Baseball Has A Baseball Problem

[@drowningin]

When I was really young I caught a foul ball. This old lady yanked it away and wouldn't give it back. Her reasoning, she donates them to kids(yeah right) after she literally just yanked it out of a 6 year olds hands. I've never gotten another one since. At least I rest easy knowing that miserable old bag has passed on

[@masoncampbell3314]

What a hag. She probably sold that sht on eBay

[@dgeraldrunkle9304]

It’s one thing to beat a kid to a foul ball, that’s part of life, but taking it from a kid is pathetic. I hope she got Alzheimer’s.

[@MrFuzziiWuzzii]

This is rage inducing

[@FloatTheBuizel]

@@MrFuzziiWuzzii I agree

[@brandonvasser5902]

Dude what the fuck

[@rycolligan]

That bit about the river mud is simultaneously unbelievable and completely consistent with baseball's weird continuity obsession.

[@ThekiBoran]

That baseball mud is available for sale to us no-talent, weekend scrubs. We use it.

[@increasearmadillo3032]

As a longtime baseball fan and a New Jersey native who lives off the Delaware river, I’ve heard from so many people; “I found the baseball mud” it’s one of the funniest little tidbits about baseball ever. It’s a perfect example of as you said baseballs continuity obsession

[@TheGoodChap]

@@increasearmadillo3032 yeah its like the most old-school juiced in New Jersey sport related thing I've ever heard of like how I heard there's apparently one old suburb of Philly where a crazy amount of nba refs come from and they all know eachother or coached their replacements in highschool or whatever lol. But this is a whole new level of weird

[@covante4822]

It was on an episode of dirty jobs.

[@coreygolphenee9633]

@@ThekiBoran they have done film pieces on the family buisness, they shovel it from a swamp somewhere

[@jonathanw1019]

Depending on how much of this is accurate, it basically calls into question everything legitimate about the sport. There are way too many opportunities for teams, players, umps, owners or even the league itself to bring in a few different balls to be used at certain times. Then the evidence conveniently disappears into the crowds.

[@cautemoc4624]

Finally a rational comment instead of people saying "this is why I love baseball, because of all the chaos blah blah" - like no, it's not even a legitimate sport if you can't reasonably say that a homerun was because of skill or ball differences

[@TheJunky228]

the 'evidence' conveniently is distributed to the crowds. study the home run balls

[@SergeantExtreme]

@@cautemoc4624 And yet, you have idiots claiming they shouldn't test players for steroids anymore. It's basically the same thing.

[@malacara1335]

I mean I'm sure every sport that uses any kind of item also has the same problem.

[@magicianman1345]

@@cautemoc4624 Literally who cares, it's not like it's an unfair advantage for one team. They both use the same balls.

[@ImAlxxy]

Everything about Steve Bartman is so sad to me now. Kid was clearly a mega fan, got excited to finally catch a ball, life ruined. Poor dude

[@vanderlai6089]

I was so happy when I found out that they gave him a ring when the Cubs finally won

[@Brantonellis]

He didn’t deserve what happen, but he’s still an idiot lol

[@LudaChez]

@@vanderlai6089 and he still would not appear for anything as he said "it would diminish the accomplishments of the players"

[@LudaChez]

Anyway it's Alex Gonzalez's error that really fucked it up. Not Bartman

[@dspsblyuth]

@@LudaChez that was his lawyer. Bartman has been lawyered up since the catch and has been in fear for his life since then. Can’t blame him he was just a quiet guy that loves baseball and wound up in the crosshairs of his city because of a simple mistake.

[@recoilrob324]

A while back when the laces were being talked about...it made sense that them protruding farther made it easier for the pitcher to grasp and control while also decreasing the distance it would fly due to increased drag. When they made the laces shorter the pitchers lost some control which made it easier to hit them...and the balls flew farther just from the decreased drag of the less prominent laces. Then throw in changes to the core rebound and lots of things can make the balls do what they want. As long as both teams have to use the same balls....I'd call it a fair contest, but if one team got one ball while the other a different one....that wouldn't be right.

[@eddietucker3334]

It would be criminal.

[@timmarkowicz779]

Doesn't it favor batter statistics over pitcher statistics? If I was a pitcher trying to establish myself, I'd be pissed!

[@Jrez]

I feel like different people benefit from different types of balls and laces, and especially if teams are practicing with different balls than they play with that is unfair. The ball should honestly remain the exact same across as many games, seasons, and even off-seasons as possible.

[@tsbrownie]

Just put little dents in them like golf balls. Hell, just use big golf balls. Titleist baseballs.

[@dwatts64]

@@timmarkowicz779 right, but what this guy is saying is true. You can be pissed all you want as a pitcher, but if everyone is playing with the same balls, it's fair. No one is getting an unfair advantage if everyone is getting it. It's also why I think bonds should be in the Hall of Fame. A lot of his stuff was during the juicing era. Basically everyone was juicing. If everyone is juicing is it really an unfair advantage? Lol (I'm being facetious)

[@rogermwilcox]

6:48 : The balls in 1921-22 WERE livelier than in previous years, but that's not the main change. Prior to 1921, pitchers were allowed to scuff and dirty up the ball twelve ways from Sunday, so that it would fly erratically. They also used the same ball for several innings, which made them soften from the repeated poundings, as you mentioned at 10:44. Starting in 1921, due to the death of a batter from being hit in the temple with a pitch, the balls were replaced EVERY TIME there was so much as a smudge on them. As you can imagine, this caused a surge in power-hitting effectiveness. So much so that it would explain MORE of the increase in home run hitting than the increased liveliness.

