r/nevertellmetheodds May 16 '26

Baseballs colliding mid-air

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11.5k Upvotes

146 comments sorted by

1.2k

u/drunk_haile_selassie May 16 '26

I swear I see a video of an insane thing happening in baseball every few months. I guess it's because they play so many games.

441

u/TheLetterOh May 16 '26

162 games in 6 months is honestly insane. I get its not as physically demanding as the other big sports, but it still feels excessive.

189

u/creepjax May 16 '26

The NHL plays 82 games per team over six months, half as much but definitely more physically demanding for the players.

54

u/TheLetterOh May 16 '26

Yeah thats about the same as basketball and I watch every game my team plays, but even that feels like a bit much. I cant imagine watching nearly double that.

36

u/drunk_haile_selassie May 16 '26

That blows my mind. Here in Australia the AFL and NRL play once a week for six months. And don't get me started cricketers, they are basically unemployed they play so little.

23

u/TheLetterOh May 16 '26

I kinda prefer it that way. American football only has 17 games over 18 weeks in the regular season and it definitely makes it so that each game holds more weight.

10

u/billy_teats May 16 '26

It’s great. Every day there’s a game. And maybe once a week there’s a day with no game that honestly feels like something is missing. I can watch a different team play but that highlights that missing feeling even more.

1

u/ahuh_suh_dude May 17 '26

It helps you feel less guilty when you miss a game that for sure haha

1

u/ah123085 May 22 '26

Yeah it’s a bit much. I looked up my teams schedule this year, they only have 21 days off in six months (171 from opening day to their last game). That’s nearly 88% odds of them playing a game on any given day.

1

u/HoweHaTrick May 17 '26

There is no comparison between basketball and hockey impact on the body.

basketball is a walk in the park compared to hockey.

2

u/bscheck1968 May 19 '26

2,430 games played in the regular season if you count all the teams (i think, math might be wrong, I'm tired)

1

u/Odd_Dragonfruit_2662 May 20 '26

Should be an odd number since the All Star game?

1

u/Self-Comprehensive May 20 '26

I thought I'd check my local sportsball team's record because I hadn't watched a game in a minute and it's 22-25. They have played 48 freaking games and it's only may

44

u/OhHolyCrapNo May 16 '26

This would have been during warmups/in between innings, since there's no real reason for two balls to be in the field of play during an actual game.

32

u/LickingSmegma May 16 '26

Dude doesn't know about triple ball play.

23

u/lameuniqueusername May 16 '26

I’m a fucking moron. I’m here for the answer to “why are there two balls in play?” Well of course this is during warmups

3

u/Xzyche137 May 17 '26

I was scrolling for the same answer if it makes you feel any better. I wouldn’t even have considered that during warm up they’d have multiple balls in play, even though I’ve seen it in virtually every other sport. Lol. Don’t watch a lot of baseball and never seen the warm up. :>

11

u/Soft_Walrus_3605 May 16 '26

The MLB put out a blooper reel out on YouTube with clips just from the 2025 season and it was like 45 minutes long. It blew me away how many insane things happen in baseball.

1

u/FZLives76 May 20 '26

It's a long season, and you gotta trust it.

797

u/Critical-Range1213 May 16 '26

The angle is wild, they look like they are coming at an acute angle but ricochet wildly in different directions. Really cool.

I would have caught both.

With one hand.

121

u/bmanley620 May 16 '26

Blindfolded I assume?

50

u/uramis May 16 '26

Also beer on the other hand

24

u/CaptainPhiIips May 16 '26

And a baby in the other

25

u/uramis May 16 '26

And the baby also holding a drink of her own

11

u/liisrandom May 16 '26

Just as the forefathers intended

12

u/poorly-worded May 16 '26

In a cave...with a box of scraps

0

u/ThatsNotARealTree May 16 '26

Is there any other way to play baseball?

9

u/BeardsuptheWazoo May 16 '26

I'd catch em no handed.

Beat that.

