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Author |
TOPIC: The new balls |
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| Doug Welch
July 12, 2012
5:11:35 PM
Entry #: 3945753
| Since the advent of the Rock going to the new ROLM balls this year, there’s been some discussion among managers about their impact on the game this season. The new ball is obviously livelier than the R 100s we were using. The lower seams not only make it more challenging for pitchers to throw their breaking balls, but the lower seams also allow the ball to fly farther. The higher seams on the 100 balls made it perform like a restricted flight ball.
I’m not making any judgments. In fact, I think the new balls have added some juice to the game. But then again, I’m not a pitcher.
If anyone has any doubts about the affect the new balls have on the game, I think I can offer up some geek-like, I’ve-got-nothing-better-to-do-with-my-time statistics to illustrate the impact the new balls have on the game.
Due to my off-season health issues I missed the league meeting and discussion when the decision was made to change balls. It is a move I would have supported and still do. The fact I missed the meeting is relevant only because I unwittingly purchased three dozen of the R100 balls just prior to the beginning of the season. I didn’t realize we had switched balls but was told that we could use the old ones until the All-Star break. So the Raptors have played with the R100 balls during each of our five home games but will be using the new balls from here out.
The statistical differences between our home and road games are startling. We’ve played five at home and seven on the road. Each road game was played with the new balls. We’ve hosted Neosho, Laurel Tavern, Ashippun, the Waunakee Rockers and Helenville. In those five games, we’ve hit only seven of our season-total 29 doubles. We’ve hit two of our four triples and none of our six homers. Granted, we’ve played two more games on the road than at home, but nonetheless a very disproportionate number of our extra base hits have come on the road with the new ball. (Only nine of our 39 extra base hits have come at home.) In those five home games, our opponents have only two extra-base hits. Laurel’s Pat Hawker had a double and triple, but Helenville, the Rockers, Ashippun and Neosho did not have any extra-base hits.
This is all just a bunch of food for thought but I think it bears out what a lot of us have suspected about the new balls – they’ve made the game a whole lot livelier.
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| Pat 12
July 12, 2012
5:53:18 PM
Entry #: 3945770
| I like the new baseballs, plus it gets us on the same page as the HTL and LOL. Plus it helps us against the Tri-County teams that use the baseballs.
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| Jim Ziegler
July 12, 2012
7:02:16 PM
Entry #: 3945793
| I don't discredit anything that might show that the ROML's have led to better offensive stats, but personally I actually like the ROML's as a pitcher. I know this is ass-backwards, but I actually prefer the lower seams. My only complaint is that I feel the ROML's are usually junk by about the 5th inning, whereas I don't remember that as much with the R100's. Regardless I'm glad we made the change.
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| Official Eye
July 13, 2012
9:20:47 AM
Entry #: 3946006
| Jim/Doug... you are both spot on.
One other item to add, is that I have noticed an increase of broken bats as well.
Home Talent is using Diamonds and I would not consider them equal to the ROML.
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| Tyler
July 13, 2012
12:17:38 PM
Entry #: 3946072
| I went back and looked at 2011 compared to 2012 first half(South Division) and it looks like you are correct.
Batting avg has increased .003 (from .277 to .280) on base % is identical (.370 both years) but slugging % went up from .336 to .372.
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