Eye on the ball: Humidor debuts in D-backs opener

Cronkite News (March 30) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks are storing baseballs in a humidor, which will alter their weight because of extra humidity. Based on scientific research, the humidor is expected to reduce a significant number of home runs in the hitter-friendly confines of Chase Field. “If you take a baseball in Phoenix, which is a very dry climate where the relative humidity is very low, and put it in a humidor, the ball will absorb water,” says Alan Nathan, a professor emeritus of physics at Illinois. “It’s less bouncy (and) means that with all other things being equal, the ball is not going to come off the bat as fast,” Nathan says.