Physics of Baseball and Softball , Rod Cross Springer, New York, 2011. $169.00 (323 pp.). ISBN 978-1-4419-8112-7
I was intrigued when I learned Rod Cross had written a book called Physics of Baseball and Softball. Originally a plasma physicist, Cross has in the past 15 years authored about 40 articles on the physics of sports, particularly tennis (see his Quick Study in PHYSICS TODAY, September 2008, page 84). Cross’s articles provide a penetrating analysis of what actually happens when striking implements meet balls and when balls bounce on turf or other court or stadium surfaces. He has an obvious affection for tennis: In his 2002 book with Howard Brody and Crawford Lindsey, The Physics and Technology of Tennis (Racquet Tech Publications), he displayed a deep appreciation for that game from a player’s perspective.
But here’s the rub: Cross is Australian, not American. Does this mean we Yanks...
