Podcast Summary: Off the Radar – "Baseball's Weather Playbook"

Episode Information

• Title: Baseball's Weather Playbook
• Host: Emily Gracey, National Weather Desk Meteorologist
• Release Date: April 1, 2025
• Description: In this episode, Emily Gracey delves into the intricate relationship between weather and baseball. She engages with Morgan Adsett, a seasoned sports reporter, and Clay Nunley, MLB’s baseball scientist, to explore how various weather elements like humidity and wind influence the game, the implementation of advanced wind modeling in ballparks, and the broader implications for players, teams, and fans.

1. Introduction to the Episode and Guests

Emily Gracey sets the stage by highlighting the excitement of baseball intertwined with the unpredictability of weather. She introduces her guests:

• Morgan Adsett: A sports anchor and reporter for Fox 45 in Baltimore with nearly two decades of experience covering baseball.
• Clay Nunley: MLB’s baseball scientist with a strong background in physics and electrical engineering, responsible for integrating weather modeling into the game.

Notable Quote:

Emily Gracey [00:32]: "This week we are going off the radar and into the outfield to understand the weather impacts on America's favorite pastime."

2. Weather Elements Affecting Baseball

Humidity: Morgan discusses how summer's heat and humidity contribute to higher home run totals. She explains that humid air, being less dense, allows the ball to travel farther.

Notable Quote:

Morgan Adsett [05:23]: "When you get into summer or the heat and humidity, just the home run totals go up... it just makes the ball travel and carry."

Impact on Players: High humidity affects pitchers by making the ball slippery, complicating grip and control, especially in high temperatures. This can lead to increased difficulty in command and consistency.

Notable Quote:

Morgan Adsett [06:48]: "It's hard to command the ball and hold on to it. Especially when you're tossing mid to high 90s, you can easily lose control of it."

3. Wind Modeling and Its Implementation in MLB

Introduction of Wind Modeling: Clay Nunley explains the collaboration with Weather Applied Metrics, a company specializing in 3D wind modeling of stadiums. This partnership began with pilot studies in select ballparks and expanded to all MLB parks in 2023.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [14:00]: "Weather Applied Metrics can model it. They have a really good 3D model of what the stadium looks like... and how the wind interacts with the stadium and affects home runs and pitches."

Process and Evolution: Initially, wind impact was qualitatively understood through visual indicators like flag movements. The advanced modeling now provides quantitative data, enabling precise analysis of how wind affects each play.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [17:58]: "So Weather Applied Metrics was in a handful of parks, and that told us what was possible... we never really calculated quantitatively."

4. Case Studies: Historic Home Runs and Great Games

Ted Williams’ Legendary Home Run: The team uses advanced wind modeling to revisit the infamous 1946 home run by Ted Williams, which hit a fan in the outfield. The analysis reveals that strong winds that day could have carried the ball approximately 530 feet, validating the historical account.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [25:31]: "Ted hit a ball really hard, and it got up into this unabated stream of winds... that wind carried it all the way to that red seat in right field."

Kerry Wood’s 20-Strikeout Game: Clay analyzes Kerry Wood’s remarkable game in 1998, attributing part of his success to favorable wind conditions that enhanced pitch movement, demonstrating how environmental factors can influence exceptional performances.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [28:20]: "The weather situation that day in 1998 for Kerry Wood's greatest game... the environment was also cooperating that day."

5. Impact on Players, Teams, Betting, and Broadcasting

For Players and Teams: Wind data assists teams in strategizing defensively and evaluating player performance more accurately by accounting for environmental variables.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [21:59]: "Baseball clubs, analytics departments... the more they know about wind, the better they can prepare and make tactics for their defense."

Betting Industry: Morgan highlights how bettors incorporate wind and other weather data into their strategies, adjusting lines and bets based on anticipated environmental impacts.

Notable Quote:

Morgan Adsett [11:07]: "Betting nerds already have that element. They definitely are on that... factoring in ballpark design and weather."

Broadcasting and Storytelling: MLB utilizes wind data to enhance broadcasts, offering fans deeper insights and engaging narratives about how weather influenced specific plays and outcomes.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [21:59]: "We want to tell the story of what's going on in a particular park on a particular night... those are good stories."

6. Future Applications and Expansion to Other Sports

Advancements and Consistency: Clay envisions further refining weather models to include additional factors like air density and expanding these applications to other sports, such as football and golf, where wind and environmental conditions play significant roles.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [32:18]: "I think baseball is going to exhaust what we can do with weather. I think other sports will benefit... football... golf."

Integration with Park Design: The data assists in designing new ballparks tailored to their specific environments, ensuring optimal play conditions and maintaining consistent run environments across venues.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [32:18]: "It'll help clubs design parks based on the environment they're in so that they can have at least the run environment that they think is appropriate for their team and for the league."

7. Conclusions and Final Thoughts

Emily Gracey wraps up by emphasizing the significant role weather plays in baseball and the innovative steps MLB is taking to incorporate this data into the game. She encourages listeners to follow the podcast for more insightful discussions and hints at upcoming episodes focused on science communication and tropical weather.

Notable Quote:

Emily Gracey [34:25]: "Off the Radar is a production of the National Weather Desk. Make sure you're following the show... New episodes publish every Tuesday."

Clay expresses enthusiasm for his role and the potential of weather modeling in sports, highlighting Weather Applied Metrics as a pioneering company in this domain.

Notable Quote:

Clay Nunley [34:41]: "Weather Applied Metrics is great. It's born out of a really pure idea, and they've got some really smart people to help execute it."

Key Takeaways:

• Weather’s Multifaceted Impact: Humidity, wind, and temperature significantly influence baseball dynamics, affecting everything from ball trajectory to player performance.
• Advanced Wind Modeling: MLB's integration of 3D wind models provides a quantitative understanding of how wind interacts with stadium architecture, enhancing strategic decision-making and storytelling.
• Historical Insights: Re-examining historic baseball moments with modern technology offers validation and deeper appreciation of legendary performances.
• Broader Implications: The advancements in weather modeling extend beyond baseball, offering valuable insights for other sports and recreational activities.

For Further Listening: Subscribe to "Off the Radar" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform to stay updated with future episodes exploring the intersection of weather, climate, and various facets of life and sport.