Re: Does the speed of a pitch depend on the distance traveled?

I gather from your question you have been watching the Little  League
World  Series, as well.  

In general, the drag forces on the baseball are very minimal at typical 
game speeds and produces very little deceleration on the ball.

What the broadcasters are trying to emphasize is the effective speed based 
on reaction time.  The reaction time is what is important to the hitter.

The average speed of the ball is given by

Speed = Distance / Time, 

where the Distance is the pitching mound to the plate, and Time can be 
measured from the point of release of the throw until the ball crosses the 
plate.  For simplicity I will assume that the reaction time is the same as 
the time of the throw, yet in reality it is probably less because the 
hitter has to see the ball and the arm angle, and make some instinctual 
decisions about what type of pitch is coming before starting the swing.

Therefore,

Time = Distance / Speed.

Because the mound to plate distance in little league is about 75% of the 
major league mound to plate distance, the reaction time for the hitter is 
75 % less for a ball pitched at the same speed.

Or to turn the equation around a bit, and present it as ESPN and ABC did:

(LL Distance) / (LL Speed) = (MLB Distance) / (MLB Speed),
where LL = Little League and MLB = Major League Baseball.

The can be rearranged to:

(MLB Speed) = [(MLB Distance)/ (LL Distance)] * (LL Speed),

which is approximately,

(MLB Speed) = 1.33 * (LL Speed).

Let's plug in some numbers, to see how it works.

A Little League pitcher throwing 70 MPH gives the batter the same time to 
react as a Major League pitcher throwing 93 MPH.  If the Little League 
fireballer throws 75 MPH, that is equivalent to just under 100 MPH from a 
Major League pitcher.

Sincerely,

Tom "Physicist to Harold Reynolds" Cull