New Baseball

Multiple things to consider but here are the main three in my opinion;

1. Yes, the ball flies farther,

2. Not much difference between wood and bbcor.

3. Single greatest factor to ball flight is wind - was it blowing out this year?

How much was it t flight of the ball and how much of it is batters being able to square up on the ball because pitchers don't have the movement as the old ball. Batters will be ahead of tge pitchers with the new ball. Once pitchers get used to the ball and make adjustments things will even out a little. 

 

I think it could be a little of both, wind, and the pitcher's needing to get used to the ball.  I was reading on another site, and I can't recall which team it was, but they said the hitters really like these new balls.  I think you are both correct in your assertions, but I also think this ball is going to help the college game a great deal.

Yeah it will help if your a hitters Dad . Not so much if your a pitchers Dad. We prefer low scoring pitching duels....

Actually we (PG) have been using the MLB style flat seam ball for the last 16 years.  So I imagine many of the college pitchers have used it before.

Son is a freshman pitcher. He told me his two seam & change-up move more with the flat seams but he gets less bite on the curve and slider.   

Not sure if I have been living my baseball experience in a closet, but I have not heard of this new ball.  I agree with Bishop.  Being a pitcher's dad, I don't like it.  

 In theory a little more velocity maybe...both directions.

I believe PG uses these balls not much difference.

Interesting.  Does anyone think this is a reaction to the new bats at the college level?

I second PG's comment. My son used them for a couple of years before he got to college and was used to them from all of the PG tournaments. He is a PO this year and has pitched in college for the past 3. He likes the low seam ball, they used them last fall prior to the season and has been using them again this fall and will obviously continue into the season. He gets more movement on his FB as well as his CU and prefers them over the old college ball. 

 

Moose there is a long history here and yes it is a result of balancing the new bats a little. 

Agree with you im647f; my son is a D2 sophomore.  I asked him about the ball last weekend and told me more movement on the 2 seam but is trying to get used to the new ball regarding his curve and slider.

 

BOF,

Is that an SCAC decision to use the low seam ball? I do not believe D3 will be using them in regional's or the D3 CWS. If they are I would not have a problem. Guys who throw a 2 seam and a change up actually see more movement. It is the Curve and other breaking ball pitches some have a problem with.

It's EXACTLY that...

The articles on the internet say that the D-1 Schools have used them this Fall, and it has made a big difference so far for the hitters.  I believe it will help the offense more than it helps the defense, and we will see more runs next season.

Since this "New" baseball is the same as what's used in professional baseball, it will help those players who move from college to pro ball as they will now not have to make that adjustment.

While it is the same seam height as the MLB ball, the Core is the same core as used before. The balls will not be hit any harder, they will just travel farther. 

So while I think this will make a difference for the pitchers, not so much for the hitters. 

And there is still a big difference between Seasoned professionals and rookies, so there is always those adjustments.  

It will make a difference for the hitters, because the ball will travel farther. Although it would obviously be still better for the hitters if the core was the same as the MLB/MILB Ball.  From every article I have read, the hitters like this ball much better, and they would not have changed to it if they thought it wasn't going to benefit the offense.  College Baseball needs more offense badly, and the CWS proved it.  I wouldn't be surprised to see them change to the harder core ball soon too.

Lower seams mean less wind resistance....the ball will absolutely travel farther.  Not "BESR bat" farther, but last season's warning track fly balls will become HRs.  That's the overall intent, as stated by that Leech guy at the CWS this past year.  I'm okay with that (even though my son is also a pitcher).  I think it's a better balance between using BBCOR and having a more watchable game offensively.

I think Pitchers will have to adjust and pitch for ground balls. Stay low in the zone and try to get batters to stay on top. Fly ball pitchers may be in for some struggles. 

 

Yes, and to the extent that pitchers will be making adjustments as to how they might pitch, hitters will have to adjust to the pitching adjustments.  

 

Of course.  But having already adjusted to this "New" baseball will be one less adjustment that'll need to be made by the rookie coming out of college.  

 

If high schools don't this change, then maybe there might be a quantifiable way of measuring the effective difference between rookies coming out of high school vs. those coming out of college . . . .???   Though the difference might be so small that it's not worth the bother.  I suppose we'll better see over the next couple of years.