[@FBCGodfather]

Thank you for explaining something that was in the video

[@rogermwilcox]

@@FBCGodfather : You're welcome.

[@misteral9045]

This comment is better than the video.

[@DHVF28]

This is why I love baseball, no other sport has any problem even close to this and I love it for the intricacy and chaos that it brings

[@Dawnbreakerr]

Oh trust me basketball and football have the same issues. When the NBA made a new ball a few years ago, most point guards started getting blisters it was such a bad ball.

[@jokester143]

Jack Nicholson head nod

[@mwu365]

well maybe not to this extent, but I'm sure many sports have issues with their gear. tennis for one might be the closest comparison

[@djs82a29]

I'm with you on that.

[@Hank_Lightcap]

Amen, brother. Amen.

[@yutakanagawa6323]

Japan's NPB has no problem with their balls. EVERY Japanese pitcher that's pitched in the MLB has complained about the ball slipping out and causing injury. That's one of the main reasons Japanese pitcher struggle in their first couple of seasons. I've heard complaints about the mound hardness not being consistent either.

[@Furluge]

Well of course they have issues. They're going from one league to another and they both have totally different standards and rules. IIRC the strikezone isn't even the same between the two. Japan's NPB is also only 12 teams to MLB's 30. A NPB team has 125 games in the regular season vs MLB's 165. That puts NPB at 750 regular season games (125x12/2) vs MLB 2430 regular season games (165x30/2). Add into the fact that Japan is about the size of California. NPB needs fewer balls for fewer games and has to transport those balls shorter distances compared to MLB. It's no wonder NPB has an easier time with material consistency.

[@jaytb2005]

@@Furluge Japan is a little too big to be comparable to California.

[@Furluge]

@@jaytb2005 Japan is 145,920 square miles. California is 163,696 square miles. Look up a map of them overlayed sometime.

[@512TheWolf512]

@@Furluge no, Japan is more like the entire east coast of the USA, not commiefornia

[@Furluge]

@@512TheWolf512 I'm not sure if you deleted your comment in the past 34 minutes because it's not showing up for me outside of my notifications, but I already posted the square footage of them both. Japan is 145,920 square miles. California is 163,696 square miles.

[@pian-0g445]

It’s kind of amazing how I get reminded how sports work because of ‘limitation’. Like how making the balls better in aerodynamic and such (even if accidental) makes the sports possibly worse. It’s like swimming with that suit that was so good, it got banned, because not everyone had one.

[@Dee_Just_Dee]

I'm thinking about motorsports now. The amount of rules that govern how a racecar is built are generally downright staggering. You have to have x amount of horsepower, y amount of cylinders, z amount of curb weight, a×b dimensions, c° spoiler, d amount of ride height, and so on. And it makes so much sense when you consider that motorsports are usually more about the drivers' ability to drive their vehicles within a certain performance envelope than about their crews' budget and ability to build and tune better vehicles.

[@gramsta836]

You should start watching F1

[@midshipman8654]

i think its also a big reason why drug use really has to be cracked done upon. even though at a casual glance people might think it would just make sports more impressive, but if drug use was free, it would just be a race to inject the most potent formula into your blood veins, with people having to dope just to compete, and the hight of performance could literally use drugs that would cripple/kill them for short term proffessional effect.

[@MourningMoons]

This is entertainment not sport

[@chivatech]

The teamgeist World Cup ball in 2006 was made with only 14 panels (opposed to the traditional 32) and was bonded without seams. It was perfectly round. Which ironically made it one of the worst soccer balls in World Cup history. Its flight pattern was unpredictable for keepers. If you struck it hard enough it would move around like a knuckle ball. A striker’s favorite dream, a keeper’s worst nightmare.

[@caseymichel1113]

Anyone who’s been watching baseball for years knows something is up. You can hear when a batter makes great contact and this year I’ve seen a lot of balls that were absolutely crushed that stay in the park…. It’s obvious

[@cceynar7353]

That ain't no shit. Unless they are hit in the little league fields like Yankee stadium then they easily go out.

[@suchmuscles38]

Unless you’re Aaron judge then it doesn’t matter. Could throw that man a bowling ball he’d take it yard

[@wingracer1614]

I agree though I think there is another factor to consider. It looks to me like these balls break more. I have never seen so many guys swinging at balls that get caught BEHIND them or even hit them. Guys are throwing 97mph fastballs that break more than a Maddux 83mph change up. When a good curve pitcher like Charlie Morton is on the mound, it looks like a wiffle ball game.

[@how2fix-601]

@@wingracer1614 Pitchers are just getting better. Guys nowadays have a high speed camera that you can check and isolate exactly what to change to increase spin or make it more efficient.

[@Josh-ce6jz]

I know like the one with Stanton earlier this season and John Sterling was already gearing up for the "it is high, it is far..." call and it fell at the warning track. It was at Yankee Stadium too! Sterling got criticized for messing it up but he was not the only one fooled. There is definetly something wrong with the baseball.

[@hudsonsaccone5569]

This man’s content is impeccable.

