Put a Dent in the Ball!

A closeup view apparently shows the bat indenting the ball.

Sean Danielson homers for Springfield at Arkansas on June 11, 2007.

I’ve been working on editing and processing the photos I shot at Arkansas last June, when the Travelers hosted first the Wichita Wranglers and then the Springfield Cardinals.

I’m currently working on the last game, June 11, so they’ll be done soon. Tonight I came across the photo to the right and wanted to share it with you.

The photo was taken for Springfield outfielder Sean Danielson hitting a home run. Luckily the camera caught the ball striking the bat.

When we crop the photo and zoom in on the ball striking the bat, it appears that the bat is indenting the ball.

Is it an optical illusion?

I can see a bit of blue where the bat strikes the ball. That might be the Minor League Baseball logo (which looks a lot like the Major League Baseball logo). The blue might be blurring with the black of the bat, creating the illusion. But the curve of the ball along the bat’s surface, even with some blue mixed in, certainly seems evident.

Your thoughts?