 

 

I will echo much of what others have said. While I do agree there will be a shift back toward offense to some degree, I think it will be a positive for college baseball as a whole. My son is a pitcher that will start college next summer. He loves the low seam ball that PG uses. He states he gets a lot less blistering on his fingers. He has never complained about lack of movement. He has a very good curve ball that I cannot see much difference in as compared to the ball he throws with in high school. While I am sure there is some amount of difference in equipment, I still believe that it is the "Indian" more so than the "arrow".

I do agree that the indian is more important than the arrow, but the arrow traveling farther will definitely help the indian batter. 

Ha ha. Yea that is true!  Just hope my Indian can sneak a few past the other Indians.

I've always said that given equal abilities, I'll take the Indian with the composite bow over the one witht he Birch bow.

Interesting. Do you think this, in any way, increases fastball velocity? I only ask because my son pitched at a U of Arkansas Prospect cam a couple of weeks ago and they used the flat seam balls. It was the first time he had ever used one. Couldn't get control of his curve, but he was throwing about 2 mph faster than he had been and threw at least one pitch that eclipsed his highest recorded velocity by 3 mph.

That is an interesting thought, and although I am no Physicist, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.  I would think that it would increase mph, but I don't know for sure.

my 2013 used the ball this fall and says he does get a little more velo. 1-2

are JC's using the new ball next year ?  Was told by coach that they were not using them in 2015, apparently one of the large manuf. of ball still has tons of new inventory left.  Link anyone to the NJCAA rule change ?????

Curious on the physics of lower seam ball and the movement.  Also it seems strange that a two seam would move more and a curve less on a lower seam ball.  I wonder if it is the grip or the spin rate or the low/high air pressure caused by the different size seams that makes a ball "move"?  I wonder if there is any trackman comparison of the two balls?

 

(and by curious of the physics, I mean at a 7th grade level where I can understand it.)

BLD I believe the SCAC has decided to go with the new ball, I also believe that DIII Regionals and CWS will use the new ball. 

Oh wow, I did not here that about the regionals. It makes sense. Thanks BOF.

BLD I am at the Fall World Series for my son's team and I will try to find out for sure what is the situation with the new ball just to make sure 100%. 

 

Go44dad, It has to do with Laminar vs Turbulent flow over a sphere, with the lower seams the flow over the ball starts to be more laminar, which means there is more variability in drag on the sphere, giving it more movement, for a ball that is spinning, (when a curve is thrown) the seams "bite" into the air giving it more break. 

 

Some basics here:

 

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-...lane/dragsphere.html

 

 

Because, as BishopLeftiesDad pointed out, the ball's core is unchanged from last year's ball, the exit velocity is unchanged. So, it flies no faster. However, the lower seams make it more aerodynamic; causing it to travel farther.

 

I suspect that maintaining the old ball's exit velocity, thus causing it to be equally safe as the old one, made the change decision a lot easier for the Rules Committee.

 

FYI, while the seams of the new DI ball are the same height as the one used in the minor leagues (the MLB ball's seams are lower, still), the MiLB ball's core is wound more tightly; increasing its exit velocity somewhat from the new DI ball.

The exit speed doesn't change, but what we were talking about is the mph of the pitch. I think the mph would be slightly higher.

       
       

BOF good luck to your son. Let us know how the series goes. I hooe he has a great year.

We have never noticed any difference in velocity between our flat seam ball and the higher seam ball.  Most velocity readings are recorded as the ball leaves the hand.  If there were any velocity increase it would be at the end of the throw (at the plate) rather than most typical radar readings (out of the hand).  Even then it would be very slight given the short distance.  Now if an outfielder is making a long throw, the ball might carry a little better. 

PG brought up an interesting point, which is that radar reads the speed of the ball out of the hand.  I'm thinking your son's velocity gain was because he was psyched to be at the showcase, not because of lower seams.

Originally Posted by freddy77:

PG brought up an interesting point, which is that radar reads the speed of the ball out of the hand.  I'm thinking your son's velocity gain was because he was psyched to be at the showcase, not because of lower seams.

 

Either that or perhaps the guns used weren’t calibrated equally well.

Since the effect is an aerodynamic one and a pitch travels only 60' 6", it's hard to imagine that the effect on the pitch would be anything more than negligible. Whereas, a ball batted to an outfield fence has ~6x the distance of a pitched ball. That's plenty of length to make the improved aerodynamics have some meaning.

 

Meanwhile, apologies for originally misunderstanding the question being raised about the pitched ball. Thanks for the clarification.