MLB juicing again? Verlander thinks there's a conspiracy

[PortCityProphet]

"It's a f--king joke. Major League Baseball's turning this game into a joke. They own Rawlings, and you've got Manfred up here saying it might be the way they center the pill. They own the f--king company. If any other $40 billion company bought out a $400 million company and the product changed dramatically, it's not a guess as to what happened. We all know what happened. Manfred the first time he came in, what'd he say? He said we want more offense. All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It's not coincidence. We're not idiots."


"Yes. 100 percent," Verlander added when asked if he believed the balls were juiced. "They've been using juiced balls in the Home Run Derby forever. They know how to do it. It's not coincidence. I find it really hard to believe that Major League Baseball owns Rawlings and just coincidentally the balls become juiced."

As Passan noted, MLB batters are on pace to club 6,668 home runs this season, which would smash the previous record of 6,105 homers hit two seasons ago.

Manfred and Major League Baseball commissioned a study in 2015 to determine whether the baseballs were playing a part in the increase of home runs in recent years, finding that the balls were behaving differently without elaborating on a reason, as Passan reported. MLB then bought Rawlings in 2018

I thought it was a stupid number of HRs being bit so far this year. I know hitters dont really hit for contact and angles to the gaps anymore, it's all about launch angles and exit velocities and what have you but that's still a ton more HRs on pace for.
Remember cats saying they thought the ball was juiced in the LA/Hou WS. Had no idea MLB owned Rawlings that could explain a lot. Especially with sports now days finding ways to create more scoring and more offense with defense being illegal in the NFL and freedom of movement stuff in the NBA. Baseball cant really add rules but if you can change the ball it's like turning the sliders up. The commish basically said so.

Manfred also addressed the issue during an appearance on Golic and Wingo Monday:

"We think what's been going on this year is attributable to the baseball. Our scientists that have been now studying the baseball more regularly have told us that this year the baseball has a little less drag. It doesn't need to change very much in order to produce meaningful change in terms of the way the game is played on the field. We are trying to understand exactly why that happened and build out a manufacturing process that gives us a little more control over what's going on. But you have to remember that our baseball is a handmade product and there's gonna be variation year to year."

So MLB what's up with them balls?

 

[tremonthustler1]

When MLB snitches on the Astros staff and how their spin rate works...

 

[Barnett114]

I believe the baseballs they use are juiced and a select amount of plays are still actively using.

 

[Guile]

I mean they said they changed the baseballs.

 

[MikelArteta]

Bring back that Sosa McGwire summer

 

[Remote]

Every time in baseball history when there is an uptick in runs or homers people cry about the balls being juiced.

 

[Throwbacksample]

Another reason is hitters are getting paid big for homers so more players are trying to hit homeruns. Once hitting for average gets the big $$$, more players will do that instead of hitting for the fences.

 

[ChuckTaylor84]

"Sports Entertainment"

 

[Rekkapryde]

I mean they said they changed the baseballs.

 

[Tommy Fits]

Had no idea MLB bought out Rawlings. But all these HR's are hiring the quality of the game

 

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Another reason is hitters are getting paid big for homers so more players are trying to hit homeruns. Once hitting for average gets the big $$$, more players will do that instead of hitting for the fences.

 

[MoneyTron]

I was reading an article a few days ago about baseball players avoiding groundballs and actively looking to get hits in the air and it instantly reminded me of basketball and its move to 3 pointers and dumping the midrange.

I don't know if its a conspiracy but a league trying to bring more excitement is always going change things through indirect means.

 

[Cladyclad]

And Trout still won’t ever hit 50 homers

 

[GoldenGlove]

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Home runs are up across the board but no one single player is putting up a ridiculous rate so that tells me it's more about how the game is being played with higher home run and higher strikeout totals. Plus, none of these dudes are nearly as good as a guy like Bonds except maybe Trout but he don't got the power like that.