Ben Lindbergh: Juiced Baseballs

[weams]

https://theringer.com/2017-mlb-home-run-rate-is-the-ball-juiced-report-results-6e1dd0233203

https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*zQGaVtdxok0VkxLg.

Quote

On the face of it, there’s nothing suspicious about the fact that MLB batters are hitting home runs more often than ever. Major leaguers have been getting bigger and (presumably) stronger since the sport went pro, a gradual process that seems to have reached its logical end in the giant Aaron Judge. Pitchers are throwing harder, and with data-driven teams placing less emphasis on making contact, hitters have less reason to ease up on their swings. Some hitters, at least, have used ball- and swing-tracking technology to tinker with their launch angles, aiming for more optimal, fly-ball-oriented outcomes.

 

[25 Nuggets]

MLB has tinkered with its equipment since its inception.  Baseballs are not these static products.  So of course they "juiced" the balls.

Are they breaking their own rules or something?  Why even bother to cover it up?  It makes no sense.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, 25 Nuggets said:

MLB has tinkered with its equipment since its inception.  Baseballs are not these static products.  So of course they "juiced" the balls.

Are they breaking their own rules or something?  Why even bother to cover it up?  It makes no sense.

We are talking about a sport where they want to add asterisks to records. 

Any other sport I would agree with you, MLB has a unique culture and sense of history.

[25 Nuggets]

Sorry to piggy back but also take a look at that graph.  Sure in the short term there's been a drastic spike in HR rates.  But over the long haul you can easily see the trend line.  It's about .0035 additional HR/batted ball every year.

[Chavez Ravine]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

We are talking about a sport where they want to add asterisks to records. 

Any other sport I would agree with you, MLB has a unique culture and sense of history.

Sebastian Coe wants to delete track and field records set before 2005 and start over.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/02/sport/world-records-european-athletics/

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Chavez Ravine said:

Sebastian Coe wants to delete track and field records set before 2005 and start over.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/02/sport/world-records-european-athletics/

That's hilarious.