Baseball's Best Hitter Tries for Glory

Hit a baseball with a bat. Crack.

All things considered—and nothing is unconsidered in the serious business of games played by grown men—it is the most difficult task in sport. Consider the problem: a bat 2¾ in. in diameter at its widest, hitting a ball not quite 3 in. in diameter; two objects—one cylindrical, the other a sphere—meeting headon. Consider the speed: a major league pitcher's fastball traveling well over 90 m.p.h., hissing the 60-ft. 6-in. distance from mound to plate in ⅔ of a second. Consider the odds: the game's greatest stars...