The WS Baseballs

[Lefty]

Lots of grousing from the players and coaches about the leather being slick and affecting pitches, especially the slider:

https://www.si.com/mlb/2017/10/29/world-series-baseballs-leather-justin-verlander-yu-darvish-ken-giles-kenley-jansen

“I just want to know why? Why in the world would the baseballs in the World Series be different? Because you can see the difference. You can feel it. I don’t understand it at all.” -- Brent Strom

[Nate in IA]

I wonder if this can be ascribed to malice by the MLB execs.     They wanted more home runs because they think that's what people want in a baseball game so they doctor the balls so that these pitchers have their bread and butter pitch taken away from them.      There's always a negative to any change that happens and this time, I don't think it's Giles, I think it's Manfred.

[subnuclear]

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" In any case, I hope the effect is more mental than physical, though the players don't think so. 

[moriartp]

I wonder if this can be ascribed to malice by the MLB execs.     They wanted more home runs because they think that's what people want in a baseball game so they doctor the balls so that these pitchers have their bread and butter pitch taken away from them.      There's always a negative to any change that happens and this time, I don't think it's Giles, I think it's Manfred.

We'll end up with some hints one way or the other this offseason: will MLB make an effort to investigate the problem? Implement stricter standards for ball manufacturing? Continue to pretend nothing's changed?

[Astros Fan in Big D]

We'll end up with some hints one way or the other this offseason: will MLB make an effort to investigate the problem? Implement stricter standards for ball manufacturing? Continue to pretend nothing's changed?

[/b][/u]

That one.

[BUWebguy]

We'll end up with some hints one way or the other this offseason: will MLB make an effort to investigate the problem? Implement stricter standards for ball manufacturing? Continue to pretend nothing's changed?

According to USA Today, "MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said before Game 3 that he is 'absolutely confident that the balls that we’re using are within our established specifications.'"
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/mlb/2017/10/29/world-series-slick-baseballs-sliders-pitcher-performance/811320001/

[NeilT]

According to USA Today, "MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said before Game 3 that he is 'absolutely confident that the balls that we’re using are within our established specifications for juice slick World Series balls with no bite.'"
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/mlb/2017/10/29/world-series-slick-baseballs-sliders-pitcher-performance/811320001/

FIFH.  But why would we complain?

[moriartp]

Fuck that from Manfred. If the specs allow enough variation that it changes the game as much as it has, tighten the fucking specs.

[das]

Fuck that from Manfred. If the specs allow enough variation that it changes the game as much as it has, tighten the fucking specs.

No kidding. His response was worse than a non-answer.