More people can dunk or hit a HR?

[VDusen04]

Re: More people can dunk or hit a HR?

Counterpoint: you can find a guy that can dunk, maybe 2 or 3, at any pickup game at any Y in the nation. There are a lot more little dudes that can rise than you guys think. I'm not sure you find the ringer on a beer league softball team can crank one 350 ft.

That's a good point. I've flip-flopped on this whole idea 10 times already. I also forgot it's about how many could do one or the other if we put them in a stadium or on a court right this instance, without the benefit of any training.

As someone with very little baseball playing knowledge, I've gathered that hitting a home run in a Major League park is about a lot more than just brute strength. Even if a muscle bound human makes solid contact, technique is crucial, no? In terms of transferring and maximizing that power through the bat?

Conversely, dunking is largely about just getting up high enough to do it. I have multiple friends who were awful at basketball but could still dunk. I'm doubting the opposite is as frequently true (awful at baseball but can still hit a home run).

[NDAlum]

Re: More people can dunk or hit a HR?

If we're talking about training for a month I think you could get more to hit a HR. If we're talking about guys walking into a ballpark or gym and seeing who can accomplish task without training I think dunking would get the higher #.

Technique is huge in baseball but a very strong person lucking out and running into one could happen.

Also somebody said a woman could hit a HR. Yea I don't think one could. It would be comparable to women dunking. Even the best softball players just lack the strength to use the bat and hit it that distance.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: More people can dunk or hit a HR?

If we're talking about training for a month I think you could get more to hit a HR. If we're talking about guys walking into a ballpark or gym and seeing who can accomplish task without training I think dunking would get the higher #.

Technique is huge in baseball but a very strong person lucking out and running into one could happen.

Also somebody said a woman could hit a HR. Yea I don't think one could. It would be comparable to women dunking. Even the best softball players just lack the strength to use the bat and hit it that distance.

I think some women might be strong enough to homer. Some of the ladies on the pro tennis tour are built like tanks. Sloane Stephens, Serena Williams--you can't deny they basically have man strength. It's also a little unfair to compare how a baseball travels with how a softball travels. A softball is bigger and heavier and has a ton more drag on it. Substitute some baseballs in women's softball games and I bet you see them hit it farther.

[young22]

Re: More people can dunk or hit a HR?

This is an interesting question. I can dunk at 6'0, 7'9 reach, but it's nothing special. I get about 6-7 inches above the rim pretty easily, but I lose the ball a lot cause my hands aren't that big. I've never played baseball, so never hit a HR. But I feel like if you give a guy who's jacked a few hundred BP swings, he'll get lucky once.

Dunking is hard. Below like 6'2-6'3, unless you have Rajon Rondo arms, you need to have a vert of at least 32-33 inches to do even basic dunks. And under like 6'6, you gotta be pretty coordinated.

And then you gotta consider that there are probably like 100 women alive that can dunk, that eliminates half the world. And the average guy isn't very athletic.

But then again, hitting a baseball 300 feet is difficult. On the few occasions I've swung a bat, I've barely gotten to the outfield, and that's with a metal bat.

Sent from my SM-G386W using Operation Sports mobile app

[NDAlum]

Re: More people can dunk or hit a HR?

I think some women might be strong enough to homer. Some of the ladies on the pro tennis tour are built like tanks. Sloane Stephens, Serena Williams--you can't deny they basically have man strength. It's also a little unfair to compare how a baseball travels with how a softball travels. A softball is bigger and heavier and has a ton more drag on it. Substitute some baseballs in women's softball games and I bet you see them hit it farther.

It's not hard to hit a HR at a softball field. That 200+ foot range to about 250 to 275 isn't really something that people can't do. The real test is hitting the ball 330+ feet. I just don't think they have the strength to hit a ball that far. I wasn't comparing how the balls travel. They swing a lighter bat too, like 25% lighter.

This is an interesting question. I can dunk at 6'0, 7'9 reach, but it's nothing special. I get about 6-7 inches above the rim pretty easily, but I lose the ball a lot cause my hands aren't that big. I've never played baseball, so never hit a HR. But I feel like if you give a guy who's jacked a few hundred BP swings, he'll get lucky once.

Dunking is hard. Below like 6'2-6'3, unless you have Rajon Rondo arms, you need to have a vert of at least 32-33 inches to do even basic dunks. And under like 6'6, you gotta be pretty coordinated.

And then you gotta consider that there are probably like 100 women alive that can dunk, that eliminates half the world. And the average guy isn't very athletic.

But then again, hitting a baseball 300 feet is difficult. On the few occasions I've swung a bat, I've barely gotten to the outfield, and that's with a metal bat.

Sent from my SM-G386W using Operation Sports mobile app

If you're talking about a few hundred swings stamina surely comes into play. I'd say people have, on average, ~25 full out swings, to try and hit a HR.

I really want to see this put out there as a video experiment! It would be so hilarious. Then I want to see the "after" video of people waking up the next day after hacking away during BP. They'll have blistered hands and a strained ribcage and it'll hurt when they laugh/cough.

[Jr.]

Re: More people can dunk or hit a HR?

It's not hard to hit a HR at a softball field. That 200+ foot range to about 250 to 275 isn't really something that people can't do. The real test is hitting the ball 330+ feet. I just don't think they have the strength to hit a ball that far. I wasn't comparing how the balls travel. They swing a lighter bat too, like 25% lighter.

There are definitely some college softball players that could run one out of a MLB park hitting a baseball.