MMeM, Vol.12 Issue 9 – Measuring up

For how many decades have we, Americans, been taking it on the chin for NOT adopting the Metric System of measurement? It’s been like, forever hasn’t it? I can remember learning how simple chemistry, science, and math could be if we would just stop with the 32 and 212 degree levels of freezing and boiling. We’d look longingly at the simple calculation life of 0 and 100!

Look, when it comes to comparing the “Imperial” or American Standard system of measurement VS. the Metric System, it’s a no-brainer. The Metric System wins hands down. So, why will we NOT adopt it? Why do we continue to fight this with no real end in sight?

We teach our kids how to convert from the worst system to a good system using the most complex formulas required to deal with said worst system in order to convert it to the good system. Remember some of this horrible stuff you had to LEARN in school?

• (°F – 32) x 5/9 = °C
• 1 mile: 1.609344 km
• 2.2046 lb = 0.45359237 kg

Oh sure, we have metric systems added to OUR systems in some lame attempts to either appease visiting Metric System users or to try to get us to adopt it, but they’re jokes. None of us pay any attention to the kph reading on our speedometers in our vehicles. NO ONE does. Illegal drug sales are apparently transacted via metric wights, so there’s that, but that’s about it.

So why do we still use the Imperial System of measurement? It’s simple really. Today is, for most teams, 2016 Major League Baseball’s opening day. How could it be that for more than 150 years baseball has ended up with the fastest of pitchers topping out in the high 90’s and occasionally just barely eking over 100 MILES per HOUR? How, with all of the systems of measurement do we end up with such a perfect top-end number like that? It’s almost like it was meant to be. What if it was that pitchers naturally topped out at 63 mph? In that case, I’d bet we’d already be fully converted over the Metric System.

If we had converted to the Metric System, then we’d be all impressed with the pitcher who throws 160 kph.

No, because of this natural and perfect alignment of speed, power, and 1-10 simplicity, baseball has cemented the Imperial System of measurement in America, and apparently Liberia, and uh, Myanmar, but whatever.

At any rate, no at MPH, I predict that baseball will single handedly keep the Imperial System around as long as baseball is here, unless CTE rears its ugly head in this sport, so-to-speak.