This narrative is about a man named Mark who pitches a wiffle ball to the world's greatest wiffle ball players in a game of his own design. He uses his engineering skills to create a ball that is nearly impossible to hit, and this sets the stage for a series of experiments and tests to understand how balls curve through the air.
Mark's journey of discovery starts with a visit to his childhood home and a reunion with his old neighborhood friends, who are professional wiffle ball players. The game is intense, and Mark's team loses, much to his disappointment.
However, Mark isn't one to give up easily. He decides to use his engineering skills to create a ball that can curve in ways he believes will give his team an edge. He goes to CrunchLabs, a place where he can study and learn, and meets with Brian Banister, a pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants. Mark also meets with the Stanford baseball team to run further tests.
Mark's research and experiments lead him to the understanding that the curving of a ball through the air is due to the Magnus Effect, which states that fluids like to curve and flow around a smooth surface. This is demonstrated by the example of an astronaut in space who throws a wrench in the opposite direction to move back to the space station.
Mark uses this knowledge to engineer a ball that curves unpredictably, making it impossible for the hitters to predict where to swing. He uses a 3D-printed ball with a spring-loaded plug that releases after a delay, altering the trajectory of the ball in midair.
Despite his efforts, Mark's team still loses the game. However, the game was not just about winning; it was about learning, experimenting, and having fun. Mark's journey is a testament to the power of curiosity, experimentation, and engineering.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Wiffle ball is a popular backyard version of baseball in America.
2. Wiffle balls have holes on one side, which allows them to curve while in flight.
3. The narrator, Mark, used to play wiffle ball as a child and had a reputation for being able to hit the ball far.
4. Mark visited his childhood home in Brea, California, where he used to play wiffle ball.
5. Mark met up with some neighborhood kids and played a game of wiffle ball with them.
6. Mark discovered that there is a professional wiffle ball league and met some of the players, including Jimmy Knorp, also known as "The Knorpedo".
7. Jimmy Knorp is considered one of the best players in the league and has won back-to-back World Series championships.
8. Mark was invited to play a game with Jimmy and his team in Oklahoma.
9. Mark used his engineering skills to create a special wiffle ball that could curve in mid-air, but it was not enough to beat Jimmy's team.
10. Mark met with Brian Banister, a pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants, to learn about the science behind curveballs.
11. Mark learned about the Magnus Effect, which is the phenomenon that allows balls to curve through the air.
12. Mark used his newfound knowledge to create a new wiffle ball that could curve even more than before.
13. Mark played a rematch against Jimmy's team and was able to strike out the Knorpedo, earning his respect.
14. Mark's team was able to take the lead in the game, but Jimmy's team came back to tie it up.
15. Mark's team was able to win the game in the final inning, thanks in part to Mark's clever use of a pneumatically-powered strike zone.
16. Mark was able to hit a home run and score the winning run, thanks to a blast of air that cleared the catcher out of the way.
17. Mark reflected on what he had learned about the importance of following one's passion and finding joy in life.
18. Mark introduced Camp CrunchLabs, a 12-week virtual summer camp that features weekly videos and challenges for kids to learn about science and engineering.