Juiced Ball Conspiracy--You Bet
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by user Awrigh01
Although early in the season, homeruns are up 10.6% over last year. A traditional non-slugger like the Detroit Tigers's Chris Shelton has mashed 6 homreruns. Am I alone in noticing that the ball has been soaring out of the seemingly stingy Comerica Park?
Let's look at the numbers, courtesy of South Side Sox: Major-league teams played 137 games and combined to hit 359 home runs through Thursday's games.
| HR's Per Game | |
| 1997: 2.05 | 1998: 2.08 |
| 1999: 2.28 | 2000: 2.34 |
| 2001: 2.25 | 2002: 2.09 |
| 2003: 2.14 | 2004: 2.25 |
| 2005: 2.06 | 2006: 2.62 |
With steroids now banned and baseball embroiled in the Barry Bonds drama, is it a stretch to imagine commissioner Bud Selig, once a used car salesman, authorizing juiced baseballs? What better way to distract fans from the MLB's problems then to give the fans more homeruns. As everyone knows--Chicks Dig the Long Ball.
However, there is a subtle beauty to the idea of juicing a baseball. Rawlings Baseball is the exclusive supplier of balls to Major League Baseball. How easy would it be for Mr. Selig to call up Rawlings and ask them to wind the balls a little tighter. Just a little bit. Baseball is a game of inches. Who will know? No-one.
The problem with steroids is that the MLB cannot legally condone performance enhancing drugs, even though the produce tangible benefits for the game--more exiciting play. Plus, steriods use looks bad for the game of baseball. The decision on whether or not to juice a baseball is different. It would be difficult for baseball to be caught making a minor ajustment to a ball's production and the result is more exciting play.
Maybe, the 10.6% increase in homeruns is a statistical anomaly. Given Selig's willfull blindness to the whole steriods controversy, would this surprise anyone?
Date
Fri 04/14/06, 7:21 am EST <pageTools></pageTools>
