Remember this controversy? From one of my favourite sports flicks, lol.
Posted on 03/03/2018 8:51:46 AM PST by Mariner
The home run surge of 2017 (and before) has been a heck of a lot of fun, but there are many outstanding questions about what’s really behind it. And now we might have the most compelling answer yet. Rob Arthur and Tim Dix of FiveThirtyEight published the findings of CT scans and other experiments that had been done on new and game used baseballs from before and after the official start of the surge (the 2015 All-Star Game), and what they’re reporting is undeniable: the core of the baseball has changed.
Arthur and Dix reported the findings of experiments commissioned by ESPN Sports Science. A CT scan was done on eight different baseballs: one purchased new from Rawlings, four game-used balls from April 2014 through May 2015 (before the surge began), and three game-used balls from August 2016 through July 2017 (after the surge started). The CT scan revealed that the core of the newer baseballs are approximately 40% less dense than the older balls. Further testing of the chemical composition of the less dense baseballs revealed that Rawlings used a more porous substance to seal the core, which led to the decrease in density.
A less dense core means a lighter baseball, and the newer baseballs are an average of 0.5 grams lighter than the old ones. Arthur and Dix admit that a lighter baseball on its own wouldn’t cause a huge jump in homers. But when added to existing research on the new baseballs done by Arthur at FiveThirtyEight and Ben Lindbergh of The Ringer, it turns into something significant.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
And it's 20 years after the last great juiced baseball conspiracy.
In 1997 the Mariners set the MLB record for home runs in a season at 264, 4 hitters over 30 HR, 9 hitters over 10 HR and a team .485 slugging percentage.
My oh my, those were the days!
Global Warming ?
Remember this controversy? From one of my favourite sports flicks, lol.
The “superiority” of modern athletes.
maybe MLB should have let them keep their steroids.
Cool! Thanks for posting.
Imagine the 1927 Yankees with this baseball. Ruth would have hit 90 home runs, and Gehrig maybe 60.
The higher ups want more offense in the game, same as football. I’m sure they’re well aware of what’s going on. Do they care about the integrity/traditions? You tell me.
The NFL suspends its most famous player for doctoring footballs ie making them different AFTER manufacture in a highly publicized case.
MLB refuses to concede that they intentionally changed the manufacture of baseballs in a cheap bid to spark up fan interest.
A baseball is supposed to weigh 5.25 ounces (= 148.835 grams).
So, the new baseballs are 100*(.5/148.835) = 0.33% lighter.
Since the number of homers increased by more than 0.33%, I doubt that weight is the explanation.
(Maybe the elasticity of the baseball changed, which might explain the rise.)
Swing away Merrill. Merrill... swing away.
MLB refuses to concede that they intentionally changed the manufacture of baseballs in a cheap bid to spark up fan interest.
Great point!
Its weight and weight redistribution.
Watch the Yankees this year
JUDGE, SANCHEX, STANTON , etc
It will be raining baseballs in the Bronx this year.......
I’ve said it once
I’ve said it a thousand times
Drugs don’t make you hit a ball like Barry bonds did
If you have a hall of fame and the number one hits leader and home run leader l of all time are not in
It’s not a hall of fame at all then
Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in sports
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