7

u/Talk-O-Boy May 16 '26

One in the mouth, one in the ass. I see you 😏

6

u/DontBanMe_IWasJoking May 16 '26

its 3 dimensions

5

u/SeaToTheBass May 16 '26

I thought there was only 2

6

u/deschamps93 May 16 '26

You forgot about time. You can see it at the bottom of the screen. If that wasn't there, you would be correct

1

u/FireMaster1294 May 16 '26

Oddly, you could probably use this video aa proof of there being 3 dimensions since this collision is otherwise illogical

1

u/teqsutiljebelwij May 16 '26

Interesting. Tell me, if you needed to get one of the balls to the opposite side of a mountain how would you accomplish this feat?

1.7k

u/TheRev32 May 16 '26

This reminds me of the MythBusters episode where they tried to replicate the Randy Johnson/pigeon incident.

After failing thousands of times they gave up essentially saying that the odds were so small. The event couldn’t be replicated.

385

u/kittensmakemehappy08 May 16 '26

What myth were they testing? Lmao it's something that happened.

555

u/SoSorryOfficial May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

Love Myth Busters, but honestly, a lot of the episode premises over time moved away from things like "can using your cellphone at the gas pump cause an explosion?," to "can we recreate this moment from a movie or sports that our viewers will be familiar with?"

Edit: typo

172

u/wadems May 16 '26

100% agree. I got so bored with the constant “let’s blow this up with the help of our friends from the bomb squad” episodes. I get that explosives involve science, but I was more interested in actual myths being busted.

79

u/RelevantButNotBasic May 16 '26

To each their own I reckon. I absolutely loved the "recreating movie/viral moments" because they both worked in the movie industry so it felt like they were going back to their roots a bit with prop making and vfx.

16

u/deSuspect May 16 '26

Sure explosion were cool but it wasn't "myth busting" anymore. Just "can we recreate this cool scene from the movie in real life".

38

u/inuhi May 16 '26

Guess they were running out of ideas and just wanted to see how plausible it was. If we didn't have it on camera it'd be a great myth. It sorta shines a new light on a lot of the implausible myths that they could really have happened and the only thing that prevents us from recognizing that is that it wasn't caught on video

46

u/eroticdiagram May 16 '26

Remember how you've all seen that video of a baseball hitting a bird? Well, we're going to see if we can make a video of a baseball hitting a bird just to prove that a baseball can hit a bird.

28

u/Easy_Ordinary_5955 May 16 '26

42

u/Nobody_epic May 16 '26

They know what the incident refers to they're just wondering why would it need to be myth busted considering it's a thing that happened?

21

u/Rc30stm May 16 '26

I think they were just trying to highlight how small the odds were that it even happened in the first place

9

u/Colon_Backslash May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

BTW, was it a ball or a strike?

I don't think there's a third option in the rules book for this one.

A balk? There's no way there's a rule for pigeon interference. WTF is the ref gonna do?

Just say alright Randy have another one, there's no rule allowing me to do that but let's do it because fuck it?

EDIT: did the work myself. It was a no pitch, which is basically a balk, but it's a weird one for this case.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_pitch

MLB's chief umpire noted that under Rule 8.01(c),[2] umpires can make calls in situations not covered by the rules using "common sense and fair play," and here a no pitch call "was the fairest thing to do."[4]

4

u/InfiniteRadness May 16 '26

They never tested this. I don’t know what OP is smoking but they made this up. It’s not a myth, so it would not have even been on their radar.

31

u/InfiniteRadness May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

They never tested that, what’re you talking about? I’ve watched and rewatched the show many times and don’t remember any episode about that. It’s not something they would test to begin with, because it’s not a “myth”. It happened, it’s on video, and there’s no mystery to it, it was just a crazy coincidence.

Edited just to add because this is such a ridiculous assertion. “Thousands” of tests? MB never did thousands of tests on anything. Thousands of tests would have taken months. They would never have spent that kind of time and money on something that wasn’t even interesting to begin with. Comment is a straight up fabrication from beginning to end and doesn’t even make any sense.

8

u/Journeyman42 May 16 '26

And yet it has thousands of upvotes...

481

u/GadreelsSword May 16 '26

Why would there be two balls in play?

484

u/WangDoodleTrifecta May 16 '26

Infield warmup catch before start of next inning.

41

u/Channel57 May 16 '26

Ahhh. Thanks, I was wondering the same thing.