[@diceonamay]

It’s a 14 minute video and you commented this five minutes after upload. You didn’t watch the entire video yet

[@mattgreek1066]

@@diceonamay so? The comment can be applied to all his content. You've embarrassed yourself. You should apologise to Hudson.

[@Kenny_G]

@@diceonamay LOL, you got him!! Good catch!.. But he is still right haha, excellent channel.

[@Immafuggin182]

Facts

[@VIBElul]

this mans content doesn’t exist.

[@awogbob]

I think MLB will just have to view balls as they view other conditions out of their controll, like weather... It's logistically impossible to mass produce a product for generations and expect no changes.

[@nathanthom8176]

It is amazing how disposable and unused each ball is in professional baseball. In Cricket a ball typically lasts a minimum of 80 overs and yes a cricket ball is far more durable but the fact that baseball's don't even get used for a full over just seems ridiculous.

[@redsit]

Probably because pitchers are such big fucking babies.

[@hardleecure]

don't know anything about cricket but it's not uncommon to see a baseball get split apart by the batter.

[@nathanthom8176]

@@hardleecure a cricket ball is very tough, much more so as it is designed to be bounced onto a hard and gritty dirt floor. I don't know why some baseball balls tear/fall apart in games but that just seems like the sport has agreed to play with something that just isn't up to the job in the first place (as if they chose to ignore that the speed of pitches and the power of batters hasn't increased).

[@hardleecure]

@@nathanthom8176 fair point. might also be why the rules indicate that bats can only be able to return a ball at no more than 85 or 90% of the pitched speed (i forget the actual % but it is a rule).

[@ianstobie]

Aluminium bats aren't allowed in cricket, so the balls only have to cope with wooden bats. In 1979 Australian cricketer Dennis Lillee went out to bat with an aluminium bat in a match against England. But after hitting a few balls his own captain insisted the bat be replaced with a regular wooden one, and the rules were later clarified to prevent this happening again. Baseball and cricket are very similar in being enriched by traditions and historical anecdotes, and obsessed with statistics!

[@davidluchsinger7377]

The stats and scientific research, historical context and media, and other depth you include in these videos is AMAZING. Keep taking us into the weeds!

[@DarthVader1977]

@@turbonerd3902 Did you notice that he focused on every white hitter in a subtly negative fashion, but then when it came to Bonds he instead just downplayed the steroids. I'm sensing a very small hat.

[@nesssixteen6106]

@@DarthVader1977 bro what are you on

[@DarthVader1977]

@@nesssixteen6106 What ever happened to the Canaanites?

[@elipto8836]

This is a bunch of BS!!

[@nesssixteen6106]

@@DarthVader1977 Is this some racial conspiracy nonsense or am I missing something

[@Thinginator]

I’m not even that interested in baseball or sports in general, but this video was fascinating! It’s wild how much a tiny change in the ball can affect an entire game. Great job with this video.

[@MidwestArtMan]

Imagine being the MLB's official Mudman.

[@kosakukawajiri5007]

Football has the Waterboy, Baseball has Mudman

[@LS1056]

Just like a bucket of mud like "I'm the mudman like the milk man, but mud"

[@BendyDH]

That HAS to be a really lucrative business if there’s seriously only like 4 people in the world that know where this mud is sourced

[@ThekiBoran]

@@BendyDH It actually isn't.

[@iliketurtles7782]

@@BendyDH there’s literally a comment above that says he grew up by the river 💀

[@NIghthorseGrows]

I love how corrupt baseball is. Gives us unending speculation.

[@CorePathway]

Baseball is a very slow-paced sport it REQUIRES manufactured drama to talk about.

[@GeraldM_inNC]

Manfred is a true POS

[@tjenadonn6158]

As an F1 fan baseball is where I come when the drama of my main sport gets too passe. Stuff like porpoising, Monaco being the bratty traditionalist of the calendar, and the whole situation at the beginning of the season where the Haas team had a week to resolve the fact that it was being sponsored by a heavily sanctioned war criminal all fades away in comparison to a sport where the NASCAR motto of "If you ain't cheatin' you ain't winnin'" is basically official league policy. At this point AEW is less likely to be faked than MLB.

[@themetanarrative8964]

How is it corrupt. Both teams are playing with the same balls?

[@ryanjacobson2508]

Actually the other North American sports leagues are much less forthcoming about scandals than MLB is. In fact, the NFL only says that a few games were "confirmed" to be affected by player gambling. Yeah right.

[@carl6352]

Using cow hides is actually eco friendly as it uses all parts of the cow from your plate to the ball parks and football games.

[@windhelmguard5295]

please look into the right mess of chemicals that go into tanning leather.

[@Ghostvertigo]

I just can't believe the amount of cows thar get slaughtered daily for baseballs thats insane

[@GumshoeClassic]

​@@GhostvertigoWell they don't really get killed for baseball, it's not like they skin the cow and throw everything else away. If anything, over 95% of all leather comes from livestock iirc, being a side product of the meat industry. It's less "this many cows get killed per year for baseball" and moreso "over 30 million cows are killed per year for food, this fraction of them has their leather used for baseballs".

[@boooogles]

@@Ghostvertigo watch the documentary dominion

[@Matt-dp7ze]

Honestly, around the middle when they were changing the process of making baseballs I think they didn’t understand how seemingly insignificant changes like using thicker laces would affect the entire ball.

