You will never convince me, that the manufacturers, or the associations, or both withing together don't mess us around with the balls.
Worth balls sucked for years, then their syco covered gold dots are the hardest balls in the game? 40 cors outperforming everything but stadiums. Then, they ditch the cover and don't go back to it when the pro comps are nowhere near as good?
"Test" pro ms get used at a few conference events, and they're described as golf balls. Utrip officials running down the hrs and threatening punishment for people stealing them, then we get the balls and just people say they're meh at best?
These things never add up. Asa changes balls and it takes the companies a few years to start making good ones. Some research, feedback, and then they get it. Notice, this is usually the pattern for bat changes too.
Utrip? They introduce new balls and they're rockets out the gate, then they suck later. It just doesn't make sense.
GSL Ball, i forget if its a gold dot or ZN, there is definitely a huge difference in between the balls made in China and balls made in Vietnam. China balls are absolute socks. Vietnam balls fly like regular balls should. It ruined the world tournament. C's was originally bring your own ball. They had such a problem that after day 1 they announced you could no longer use the Vietnam balls and had to use the china balls to keep the playing field level. The next week for D's i think there was like 7 home runs hit all tournament, and some of the fields were 285. Yes, the balls were that bad. It was worse than playing in Florida. I think clinchers might have flown better. @ilyk2win could confirm this.
The BN batch is what we had for Worlds last year and they were bad, not as bad as the DV that we used in Conference for most of this year were like. I've been told that a couple of teams went through the buckets at one tournament and took out all the DV batch before the finals. I've got friends down there now for Military Worlds that started today, I'll ask what they are using now, it will probably be the same batch for the rest of Worlds.
Who are you playing with? Any concerns about the weather that is coming?I'll come back on here after worlds and let you know which batch is being used down there, and what I think of them.
FRSTeam/Gen3 Roofing. I have no clue what the weather will be like.Who are you playing with? Any concerns about the weather that is coming?
I don't understand how you mess up a stadium, but that's what they're saying in the stream too.EC is the batch being used at Worlds and it is night and day better than anything I used in Conference this year. I was talking to some of the Major players today between games, they lobbied for the new batch of Pro M's to be used at the World Series rather than the bad batch of Stadiums they are using. Final scores in a couple games yesterday were 6-5 and 4-3.
EC is the batch being used at Worlds and it is night and day better than anything I used in Conference this year. I was talking to some of the Major players today between games, they lobbied for the new batch of Pro M's to be used at the World Series rather than the bad batch of Stadiums they are using. Final scores in a couple games yesterday were 6-5 and 4-3.
I hear ya.I don't understand how you mess up a stadium, but that's what they're saying in the stream too.
Then they go on to talk about how there are more defensive highlights, so maybe they'll keep them. I am enjoying the extra defense personally.
I hear ya.
Personally, 30-25 games are really boring. I bet those 6-5 and 4-3 games were really exciting. just my opinion
It's a different game when you have to hit gaps instead of bombs away.
It's kinda like the shift argument. They're Pros.Championship game in the major was boring AF. I do understand your argument, but all these guys were going for HRs, and it was an endless parade of flyouts short of the fence.
Even some of the big power hitters looked pretty neutered by this ball. These guys do NOT go into this tourny looking to hit gaps and manufacture runs.
The onus here is on Dudley for creating an inconsistent product that falls well short of industry specs. Maybe it's time for USSSA to think about using a different ball manufacturer.
This is so spot on. It's also exactly why I'd like a slightly toned down ball. Maybe not as bad as this past ws, but still.It's kinda like the shift argument. They're Pros.
Once you see that the ball isn't carrying, isn't it on the players to adjust? Especially in the Championship games.
I get that they're there to hit the long ball. Chicks dig that. lol
The problem as I understand it was that the balls were good on Wednesday, when they were on the old shipment. Then on Thursday on the new shipment they would have a lot that were bad and a few that were good. Obviously the ones that were good didn't last long. Had they started Thursday with the bad batch I don't think the complaining would have been as bad.It's kinda like the shift argument. They're Pros.
Once you see that the ball isn't carrying, isn't it on the players to adjust? Especially in the Championship games.
I get that they're there to hit the long ball. Chicks dig that. lol
I watched the proton smash it game on YouTube, and it looked like more than just bad balls. They were hitting the ball sky high. Almost everything dying in the wt.The problem as I understand it was that the balls were good on Wednesday, when they were on the old shipment. Then on Thursday on the new shipment they would have a lot that were bad and a few that were good. Obviously the ones that were good didn't last long. Had they started Thursday with the bad batch I don't think the complaining would have been as bad.
I watched the proton smash it game on YouTube, and it looked like more than just bad balls. They were hitting the ball sky high. Almost everything dying in the wt.
I don't know if this is scientifically accurate or not, but when we go from 40 cors to 52s the number of mi****s goes through the roof, and I've always assumed that the lower cor is the reason. It's like the other balls bounce off the bat when they're glanced, but the lower cors drive into the bat and it's not so obvious. That's what this looked like. Both pitchers had a no hitter through two innings, and I want to say it was a shut out until the fifth.
Look it up. It's crazy. Dudes would take what looked like their normal swings and it would go nowhere.
I saw someone describe it as if they'd accidentally put stadium covers on hot dots, and I think it was even worse than that. When they play asa they have no problem hitting those balls out, and especially to rf where the wind was blowing slightly out. I also didn't see any weird bounces on the turf.Having watched a few games at the major this year, I'll tell you right now it was the balls. They didn't even sound right coming off the bat. Stadium balls are usually really hard, but these ones sounded poofy. Nothing had any velocity, and the balls were dying well short of where they should have. The wind wasn't favorable for righties, but it never is in the stadium. Temps were also seasonably cool, so that wasn't a factor.
If you start the tourny with bad balls and everyone knows it, fine. Guys know what they're getting into and can adjust accordingly. However, if guys go into a tourny expecting to use hot balls and hit bombs, you'll see massive struggling and flyouts.
Having some good balls and some bad balls is even worse. You literally have no idea what to expect from one AB to the next.
Fact of the matter is, the ball for the major world series should be MUCH better than what was used out there this year. Even with a good ball it isn't very easy to hit HRs in that stadium. With a lousy ball it's practically impossible.
Admittedly, many of the big hitters did nothing to adjust their swing even after everyone could tell the ball wasn't going anywhere.
I'm old enough to remember when all leagues and tournies were like this. They'd mix last year's balls in with the new, and you had to be good at fouling off the turds if the guy before you hit a sock. It sucks not knowing what you're going to get until after the swing.
I saw someone describe it as if they'd accidentally put stadium covers on hot dots, and I think it was even worse than that. When they play asa they have no problem hitting those balls out, and especially to rf where the wind was blowing slightly out. I also didn't see any weird bounces on the turf.