I recently stumbled on this episode of "Mythbusters", and while I knew it existed, I didn't know it involved Matt Cain throwing baseballs through things. So take a moment to review the video up there. It's Matt Cain throwing baseballs through things.
The reason I stumbled upon it is because there's apparently an Internet debate about the veracity of this video. Here's a link to a MetaFilter thread on it. Some choice comments:
Specifically, the pizza thing is faked. He did not punch a hole through the pizza. It's an ad, and it has camera trickery.
I can't believe people believe you can throw a baseball throw two layers of cardboard and a pizza, ever. He isn't winding up to throw, just a toss and it goes through cardboard? Hit it, yes, go through it, no. C'mon now...
And yeah, it's fake, and I'm not wrong! Mainly due to tracking issues with whatever is getting hit while it's still in the air.
When the camera pans back to the box, the guy (or another guy?) is ten feet away from the box again, and walking towards it. I don't like ruining fun, but it's fun to ruin fake fun.
So now I'm interested in starting that Internet argument here. My logic:
- Matt Cain throwing baseballs at things in the air: Minimal cost, still compelling
- Matt Cain throwing baseballs, things in the air digitally exploding: Not insignificant, potential for viral-tude.
I lean toward the first option. Get Matt Cain, let him chuck baseballs at watermelons, and go home to take a moneybath. But an argument could convince me of the second. It's not like they'd be recreating Avatar. What does it take to get a fake baseball through a fake pizza? I'm sure Natto could do it, and he'd throw in a Jeff Neimann neck for free.
This is probably the most important post on the history of the site, so please take it seriously. Thank you for your time.