[@AllisonIsLivid]

They can change the recipe and source the ingredients from elsewhere, and they'd be absolute fools not to know it'd effect the performance in some minor way, but how are they going to predict in what way the sway of the leather is going to effect spin, or the degree to which a millimeter of thread will impact hit distance? Yeah, they're definitely screwing the balls up, knowing that it'll effect the game, but I don't think they're really in control of when or how the impact of those changes will play out. If they were, it'd be a lot more consistent.

[@dspsblyuth]

When considering aerodynamics everything micron matters

[@alcubierrevj]

You'd think the MLB would have a wind tunnel to test the impact of proposed manufacturing changes on the aerodynamics on the ball.

[@dspsblyuth]

@@alcubierrevj of course not. They can’t even afford to hire qualified umpires

[@artsmith1347]

When they getting quotes for the string, how could there not have been +/- limits for thickness, density, tensile strength, etc.?

[@_Delta_P_]

im a former d1 player and this went into a depth even I havent gone into. very interesting. I love the stats. I played a game where they switched balls when we were up a few runs. Im a pitcher so I could tell they were different. they were smoother. Our biggest hitter was slamming balls that were just dying mid air. singles that should have been doubles. it was like hitting a wiffle ball.

[@professionalnoob5474]

"he put the baseball remnants in the marinara sauce" Every single Italian in a 5 km radius: *i beg your pardon*

[@zackhample]

Fascinating and brilliantly done. Thanks for featuring my book (twice!) in your video, and I noticed a bunch of my baseballs in here as well. Keep doing your thing and shout-out to Dr. Meredith Wills for her research on this subject.

[@calebseastrunk819]

@Zack Hample Zack! Have you ever gone into a baseball or noticed any difference between different years?

[@BaseballDoesntExist]

Great book, read it, helped a lot... buy it people www.amazon.com/Baseball-Scandals-Secrets-Beneath-Stitches/dp/030747545X/ref=asc_df_030747545X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312149981494&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4680342088392245084&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008162&hvtargid=pla-555779850684&psc=1

[@zackhample]

@@BaseballDoesntExist 👊

[@MarkJohnson-ro1ed]

I own a copy of your book! I'm an Australian baseball fan who picked it up in LA before seeing my first baseball game.

[@snarevox]

@@BaseballDoesntExist hey bud.. ray chapmans wikipedia references an article by espn that says the pitcher, carl mays was the one to field the ball and throw it to first base after thinking chapman hit the ball. either the wikipedia is wrong or the third baseman wasnt the one to field the ball. you should correct the wikipedia article if youre certain it wasnt the pitcher.

[@jakejonas7366]

Never been much of a baseball fan but this channel is what’s gotten me into watching highlights. I never watch an entire game but I’m more interested in it than I’ve ever been.

[@atraxisdarkstar]

Baseball is weird. Watching it on TV, everything is so slow. You really kind of feel like you don't miss much from listening to just the audio, or a radio broadcast. You wish they would put timers on everything and get people moving along snappily. But going to watch a game, especially a lower league club, you're going for the experience. To have a hot dog and a beer or a warm day, to relax and enjoy the ambiance.

[@torreyintahoe]

Same here. I can't imagine sitting through a whole game but I enjoy the highlights.

[@_Chill_Out_]

She donated the ball to her grandson

[@minimaster0328]

how is this a problem if baseball doesn't exist

[@cy4208]

The way he laughed when he said the mud they rub on mlb baseballs is at a public swamp made me chuckle

[@ThekiBoran]

We rub that exact mud on our game balls. Would free infield dirt work just fine for us? Yes, but why not increase the Sunday fun factor?

[@technoandbldr4429]

I think a section is closed off for the mlb specifically

[@TylerDurden9LB]

@@technoandbldr4429 You may be correct, but the last time that I watched a program about Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud it certainly didn't seem like it.

[@RVukovi]

@Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him No

[@coreygolphenee9633]

@@technoandbldr4429 the specific hole the mud comes from is only know by that family that sells the mud it's a closely guarded secret

[@FuzzyFromYT]

SUB TO THIS MAN!! Best baseball channel on YT right now 👏🏻

[@meowmeow-wc8ru]

yo shut it man

[@funnyhow-2703]

@@gerg9666 weasel

[@jasonthemagnificent2.0]

Indeed

[@dylangaming2955]

Let’s go fuzzy

[@jamieking9123]

Fuz and BDE collab

[@Redsaholic756]

This guy is so good at making stories about something that don’t exist

[@carltonreese4854]

The rabbit ball era when Ruth played was out in the open. The baseballs were changed intentionally and everyone knew it -- that is why it was referred to as the "Rabbit Ball Era." The problem is, Ruth was about the only one to adjust. There was no conspiracy. Now, when it happens later, it's a conspiracy and we know MLB is capable -- the Japanese Major Leagues had a huge scandal over just this thing.

[@philithegamer8265]

Elaborate on that last sentence...

[@bubba200874426]

We know you're capable of killing someone, but that doesn't mean we should assume you did.

[@Forgesx]

I don't know how it's a conspiracy honestly... Ofc they change the balls. They are supposed to. That's their job! They should try to adjust the balls so that the game becomes most enjoyable to watch.