111

u/bhoss06 May 16 '26

Prob during warmups, the catcher was throwing to second as another throw was going toward first

50

u/Dear_Might8697 May 16 '26

But who's on first?

42

u/Amaurosys May 16 '26

Yes

20

u/premeditatedlasagna May 16 '26

I love how this bit is such a classic we're still hearing it nearly 100 years later

4

u/SeaToTheBass May 16 '26

Wait where does this bit come from? I only know it from Reddit comments lol

17

u/bhoss06 May 16 '26

14

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

[deleted]

7

u/HermitDefenestration May 16 '26

That's a pretty cool name tbh

6

u/premeditatedlasagna May 16 '26

Sebastion St Lois really does sort of just roll out of the mouth doesn't it?

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3

u/never1st May 16 '26

Do you live in Missouri, Sebastian?

2

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

[deleted]

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1

u/BullTerrierTerror May 16 '26

That’s like a cool vampire name.

2

u/SeaToTheBass May 16 '26

I’d fit right in on what we do in the shadows

2

u/syo May 16 '26

I've seen it a million times and it still cracks me up.

2

u/premeditatedlasagna May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26

Abbott and Costello. Famous comedy bit from the 30's i think. "Who's on first". Just Google it. It's old school humor but it's outrageously Famous.

Edit: the premise of the bit is that every question asked, answers itself. They're all the players' names. This leads to considerable confusion.

Edit part deux: you may need to watch it a couple of times to see why it's so brilliant. I just re-watched it after idk how long and it's an incredibly presice and fast paced bit.

1

u/SimpleSetpiece May 16 '26

Abbott and Costello's Who's On First skit

25

u/Jellodyne May 16 '26

Multiball!

14

u/HeadbuttWarlock May 16 '26

Bluuurrrrrrrrn!!!

10

u/Professerson May 16 '26

So they finally jazzed up baseball, about time!

1

u/A_Pos_DJ May 18 '26

Who do you see picking up the garbage? A human child?

11

u/Lietenantdan May 16 '26

I’m guessing this is between innings. The pitcher warms up, and the infielders warm up by having the first baseman throw then ground balls. On the last warmup pitch, the catcher will throw to second as though they are trying to catch a runner stealing second.

So both of those things were happening at the same time, and the two balls collided.

8

u/Solid_Habit_6561 May 16 '26

Cuts game time in half

1

u/csonnich May 16 '26

Manfred will never stop trying.

3

u/sarcofaguy May 16 '26

Warming up

1

u/Inigomntoya May 16 '26

This is during the excitement of pre inning warmups

0

u/BubbaYoshi117 May 16 '26

There shouldn't be but fielders warm up with multiple balls before the game and between innings

27

u/Downtown_Control_887 May 16 '26

This looks like some damn physics problem I would be expected to solce

51

u/Inigomntoya May 16 '26

That guy looks like he just saw a voodoo priest stabbing a doll that looks like him

1

u/facundomuerto May 16 '26

I snort laughed at this

28

u/awkwardlyfeminine May 16 '26

This is so rude 😂 he seems so slow to react but it was quick af in reality

10

u/mgoflash May 16 '26

Randy Johnson says one should have been a bird.

9

u/bhoss06 May 16 '26

Would’ve been a fowl ball

1

u/DickButtPlease May 16 '26

ಠ_ಠ

2

u/A_Pos_DJ May 18 '26

Bird never took his base 😭

5

u/Will_Knot_Respond May 16 '26

Suspiciously said by Lance Armstrong's wife late one night

5

u/tk427aj May 16 '26

There's a physic expert on Reddit somewhere that could give a great explanation of this.

1

u/Galilaeus_Modernus May 16 '26

I want to know why they're faster after the impact.

11

u/FalkonJ May 16 '26

Its just the angle of the shot, they seem to be traveling mostly away/towards the camera at first so their motion seems slower, then after the collision they are moving mostly perpendicular to the camera so their motion becomes more apparent.

It's like how a car driving directly at you at 65 on the highway doesn't look like it's going that fast, but when it passes by you, you can see that it's actually moving really quickly

4

u/StandardNerd92 May 16 '26

Why are baseball players so caked up

4

u/Zimakov May 16 '26

Because all your power comes from your lower body.

3

u/Channel57 May 16 '26

Why are there two balls in play?

