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Suppose there was a 10% increase in the number of home runs hit, and the increase was pretty evenly distributed among all players. The simple solutions are that player performance changed significantly in one season or the physical characteristics of the equipment changed significantly to account for the increase in home runs. While player doping may have been widespread in 1998, it is doubtful that the distribution of the increase in home runs would be so uniform across all batters, and shouldn't the pitchers have shown some sort of improvement from doping to counteract the hitters? A juiced baseball is so much more likely the cause as it is the one constant used in all games by all players, and it is the easiest change to accomplish.

The commercial Randy Johnson made "Chicks dig the long ball" merely pointed out what everyone in baseball knew, home runs sell tickets. The owners who were willing to ignore the rampant cheating in the game would surely not be above tweaking the equipment to increase their revenue.

The owners who were willing to ignore the rampant cheating in the game would surely not be above tweaking the equipment to increase their revenue.

I don't think the balls were altered, but I agree that the major problem with baseball is the owners. They have ignored every problem simply to generate higher profits -- don't get me wrong, I'm all for higher profits, but when the cheating becomes widespread enough, baseball will no longer be a sport, but simple entertainment like "professional" wrestling.

I've said for years that the only chance baseball has to restore its credibility is to get a legitimate commissioner. Bud Selig is a de facto owner who was appointed as "acting" commissioner and then after a few years baseball just dropped the acting portion since they never intended to even look for a truly impartial commissioner.

While player doping may have been widespread in 1998, it is doubtful that the distribution of the increase in home runs would be so uniform across all batters, and shouldn't the pitchers have shown some sort of improvement from doping to counteract the hitters? A juiced baseball is so much more likely the cause as it is the one constant used in all games by all players, and it is the easiest change to accomplish.

Exactly, and it also explains all the faux outrage by MLB over steroid use - just an attepmt to redirect attention away from the juiced balls. Steroids keep players off the DL, but they don't improve bat speed or hand-eye coordination.