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Thread: Make A Better Baseball

  1. #1
    Member Ron Madden's Avatar
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    Make A Better Baseball

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Red Sox righthander Hirokazu Sawamura said he felt “like a criminal” on Tuesday night after the umpires checked his cap and glove for illegal substances during a taut game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

    “I understand there’s a problem now in baseball,” Sawamura said Wednesday during a 10-minute conversation aided by his interpreter, Yutaro Yamaguchi. “But it doesn’t seem necessary to make the umpires check every pitcher.”

    In his mind there’s a much easier way to clean up the game. Make a better baseball.

    In Japan and South Korea, players use Mizuno baseballs manufactured with a tacky cover. There’s no reason to use pine tar, sunscreen, or even rosin to get a better grip.

    “The ball that comes out of the box is ready to use,” Sawamura said. “The MLB ball is slick. That has been the case for a long time. Even in Japan, we knew this was an issue.”

    Sawamura said he’s been able to throw the MLB baseball, made by Rawlings, without resorting to any substances. But he is apparently an outlier given MLB’s public crackdown.

    Sawamura recently showed some teammates a few Japanese baseballs he had.

    “Everybody liked them,” he said. “I can’t say for sure this would be the best solution. But it’s worth a try.”

    Given how baseball has experimented with rules changes in the minors, a new ball might get the same sort of trial run before being used in the majors.
    Peter Abraham, THE BOSTON GLOBE

  2. Likes:

    mbgrayson (06-24-2021)


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  4. #2
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    If these guys can't stand a 5 second check of their cap and glove maybe they should find a new career. Nobody wants to watch the league hit .230

  5. #3
    Member Ron Madden's Avatar
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    I really wish people would read the article before making stupid comments about the first paragraph or the title

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    CaiGuy (06-24-2021),Griffey012 (06-23-2021)

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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Madden View Post
    I really wish people would read the article before making stupid comments about the first paragraph or the title
    I really wish people would stop making stupid comments about a comment. A tacky baseball isn't going to solve the issue of the league hitting .230. MLB is trying to make it harder for pitchers right now, not easier.

  8. #5
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    Sawamura is right, the easiest solution is providing a ball that has a consistent feel and can be comfortably gripped. It really shouldn't be that difficult to prepare balls that can meet that standard.

    Would have been smart to take their time and completely change things during the season, but hey, Manfred isn't the brightest.

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    Chip R (06-24-2021),Ron Madden (06-24-2021),Tony Cloninger (06-24-2021)

  10. #6
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    Quote Originally Posted by davereds24 View Post
    I really wish people would stop making stupid comments about a comment. A tacky baseball isn't going to solve the issue of the league hitting .230. MLB is trying to make it harder for pitchers right now, not easier.
    The exaggerated shifts and the movement toward an all-or-nothing approach by hitters is much more likely to be the reason for declining BAs than anything the pitcher does.

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    Ron Madden (06-24-2021)

  12. #7
    The Lineups stink. KronoRed's Avatar
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    These constant checks will get really old fast.

    Just pull the baseball after every pitch and send them to be checked.
    Go Gators!

  13. #8
    Member Ron Madden's Avatar
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    The article really is not about umpire inspections

  14. #9
    Member RedsManRick's Avatar
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    Re: Make A Better Baseball

    I've been surprised how little attention this solution has gotten during this conversation. I mean, the ball's cover is made out of leather. It's not hard to make leather soft and grippy. Figure it out, MLB.
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

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    Ron Madden (06-24-2021)


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