The distances between bases are perfect

[PoPPeR]

Really, I remember hearing this during a baseball broadcast where a commentor said how perfect 90 feet between the bases are. I mean, first off how did they come up with that number? It's long enough that the best hitters in baseball fail 2/3 times, yet short enough that a fast runner can beat out a weakly hit ball. Fast runners can steal a lot of bases, but even the best get caught. That's one thing in the game that definitely doesn't need to change.

 

[MrScott81]

interesting....that is something I've never really thought about, but it's very true. I'm guessing they just did a lot of testing to see what worked out the best way back in the day 🙂

 

[PoPPeR]

it's also long enough that players on steroids have to run hard enough to pull their hamstrings 😀

 

[MazerRackham]

Jesus told them, "make it 90 feet!" 😛

 

[SuperPickle]

90 feet, 90 degrees, 90 year-old hotdog venders, $90 beers. A mystical game indeed.

 

[klah]

Because the father of baseball, Daniel 'Doc' Adams, set it at 90ft.

 

[HappyPuppy]

My guess is that it was a purely random distance. It seemed to work so that's what they went with.

 

[rh71]

it's the game of inches... I don't know where they came up with 90 feet. 😉

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: MazerRackham
Jesus told them, "make it 90 feet!" 😛

...of course, it was probably more like "build it thirty cubits between home and first, and thirty cubits between first and second, and thirty cubits between second and third, and thirty cubits between third and home...and the bases must form a rectangle in shape, with the pitcher in the middle. A line shall be drawn between home and first, this you shall call the "foul line". And a second line shall be drawn between home and third, this too you shall call the "foul line". And you shall serve overpriced beer to the fans."