FanShot

How MSU put baseball on the radar gun

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(Bump for cool Spartan knowledge. For more on Marshall, read the book Ball Four -- you won't regret it. -- Pete) On April 3, MSU alumnus and former Cy Young winner Mike Marshall offered this version of how the now-ubiquitous radar gun got its start in baseball. In 1967, at Michigan State University, I took my first high-speed film. In 1971, I took the high-speed film that launched my major league career. Shortly thereafter, Professor Bill Heusner had me present my findings to the College of Education monthly symposium. Shortly thereafter, for his Master thesis project, Professor Wayne Van Huss helped Mickey Sinks, a Michigan State University baseball pitcher, design a device that measure release velocity. Professor Van Huss taught me undergraduate and graduate Exercise Physiology. He asked me to help monitor Mr. Sinks work. After seeing Professor Van Huss's device, I told him and Mr. Sinks that they should use the radar gun that the police use. Michigan State University Head Baseball Coach, Danny Litwhiler had a friend in the Michigan State Police Department that headquartered about two blocks from the MSU baseball field. The rest is history. Never shy, Iron Mike is still giving baseball hell with outrageous critiques and a radical new system for eliminating pitching injuries forever. Check him out sometime, at drmikemarshall.com.