamgraphs article, in which I'm mentioned, and this sentence: "If WAM can measure this for homers, perhaps they can measure it for outfield fly balls, as well."
@weatherapplied.com does measure the wind impact of every fly ball. Also, for every pitch.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
@weatherapplied.com does measure the wind impact of every fly ball. Also, for every pitch.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/694...
I bat and throw left-handed but write right-handed. Evidently not so unusual.
Fun Fact: Baseball legend Babe Ruth batted and threw left-handed, but he signed autographs right-handed! #MLB #History #NationalTriviaDay
January 4, 2026 at 3:22 PM
I bat and throw left-handed but write right-handed. Evidently not so unusual.
9*(54/40)^2=16.4
We don't publish IVB at Brooks. Only short form. IVB is from release, short form is from 40 ft
January 3, 2026 at 12:31 AM
9*(54/40)^2=16.4
As a quickee estimate, the movement scales with the square of the flight distance.
Not really, you need to do some standard equations of motion withthe 9 pt fit. But it's in our api which FG has access to, so you check with Appelman on how to use that hopefully
January 2, 2026 at 9:52 PM
As a quickee estimate, the movement scales with the square of the flight distance.
Following up on your question: I suspect that others are also analyzing the 2025 data on torpedo bats. And I further suspect that, based on this analysis, the usage of these bats will increase in 2026. We shall see.
Yes, I have done some analysis. It is still in progress and not yet ready to go public. Also have done ( with my collaborators) lab measurements. Those results will be shown at a conference in June. Perhaps prior to that.
@pobguy.bsky.social I just reread your @fangraphs.com piece on torpedo bats from April. Curious if you've analyzed bat performance from the 2025 season or are aware of any good writeups? I haven't seen any academic or pop media articles with any data analysis
January 2, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Following up on your question: I suspect that others are also analyzing the 2025 data on torpedo bats. And I further suspect that, based on this analysis, the usage of these bats will increase in 2026. We shall see.
Yes, I have done some analysis. It is still in progress and not yet ready to go public. Also have done ( with my collaborators) lab measurements. Those results will be shown at a conference in June. Perhaps prior to that.
@pobguy.bsky.social I just reread your @fangraphs.com piece on torpedo bats from April. Curious if you've analyzed bat performance from the 2025 season or are aware of any good writeups? I haven't seen any academic or pop media articles with any data analysis
January 2, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Yes, I have done some analysis. It is still in progress and not yet ready to go public. Also have done ( with my collaborators) lab measurements. Those results will be shown at a conference in June. Perhaps prior to that.
Watching the Twilight Zone Marathon on SyFy right now, a fitting way to start the new year.
This feels like a @pobguy.bsky.social rabbit hole! 🌀🚪🐇🕳️
January 1, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Watching the Twilight Zone Marathon on SyFy right now, a fitting way to start the new year.
Looking forward to it. I've been watching the video for the past 3 hours.
Just finished reading the Jack Smith transcript. I've highlighted what I consider to be stand-out moments, and our team at MSW Media will be cutting together a highlight reel for you. Stay tuned!
January 1, 2026 at 2:51 AM
Looking forward to it. I've been watching the video for the past 3 hours.
Jack Smith Deposition
YouTube video by House Judiciary GOP
youtube.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Alan Nathan
"We would have secured convictions at trial."
Supreme Court's immunity decision didn't exonerate Trump
"Eyes wide open" to potential retaliation from Trump
The investigation included members of Congress:
"I didn't choose those members. President Trump did."
www.rawstory.com/jack-smith-2...
Supreme Court's immunity decision didn't exonerate Trump
"Eyes wide open" to potential retaliation from Trump
The investigation included members of Congress:
"I didn't choose those members. President Trump did."
www.rawstory.com/jack-smith-2...
5 eye-popping claims Jack Smith made during his deposition with House GOP
House Republicans finally released on Wednesday the long-awaited transcript of former special counsel Jack Smith's deposition before the House Judiciary Committee. The 255-page document was released o...
www.rawstory.com
December 31, 2025 at 8:54 PM
"We would have secured convictions at trial."
Supreme Court's immunity decision didn't exonerate Trump
"Eyes wide open" to potential retaliation from Trump
The investigation included members of Congress:
"I didn't choose those members. President Trump did."
www.rawstory.com/jack-smith-2...
Supreme Court's immunity decision didn't exonerate Trump
"Eyes wide open" to potential retaliation from Trump
The investigation included members of Congress:
"I didn't choose those members. President Trump did."
www.rawstory.com/jack-smith-2...
Reposted by Alan Nathan
The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off
The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off
Next head of Cern backs massive replacement for world’s largest machine to investigate mysteries of the universe
www.theguardian.com
December 31, 2025 at 1:14 PM
The man taking over the Large Hadron Collider – only to switch it off