I'm beginning to wonder if MLB decided to juice up the ball again this year.

[TTinCO]

Was wondering the same thing,how do you "juice "a ball ?

I'd think they would dry them out & harden them up. It works the other way around.

 

[Journeyman]

Make them harder...you can feel the difference believe it or not.

In 1987 there was an extreme outbreak of homeruns...many players like the two I posted above had career power yrs out of nowhere.

 

[RobFunk]

Bronson Arroyo former AL pitcher, with two bombs already! :missingte

He was quoted saying he's never hit more than two homers in any baseball season in his life.

I know. I was laughing about this earlier.

This is skinny hippy guy that plays guitar right?

 

[PatPatriot]

I'm beginning to wonder if MLB decided to juice up the ball again this year. <HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Looking around at these scores, and again tonight, the lowest final score, the total is 8, lots of double digit finals...and the relief pitching seems to be in a shambles early in the year (which isn't helping)

I'm thinking MLB has doctored the ball again( like they have in the past 1987 for example)

The reason, to offset the steroid scandal, and after last years run production dropped way off, this would be the easiest way to cover it up.
<!-- / message -->

i wondered the exact same thing from day 1...the owners want the long ball...thats why they never gave a shit about steroids....now to offset this they juice up the ball....I think in 87 you had a combination of both.
It is know for a fact that the HR derby during all star break they use a different ball....so this disapoints me more than surprises me.

 

[tooran]

In 1987 there was an extreme outbreak of homeruns...many players like the two I posted above had career power yrs out of nowhere.

In 1987, George Bell (47) and Andre Dawson (49) each set career highs for homers in their MVP seasons. Bell hit 16 homers more than his 2nd best year in his career, and Dawson hit 17 more homers than his 2nd best year.

 

[RobFunk]

Let's just face it. Journey is right.

The ball is juiced. Has to be.


This thread right here, we gotta be like a good 2 months ahead of everyone on this. LOL.

 

[RobFunk]

If I played in the bigs I would be sipping a beer and taking apart one of these damn things.

 

[Cobra1875]

Maybe the era of juiced pitchers is over also.....The steroid scandal somehow always overlooks them...Look at Bonds when he was a rookie compared to now, take a glimpse of Clemens his rookie year compared to now...Are his records going to marked by an asterisk or forever tarnished. Oliver Perez was throwing in the high 90's two years ago now he can't hit 90 mph. The way I see it is the whole league was on a level playing field before with the steroids and if the ball is juiced now or in '87 they continue to be on a level playing field...at least hitting wise. MLB is getting what they want...more offense and home runs but they have the gall to open up an investigation into something they themselves encouraged...the whole thing is a joke.

 

[RobFunk]

You can poke it out to right in Yankee stadium easier than fenway.

I'm so sick of Yanks fans saying Fenway is like a band box.

 

[Journeyman]

Maybe the era of juiced pitchers is over also.....The steroid scandal somehow always overlooks them...Look at Bonds when he was a rookie compared to now, take a glimpse of Clemens his rookie year compared to now...Are his records going to marked by an asterisk or forever tarnished. Oliver Perez was throwing in the high 90's two years ago now he can't hit 90 mph. The way I see it is the whole league was on a level playing field before with the steroids and if the ball is juiced now or in '87 they continue to be on a level playing field...at least hitting wise. MLB is getting what they want...more offense and home runs but they have the gall to open up an investigation into something they themselves encouraged...the whole thing is a joke.

Why was there a huge drop last year though?

 

[Cobra1875]

In 1987, George Bell (47) and Andre Dawson (49) each set career highs for homers in their MVP seasons. Bell hit 16 homers more than his 2nd best year in his career, and Dawson hit 17 more homers than his 2nd best year.

Don't forget McGwire's 49 that year the most he would hit up until 1996.

 

[Journeyman]

Wally Absorbine Joyner too.

 

[Cobra1875]

Why was there a huge drop last year though?

Not saying the ball isn't juiced but injuries and players switching teams was part of last years power outage.

Bonds 14 gms.
Thome 59 gms.
Rolen 56 gms.

Castilla from Colorado to Washington.
Alou from Wrigley to San Fran. w/ noone batting around him.

The major drop came with Beltre, he went to Seattle from LA but going from 48 Hr's to 9 is more than somewhat strange.

All these guys were in the top 20 or 25 in '04.

 

[Fishhead]

Good discussion here, interesting.

 

[WVU]

just like in the other thread it is way too early to tell. Pitchers aren't in top form in April.

 

[Insiders]

I have heard its the "tightness that the ball when its being wrapped" when its being made that adds the "juice" to it.

 

[Objection]

Ken Harrelson said the ball is juiced during a broadcast last weekend.

A couple of days ago Steve Stone said he thought the ball could be wrapped tighter and may be juiced.
During the radio interview it was also mentioned that it is being done with the probable dropoff in HRs because of the roids scandal.
I'm an "under" player and I am being very careful so far this season.