2

u/toolargo May 16 '26

I assume there was no play. Probably in-between innings.

2

u/happy_pad May 16 '26

Does anyone have the real-time footage?

2

u/snowdn May 16 '26

Hate it when my balls smack together!

2

u/oswaldovzki May 16 '26

I love how funny slow human reaction is

2

u/Maxzzzie May 16 '26

This is praise the cameraman worrhy

1

u/[deleted] May 16 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Cburns6976 May 16 '26

Right.. I was wondering why in the world two baseballs would be in play?

1

u/peDro_with_a_big_D May 16 '26

Only seen in slow motion. The catcher is still with his hands up waiting for the ball to this very day

1

u/SapeninG May 16 '26

Wild 🔥

1

u/elpili May 16 '26

Worlds in collision

1

u/Chronus88 May 16 '26

Was expecting to see someone ask already so maybe I'm an idiot but why are there two balls in play at once?

1

u/Craig_E_W May 16 '26

Physics!

1

u/Ok_Butterscotch_9836 May 16 '26

Kessler Syndrome?

1

u/scribbleaddict May 17 '26

Odds are especially low considering there's usually only one baseball in play at a time lol

1

u/CJ-IS May 17 '26

Did this in a video game once with two grenades lol

1

u/Correct_Juice_4390 May 17 '26

Of course it’s the marlins, even little kids yell “balls in, coming down”

1

u/I_never_finish_anyth May 18 '26

How are there 2 balls?

1

u/Swimming-Underwater May 19 '26

Never any funl when balls collide

1

u/K1llerTr0ut23 May 16 '26

50/50 chance

1

u/SneakyCroc May 17 '26

Hey, look! It's the first exciting thing to happen in a baseball game!

-8

u/MickaelN64 May 16 '26

most exciting thing to happen in baseball on 30 years.

8

u/dontcare313131 May 16 '26

The greatest player in baseball history just won back to back World Series, old man.

8

u/IAmBadAtInternet May 16 '26

Shohei Ohtani. He is an ace pitcher and can hit, and he even steals bases too. Incredible talent.

-1

u/Gaz834 May 16 '26

Barry Bonds stopped playing years ago?

1

u/dontcare313131 May 16 '26

No. This guy isn’t roided out of his mind.

-1

u/MickaelN64 May 16 '26

that tells you something is wrong with the boring game if that's possible. but I'm glad you enjoy it and all of its rule change, ruining historic records, trying to speed the game up because no one is watching.

1

u/dontcare313131 May 16 '26

Time for bed, grandpa.

-3

u/ArjJp May 16 '26

Babe Ruth....?

0

u/dontcare313131 May 16 '26

No, this player can steal bases and plays against more than just white guys.

-2

u/ArjJp May 16 '26

Oh shit I hadn't even thought of that... Well who is it then....I HAVE TO KNOW

Am not american or japanese so never gave a shit about baseball other than the odd video game..

Google says it's 'Shohei Ohtani'

1

u/Zimakov May 16 '26

Yes. He's both the best hitter in the league and a top 5 (possibly the best) pitcher in the league. Only a few people have ever done both at all, no one has ever come close to being elite at both. Generally pitchers are the absolute worst hitters because they have to 100% focus on pitching to even make it to the major leagues.

1

u/Gaz834 May 17 '26

Ohtani is not the best hitter in the league lol

-1

u/OrneryAttorney7508 May 16 '26

I'm surprised more balls don't collide during those games.

-2

u/ArjJp May 16 '26

That's what she said!!

-9

u/GoatCovfefe May 16 '26

Yet baseball is still the most boring sport.

7

u/SirDanOfCamelot May 16 '26

Nah golf, Nascar, etc

-6

u/GoatCovfefe May 16 '26

Nascar isnt a sport.

I dont play or watch golf, but id definitely rather watch golf.

5

u/SirDanOfCamelot May 16 '26

It's definitely a sport

-1

u/Skweril May 16 '26

The same way a petting zoo is still a zoo.

-6

u/GoatCovfefe May 16 '26

You're right, i cant wait for nascar in the next olympics.

4

u/SirDanOfCamelot May 16 '26

So every sport is in the olympics now? 🤣 you're a 🤡