Discarded Baseballs in MLB? (1 Viewer)

[Tom Skerritt]

Can somebody explain to me why balls in the dirt, or foul balls get discarded to the dugout... but any ball hit in play continues to get used? Do the discarded balls get put back in circulation later?

I always thought that the balls get scuffed, and therefore the pitcher can use that as an advantage for breaking pitches. And that's why they get tossed aside. But wouldn't balls hit in the infield, or anywhere for that matter, get just as scuffed?

 

[Annyong]

Yep!

 

[shadyridr]

Who said balls in play get used again?

 

[Annyong]

What if the catcher has sandpaper lining in his mitt and scuffs every pitch?

 

[Frostillicus]

What if the catcher has sandpaper lining in his mitt and scuffs every pitch?

That's what Tom Brady would do.

 

[Jack White]

What if the catcher has sandpaper lining in his mitt and scuffs every pitch?

That's what Tom Brady would do.

That's what anyone who really wants to win would do.

 

[dickey moe]

Combination of tradition and irrational ritual.

 

[comfortably numb]

Mods please move to the baseball forum

 

[jabarony]

They use different kinds of dirt around the plate that is rougher on a pitch than a grounder through the infield would experience.

 

[The General]

What if the catcher has sandpaper lining in his mitt and scuffs every pitch?

That's what Tom Brady would do.

Prolly have the bat boy do it between innings.

 

[SkyRattlers]

Actually the average lifespan of a baseball is like maybe 4 pitches. The only baseballs like ever make it back to the pitcher after a hit are pop ups. And even those get inspected by the ump for flatness or other slight deformities.