[@mellowords]

I'm not sure why, but it gives me a bad feeling when a game becomes so analyzed and meta-optimized without rule tweaks. 'Novelty' is the reason we started playing games, because it's fun to figure it out and get better. Baseball seems to have essentially none left without rule changes.

[@vyor8837]

Wut? Are chess and checkers no longer fun too? Soccer?

[@justnot5401]

@@vyor8837 bro calls it soccer 💀 🤓

[@vyor8837]

@@justnot5401 GTFO non-american.

[@midshipman8654]

@@justnot5401 asSOCiated football, yes.

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

@@midshipman8654 it's weird how people care what a game is called

[@Guiltyconscience83]

The guy who leaned over the fence to catch the ball that Josh Hamilton threw to him and fell and broke his neck in front of his son was the saddest thing ever.

[@1neOfN0ne]

The mud comes from the jersey side of the Delaware river. I grew up right by there. The mud has a clay like consistency and when you step on it, while in the water, it causes bubbles to come to the surface. Also, a lot of the grass from major league baseball fields come from turf farms in Hammonton, NJ

[@chance2413]

As a South Jersey guy (Cherry Hill, Atco and Berlin), this gives me an odd sense of pride. JERSEY!

[@coreygolphenee9633]

The specific hole the specific mud comes from though is a closely guarded family secret

[@nerychristian]

@@coreygolphenee9633 It would be easy to find the location. First, you have to know who that family is. Where they live, Then you plant a gps tracker to their cars. And you just wait and see where they go.

[@coreygolphenee9633]

@@nerychristian totally not illegal but yeah

[@jcchaconjr]

That's weird - In all my years of playing, it was always called "Mississippi Mud" kind of crazy to think that it actually comes from Jersey, lol.

[@benjaminlewis671]

Working in yarn manufacturing I can tell you that the variation could be in the yarn. There's ways to measure and average these differences but eventually you end up with a couple different batches that fall on each end of the specification.

[@MyHeadHz]

That could be another explanation.

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

Sounds to me like a similar situation with tire companies in auto racing where tire companies keep switching up compounds and it causes issues for drivers, they should be focusing on fixing balls on the off season if they are trying to “update” them

[@horrorfan1122]

Great video! I hadn't though about the deformation of balls before, but it immediately reminded me of the game when Shohei Ohtani hit his 100th MLB homerun. The Angel's commentators were given the opportunity to see the ball afterwards, and at least 5 times they mentioned how the ball was hit so hard it wasn't even a sphere anymore.

[@TheGoodChap]

I love ohtani so it hurts to know all this shady shit going on behind the scenes :(

[@tylerharris7081]

It really says something about the dedication and expertise players put into the game that they can tell even the slightest of changes in the balls and how those tiny changes will are affecting the game.

[@onepoh4680]

And is true in almost every sports that uses balls, I play table tennis and we can always tell if the ball changes (same brand)

[@joeshithragman3264]

I bet catchers and umpires, who get hit by balls occasionally like the more bouncy balls that don't hit them as hard.

[@icaanul]

When you pitch, grip is everything and it doesn't take expertise or science to know it doesn't feel right.

[@auroraleiborden4502]

Fun fact Mike Rowe and dirtiest jobs has an entire episode about the baseball mud

[@thpolowuus]

Not gonna lie, That Chicago chef might be the pettiest man I've ever heard about lol

[@AndrewK80]

How about the people that paid to eat that sauce?

[@bubba200874426]

It's wild because the dude everyone makes a scapegoat wouldn't have even been a factor if the cubs weren't already fucking up on their own.

[@Ramonatho]

This problem is so similar to what basically any sports league goes through with rule changes, but this specific problem reminds me a lot of how FIFA is more a shady business than a compassionate league structure.

[@evanallen1542]

To paraphrase a sad toucan “fifa is more mafia than sports league”

[@iliketurtles7782]

Soccer makes baseball look exciting

[@dspsblyuth]

I like to think of FIFA as a mafia with a rec league

[@Dmckenzie6]

But rule changes are known ahead of time, so theoretically you know how to tailor your game to accommodate it. If the balls being pitched to you are literally random or change from game to game, you have no idea whether the best play is to try and bomb it thinking it's a juiced ball, or try and line drive it, knowing that it's a dead ball and going for a homer will just be a fly out every time.

[@TheGoodChap]

Theres so much money involved it becomes more like a cartel with what they reveal to the public and what they can get away with behind the scenes to bring more people in or whatever

[@Otome_chan311]

Insane that not only does such a small seemingly insignificant change have huge outcomes but the fact that the stat nerds were able to figure this out lol.

[@diar427]

I'll say this AGAIN...MLB should take this channel seriously...good work!!!

[@PezPirate]

I hope they dont. The MLB and the MLBPA have a metric f#@% ton of lawyers. I don't want this channel shut down....

[@Coronet_shop]

@@PezPirate yep good point

[@gandalug1]

It’s always a joy to watch this man’s videos

[@ClaudiusPGreen]

“Those baseballs aren’t made by Rawlings anymore, they’re made by Titleist!”

[@lazarbro]

6:50 this probably had more to do with the Spit ball being banned midway through 1920. The jump in homeruns was the biggest between 20 and 21 compared to any two years in this timespan

[@tyler3876]

MLB: We’re cracking down on illegal substances. *ERA goes up* MLB: You know what… we feel kinda bad *League Average OPS is in the .600s* MLB: This is fine

[@79antigua]

Early in Babe Ruths career, he said they put rabbit ears in the ball a few years later he said they put the whole rabbit in the ball.

