So I was poking around the web today and came across this article about how the NCAA switched to flat seamed baseballs this year
http://news.yahoo.com/ncaa-reports-big-jump-home-runs-flat-seam-170656118--spt.html
The article states that teams are hitting 40% more home runs this season. And in a little more in depth after I poked around about this
In the 2nd link the top of the page has images on both a raised seam and flat seam. The article goes on also to talk about how there is no increased danger to pitchers or players.
I'm wondering with all the clamoring going on about offense and power being down that this has not come up for the MLB. If the league can up home run production without any increase in player safety and all it would take is swapping out balls why are we not seeing them try this in say spring training
The only "negative" in the article was that the less resistant ball might affect how pitchers throw breaking stuff, but it is also said pitchers should be able to adjust eventually. For the MLB I might see pitchers being against this, since they rely heavily on feel and movement, but its not to say they couldn't get use to it.
I'm all for seeing a couple more balls a year sail over the Green Monster, and I'd imagine pitchers could adjust if they got an offseason and spring training to work with them. So I'm not saying this year, but curious why it is not a more dicussed topic
http://news.yahoo.com/ncaa-reports-big-jump-home-runs-flat-seam-170656118--spt.html
The article states that teams are hitting 40% more home runs this season. And in a little more in depth after I poked around about this
http://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2013-11-05/di-committee-changes-flat-seamed-baseballs-2015-championship
Committee members made the decision to change to a flat-seamed baseball after research conducted this fall by the Washington State University Sport Science Laboratory showed that flat-seamed baseballs launched out of a pitching machine at averages of 95 mph, a 25-degree angle and a 1,400 rpm spin rate traveled around 387 feet compared to raised-seamed baseballs that went 367 feet.
In the 2nd link the top of the page has images on both a raised seam and flat seam. The article goes on also to talk about how there is no increased danger to pitchers or players.
I'm wondering with all the clamoring going on about offense and power being down that this has not come up for the MLB. If the league can up home run production without any increase in player safety and all it would take is swapping out balls why are we not seeing them try this in say spring training
The only "negative" in the article was that the less resistant ball might affect how pitchers throw breaking stuff, but it is also said pitchers should be able to adjust eventually. For the MLB I might see pitchers being against this, since they rely heavily on feel and movement, but its not to say they couldn't get use to it.
I'm all for seeing a couple more balls a year sail over the Green Monster, and I'd imagine pitchers could adjust if they got an offseason and spring training to work with them. So I'm not saying this year, but curious why it is not a more dicussed topic