macgregor softballs...

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Interestingly, I just searched for softballs at a Denver area park and found several MacGregor X100 .52 300s. I hadn't seen these balls in years.

They look cheap. Somewhat high seams, and the covers don't look very tight. I don't have high hopes for them, but maybe I'll post back in a couple days after I hit them.
 

chile

Bad Ape
Interestingly, I just searched for softballs at a Denver area park and found several MacGregor X100 .52 300s. I hadn't seen these balls in years.

They look cheap. Somewhat high seams, and the covers don't look very tight. I don't have high hopes for them, but maybe I'll post back in a couple days after I hit them.

i didn't play last week since i have bursitis in my heel...the guys said the balls were mush. they were not happy...which doesn't surprise me as they all think they're bombers 🤣
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
I hit a couple of the MacGregors the other day. Hot weather, at least 85 degrees. The balls were pretty much as I expected. Fairly lousy. Mushy, and just kind of worn out looking.

I muscled a couple 350', but that was about it. These balls are fine for smaller fields, but anything over 300' is going to be a struggle to hit HRs.

The MacGregors beat in poorly and wear out too fast. They just aren't very well made.

I'd compare them to Champros, another brand of .52 300 I've found lacking.
 

chile

Bad Ape
good to know @TWmccoy ...we're playing 300+ this season so it should be no fun for a lot of the guys. what i don't know is if they are allowing teams to bring their own balls. not that i intend to supply those but i might be inclined every few games...
 

Bobby Buggs

SBF Site Sponsor
BSN is the whole reason you see those balls at all. For some reason they have this love affair with that brand of trash. When I asked them why they were so connected to that ball the guy said he had never even heard of an Evil Ball, shows how much BSN knows about softball.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
BSN is the whole reason you see those balls at all. For some reason they have this love affair with that brand of trash. When I asked them why they were so connected to that ball the guy said he had never even heard of an Evil Ball, shows how much BSN knows about softball.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is BSN? The MagGregors I found were at a Denver park. I guess their parks and rec bought them. Until last week I'd never seen MacGregors at any park in CO.
 

hitless45

Addicted to Softballfans
Pure speculation here but it is likely that some leagues are playing the cheapskate, most reviews on these McGregors mention (good for price)add to that, that most sites are sold out of the better worth, Dudley balls etc along with some site having gone totally off the deep end and are asking like $90+/- per dozen for the better stuff, and some of them are sold out as well
 

chile

Bad Ape
Pardon my ignorance, but what is BSN? The MagGregors I found were at a Denver park. I guess their parks and rec bought them. Until last week I'd never seen MacGregors at any park in CO.

i believe they are a distributor/big online dealer?
 

Normy

Well-Known Member
I wish our league would switch to these. We play on goofy 270 fields with stacked teams. Not very fun being the pitcher..
 

Bobby Buggs

SBF Site Sponsor
Hate to say it but get used to the $80-$90 price as Im seeing my costs going off the charts. One of the major ball manufacturers left a whole factory because costs went up 30%.
BSN sports is a 1 billion dollar importer, retailer. They love college and general school business. They also own the Trump softball and import the Evil Ball.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
Pure speculation here but it is likely that some leagues are playing the cheapskate, most reviews on these McGregors mention (good for price)add to that, that most sites are sold out of the better worth, Dudley balls etc along with some site having gone totally off the deep end and are asking like $90+/- per dozen for the better stuff, and some of them are sold out as well

Most leagues that provide balls definitely buy cheap ones. Usually a low end synthetic ball. Tournaments around here are USSSA or WSL, and they sell much better balls for those (usually ZN Pro Ms and WSL SYCO Gold Dots).

CO's USSSA state director sells Pro M ZNs for $60/doz. That really isn't bad, considering you'd have to pay for shipping if you ordered them yourself.

The price of ANY softball has gone up dramatically over the past year. Some leagues around CO were having trouble even finding balls.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
That $60 a dozen price wont be around in 2023


It's funny. Balls are so damn expensive, yet no one will go look for them after tournies. I'll usually bring a backpack and search the fields after big tournies. It's not unusual to get 2-3 dozen balls at a time. Most of these are almost brand new Pro M's.

I find well over 1000 balls a year. Even places like Viera don't give a crap. Balls laying around everywhere you look.
 

chile

Bad Ape
It's funny. Balls are so damn expensive, yet no one will go look for them after tournies. I'll usually bring a backpack and search the fields after big tournies. It's not unusual to get 2-3 dozen balls at a time. Most of these are almost brand new Pro M's.

I find well over 1000 balls a year. Even places like Viera don't give a crap. Balls laying around everywhere you look.

yeah, i am surprised by this as well. but i guess if you're balling at viera, you ain't got time for ball shagging...at least at the field anyway.
 

Normy

Well-Known Member
It's funny. Balls are so damn expensive, yet no one will go look for them after tournies. I'll usually bring a backpack and search the fields after big tournies. It's not unusual to get 2-3 dozen balls at a time. Most of these are almost brand new Pro M's.

I find well over 1000 balls a year. Even places like Viera don't give a crap. Balls laying around everywhere you look.
This is my method as well. Never purchased new balls and never will. Unfortunately I have more competition these days but there are still plenty to be had.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
yeah, i am surprised by this as well. but i guess if you're balling at viera, you ain't got time for ball shagging...at least at the field anyway.

I think people are afraid of the prospect of snakes or alligators. Viera's fields are surrounded by lakes, and softballs just pile up along the shores of these lakes.
 

TWmccoy

3DX Connoisseur
And those Pro Ms are not getting much love from the big boys. Could be the best inventory skip I made

I've played a couple really hot tournies here in CO this year. These latest Pro Ms just aren't good in the heat... at all. They're like hitting rolled up socks.

The balls are too temperature sensitive. In hot weather they won't go anywhere.

I played a tourny last Sunday, and we used C+ and classic Ms. Interestingly, both were way better than Pro Ms. C+s don't come off the bat with a ton of velocity, but for whatever reason they fly great on very hot days. I hit several of them 350'+.

I keep telling people that .52 balls are best when it's really hot, but no one believes me.
 

Thebig#5

Addicted to Softballfans
We hit these in league and they are terrible. I like throwing them due to the raised seams though.
 
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