[@rippedjerseypodcast]

Unlike other sports, baseball not only has different fields for each game, but also the ball could be different as well. Such a weird sport and I love it!

[@philithegamer8265]

Why do yoyu love MLB?

[@therealpoketom]

Even as a kid who played baseball AS A PITCHER when I was between the ages of 6-14 even I Noticed our LITTLE LEAGUE baseballs! There was never a game where there was a consistent feel on the baseballs, weather it be a bouncier ball, thicker seams, or even just the ball feeling heavier or lighter, SOMETHING has always felt so off

[@nip3004]

Gets even more insane when you look at the bats and combine the effects

[@gotdajuiceeee]

Wasn’t really a baseball fan tbh but you’re videos really make me see the sport a different way. Awesome content bro!

[@ambilaevus7607]

I second that. Well phrased .

[@jaybx9831]

That’s crazy how simple changes can impact the game that much it’s kinda cool to see how the science behind it works.

[@MrKiki-nw4mv]

It really does come down to the fine details What type of grass did the cow eat. Other dietary habits. Where the cows were sourced… etc

[@loganmicheals713]

this just shows how small changes can really effect outcomes when it comes to aerodynamics

[@raylopez99]

And that Mississippi mud...

[@sharpwhits0167]

This is a fantastic video. Love it. It just seems to me like the balls go from juiced to dead depending upon the controversy surrounding the game. Not enough offense? Insert juiced ball. Too much offense? Inser dead ball. And we wonder why there has been a rash of pitchers resorting to foreign substances to get better grip. Inconsistencies in the feel of the baseball can affect velo and spin rate and using a foreign substance can help get a more consistent grip. I'm not condoning it, just saying that it makes more sense given the information contained in this video. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

[@thetruebatman4632]

This channel has made me feel the same way about baseball that I did when I was trying to play college ball from a 1A high school in Texas. I love it.

[@hx-1887]

Thank you for helping me get into the sport of baseball. I love watching your videos everyday and now even watch baseball live. Thank you for what you do for the sports community 🙏🙏

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Great comment

[@andrewdickerson5146]

I don’t watch baseball, don’t care about baseball, and never played baseball growing up. But I honestly get excited when I see you’ve posted a new video, amazing content man!

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Fantastic comment

[@ChosenPlaysYT]

The most insane thing is that the average ball lasts 1.1 pitches… like wtf no way that’s ridiculous.

[@Angel-bo7mh]

Unreal attention to detail and good research. Always a delight to watch your videos.

[@ArmorStudioNYC]

Great video! But Idk there’s too many variables that aren’t mentioned ie. Humidity, temperature, wind direction, wind speed, as well as rotation off the bat (ie. slice, knuckle, backspin, topspin etc) I do agree however that MLB may be messing with the baseballs. Only the MLB and the players who utilize thousands of baseballs in a lifetime would tell the difference. Players have a complaint for a reason!

[@AbsolXGuardian]

I didn't even think about that. A shipment of balls or even their materials being transmitted by air could change their properties. Cargo holds normally aren't pressurized and heated.

[@ArmorStudioNYC]

​@@AbsolXGuardian another variable that should be accounted for indeed!

[@bikeny]

Also, orange juice and pineapple juice would affect a baseball differently. /s

[@mdviolet6685]

2:00 "though would it offend them to say this story is some bull****" LMFAO

[@BaseballisEverything]

Baseball was saved by Mark Mcgwire vs Sammy Sosa, I Love Home Runs who else agrees? Fan's need to be protected more though!

[@TheChosennn]

Bonds was better than both of them. That’s why he started taking steroids

[@wingracer1614]

"Chicks dig the long ball" --Greg Maddux

[@Trumpisscum-420]

No, fans need to pay attention and don't do dumb shit. The only way for MLB to protect fans would be to force every stadium to put up netting around the entire stadium. Whether it was when I was at a game or on video, the majority of people I've seen who were injured by a ball either weren't paying attention to what was going on in the game or they were stupid and tried to bare hand a hard hit ball.

[@philithegamer8265]

@@TheChosennn Truth

[@baseballbatbros]

Favorite channel rn

[@King_Immanuel]

Love yalls channel

[@iliketurtles7782]

Ya your 1k behind who’s gonna win the baseball KZbinr race

[@sam12851]

I cant believe you know so much about a sport that doesnt exist

[@jankincontent1064]

I’m a lacrosse player that hates baseball, but I’ve been watching this guy and I like baseball now💯🤝

[@johhnies1647]

i heard you are your teams FOGO

[@jacquep2363]

As a former semi pro pitcher who never made it because of my stats in the 2017- 2019 years, this is a real bummer.

[@itzmattox1]

Just know you accomplished more than people ever will

[@jacquep2363]

@@itzmattox1 i appreciate the kindness stranger.

[@itzmattox1]

I’m just a 13 year old kid and I wanna do the same thing I’m skinny with long arms and I said to have pontential so I’m gonna try

[@jacquep2363]

@@itzmattox1 hell ya man. that’s the only thing you can do. Get used to being rotationally explosive and VERY flexible.

