In MLB, why is a baseball pitched into the dirt immediately taken out of play while a batted baseball remains in the game?
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Every time my son throws one in the dirt he asks for a new ball. I told him that pitchers in my younger days would love to have that scuffed up ball to throw.
Saw a HS catcher the other day take a ball that was thrown in the dirt and hand it to the ump. My reaction was that kid watches too much MLB. