10/01/2026
Brush up on your baseball history ahead of the World Series: Over one hundred years ago, Babe Ruth let Columbia University scientists study the secrets to his greatness âšľ
In 1921, Ruth visited the Columbia psychology department to undergo a series of tests with Columbia’s Albert Johanson and Joseph Holmes. They used various machines to study the motor functions that contribute to his batting.
Ultimately, their tests determined: “The secret of Babe Ruth's ability to hit is clearly revealed in these tests. His eye, his ear, his brain, his nerves all function more rapidly than do those of the average person. Further the coordination between eye, ear, brain, and muscle is much nearer perfection than that of the normal healthy man."
Their findings were published in the October 1921 Popular Science Monthly cover story, “Babe Ruth’s Home Run Secrets Solved by Science.”
A century later, the tradition of baseball science continues at Columbia! In September, the Data Science Institute at Columbia University welcomed MLB's Will Edmondson for our inaugural DAX INSIGHTS event examining the use of AI in the sport. Read more about the event: https://datascience.columbia.edu/news/ai-sports-where-data-meets-human-expertise
[Images from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]