[@itzmattox1]

Thanks bro

[@Taydothat]

I don't even care about baseball but love this channel.

[@Truckerdaddy]

You've also gotta factor in the change in swings. In prior years it was more about contact for about 85% of players now more players are in on the launch angle so contact is becoming less and less. Batting averages have decreased and strikeouts have gone up. It's not uncommon to have a player with 150-200 strikeouts on the season. Long gone are the days of 100 strikeouts or less a year for a player

[@ThekiBoran]

Or 13 all season long for Dimaggio in 1941.

[@blackjesus804]

Swing changes don't flip on and off all at once in a season though. A few guys change it up in the offseason. Then some of their teammates copy it. Then some more next year.

[@deckerrm]

And factor in hitter friendly ballparks.

[@rslwannabe9475]

If i can hit a linedrive every at bat, lets say 270 feet consistently. Would i be able to go to the mlb.

[@blackjesus804]

@@rslwannabe9475 Depends on the spray chart but sounds like a singles hitter who would have no chance without great defense and speed.

[@Verlisify]

This was a great topic to choose

[@karkanrey1463]

Being MLB’s mudpacker is crazy.

[@Gmark25]

There's something so frustrating about pitchers complaining about baseballs when every dumb rule benefits them.

[@nineteeneightynine432]

Yeah right they're constantly looking for ways to screw pitchers over because they want to increase offense juiced balls shallow fences etc.

[@andrewboyce7268]

@@nineteeneightynine432 are you kidding? Pitchers are favored and even paid higher then any other position overall. It's pathetic.

[@Gmark25]

@@nineteeneightynine432 Juiced balls in the modern era, even according to this video, was specified to unique time frames of the MLB. Outside of what the video is speaking on, everything else favors pitchers. Every unwritten rule? Don't swing on a certain count. Don't bunt during a specific moment of a game. How about throwing at players and never having to take an AB? Getting paid the same salaries for playing a fifth of the season or less? The league wanting an increase in offense for viewership isn't an attack of pitchers. If anything it provides more insight on how little scrutiny goes toward pitchers versus position players. I mean honestly dude, they ignored pitchers using substances for decades until the internet made a qualm over it.

[@Greasyspleen]

I like the deader ball, because doubles, triples and spectacular catches are more exciting than dingers.

[@philithegamer8265]

Explain why

[@PaddyMcMe]

Learned a lot of my knowledge about Baseball through the incredible Ken Burns Baseball Documentary Series and really thought it had covered everything but this is huge and crazy. If they ever do another extra innings like with the '10th Innings' which covered from 1999-2009, I'd love to see a 2010-Now type Extra Innings and which would address this insane situation with the baseballs themselves.

[@brianbanks3044]

it's comical during an at bat when the ball hits the dirt and is thrown to the dugout....it is such a waste but if people are paying $50 bucks for them, oh well

[@coreygolphenee9633]

That ball would immediately present an advantage to the pitcher

[@justinreble6285]

8:19 the only reason why Astros was able to hit home runs was from the trash can and cameras

[@glennbo923]

I played 10yrs in MLB. The most Home Runs I hit in a season was 16. My career was from 82 to 93. In 2004 I went to the reunion of one of the 5teams I played for and there would be a Home Run Derby. Tug McGraw and I against Mike Schmidt and Von Hays. When I hit I hit 2 balls in the upper deck of Veterans Stadium. I took a ball home . Bounced it off the concrete with a ball from when I played. The New Ball came up 3 balls higher than the older ball. I know the balls are Juiced.

[@doggodoggo3000]

Thoughts on changing the name of the bull pen to "arm barn" or "arm pit"?

[@peterbristol5604]

remember about 5 years ago when EVERY pitcher was blowing out their elbow? and getting Tommy John surgery? did that have anything to do with the juiced baseball?

[@mikeymele]

The two Todd Frazier clips back to back were my favorite 😂😂 Especially the one when he is on the Mets. My dude threw the bat expecting an out and it just got over the fence, amazing job on the video!!

[@Shazam-rp7id]

I am strictly into bodybuilding and powerlifting and have never found an interest in Baseball whatsoever in the past. I’ve watched like 2-3 of your baseball videos now and it’s honestly astonishing how interesting you’re making this, keep these coming and I’ll keep watching!

[@lillee4207]

I was into baseball before I was a teen, and now the algorithm pushed his channel to me even though I only really watch gaming and lifting content, and I've watched probably 6 videos so far

[@MourningMoons]

Strictly low self esteem lol *

[@TherealTony_Chin]

When he drops a video my day gets better.

[@dcard228]

These changes in the balls means one of two things. 1) the MLB is too incompetent to control for variables in the balls to prevent advantages in one way or another from impacting the game or 2) they're doing it on purpose

[@arcanask]

They can control a lot of things about the ball. However, unless they cloned the cows they used every year to make the balls, or switched to a synthetic material there's very little MLB can do about that. I don't think many would want that. It's become more of a tradition, or ritual to use the ball as it is than for it to be perfect.

[@cirrustate8674]

"Never attribute to malice what is adequately explained by stupidity".

[@dcard228]

@@cirrustate8674 fair point

[@Moody-Boy]

@@arcanask I agree with your point. Furthermore, the sheer number of variables to account for and keep consistent is mind boggling. Honestly, I may be in the minority here, but I don’t think the mlb is doing this on purpose.

