What is the origin of radar guns in baseball?

Answer 1

First of all, they are not strictly speaking Radar instruments- they are photoelectronic timing lights- somewhat similar in principle to those used at Drag strips ( and control-sequenced by staging, stand-by, etc timing lights the signal complex being called a Christmas Tree= the apparent procession is from top to bottom- akin to highway traffic lights. These devices are NOT Radar and have never been considered Radar devices- The acronym stands for Radio Direction and Ranging- measuring the velocity of a Baseball over what amounts to a fixed course ( pitcher"s mound to plate) cannot be considered direction finding. Nor are they similar to police radar- but are closer to that, than tradition Radar as used on ships, for example. This techno practice- I believe was first used in technologicaloly savvy Japan- and on TV casts was used on every pitch- some years in advance of the stateside deployment. Technically, these devices are not Radar at all but timing lights or electronic chronographs.