[@tsbrownie]

Who does not notice balls changing over the years? Harder, softer, back again. And the covering too; tighter, looser. Does it make a difference in home runs? That too changes with the years, but is it related to balls and their covering, or just the ebb and flow of one's game?

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

Well, if you can't make them all the same then you just need to make them random enough that everyone gets a fair shot. You never know if you're getting a juiced ball or not, just gotta play the game.

[@shaneflores5657]

Oh man, just remembering the Almora Jr. one and hearing the whole stadium react to it makes me feel absolutely terrible. Almora breaking down crying is sad to see, too.

[@JossCard42]

I just want to say, I really don't like baseball, but this was easily the most engaged I've ever been with the subject. Good job.

[@R-TrainExpress]

I remember the best chance I had at getting a foul ball was when it was hit the row behind me and hit an old lady who had to be taken to the hospital. While I was assisting the old lady two kids barely younger than me ran to our section and snatched the ball from the old lady’s family while they were distracted. They already got 2 balls before that

[@adamcoe]

seems like that lady should have been ready if there were already 2 balls hit to her section

[@R-TrainExpress]

@@adamcoe they got the two previous ones from the ball boys on the field

[@SoulSoundMuisc]

I haven't watched an MLB game or cared about MLB in over thirty years. When I was a kid, I lived and breathed and dreamed baseball baseball baseball. I followed it like mad, played it in a farm league, played it with friends. It was an obsession, the pace and the fun of it. Then I saw my first MLB game. I was disgusted at the hinky nonsense going on, it was clear to see if you had eyes in your head. Broke my heart. I threw out my cards, stopped watching games or listening to them on the radio. Lost the drive to play it, too. It's a crooked game, run by criminals, officiated by crooked officials. Played by crooked actors. I'll watch AAA or lower league stuff, but even then, the joy is gone.

[@uncletido99]

That ball david freese hit was just juiced to the limi. Dude did a butt out no power swing that should have at most been a fly out to center field. Never was freese a power hitter, and that ball flew like juiced up Bonds hit it.

[@markbollinger1343]

They should require a ball to be used for an inning 3 outs or until hit out of play or otherwise damaged under specific guidelines

[@Revkor]

this is very wasteful

[@diontremcloyd6420]

The spaghetti baseball side story actually has me dying

[@NFL_football0909]

Fr

[@zacharypendragon49]

Peta doesn’t say anything because they genuinely don’t actually care. After all they kill more animals that they take custody of than save.

[@richarddrum9970]

As a former pitcher I can tell you that even at the lower levels of the sport the difference in baseballs had a dramatic effect on the flight of the ball when thrown and hit. Doesn’t take much to change the rebound off the bat and aerodynamics of the thrown ball when the laces are enlarged or the surface material is changed. If we lose cows (global warming threat) we will be covering baseballs with fur.

[@Halohappy96]

I literally have never watched a major league baseball game in my life and really only ever played with my dad way back in the day, but this was fascinating.

[@sonicmeerkat]

what other sport would it be acceptable for the ball to break in the first fucking game it's used in? seriously if they can't even standardise their production at the very least make them durable enough to survive a full game.

[@SanFranFan30]

Honestly they should eventually shift to fully synthetic balls (hopefully made out of eco friendly materials), they'll be more consistent.

[@djs82a29]

That's sacrilege. The inconsistencies is what makes the game great in my opinion. Baseball is weird, and I like it that way.

[@AllisonIsLivid]

Yeah, absolutely! At the very least, they need to stop using them once and selling them. Wear and tear on equipment is as natural a part of the game as wear and tear on the athletes. If they're going to replace the ball after every play to ensure ideal performance, why not do the same with the bats, uniforms, helmets, the field, etc. Just play every single pitch in a pristine new park.

[@prince_vibe_check3879]

how so?

[@gonzalogutierrez510]

@@Talk-O nah dude, he's saying they should shift to synthetic because usually the processes involved are more standardized

[@Trumpisscum-420]

Anything synthetic isn't going to be ecofriendly.

[@tpmz1000]

Interesting video but I felt like it was watching a kid in college present a ton of information after doing 50 mgs of adderall the night before

[@HenrikoMagnifico]

That Lacrimosa remixa slaps

[@mattgreek1066]

Just gonna quit my job so I can watch this video.

[@BaseballDoesntExist]

smart!

[@mattgreek1066]

@@BaseballDoesntExist now I DEFINITELY am! 👍🏽😂

[@Graddy5]

Dude I hate baseball but for whatever reason always find myself captivated by your videos, great work as always my friend

[@91thewatcher23]

I love this bc it shows the futility of pencil pushers keeping baseball stats like a religion. We get all up in arms about steroid use and say records should have asterisks next to them but if this is as much of an issue as it seems, every single year should have an asterisk & footnotes accompanying it. It also goes to show just how static and rigid baseball is. These are top athletes doing things we could never physically do, no doubt. But if a small change to stitching affects your records that wildly, I would say there isn't ENOUGH variation in the game. Use the same 3-5 balls all game. How hard is that? A meta strategy would evolve about how to play off of the ball as it changes between inning 1-9 and there would be plenty of variability. Balls caught or used and resold are more scarce and therefore way more valuable. Idk, just a thought.

[@whattabirb637]

This man is the definition of quality over quantity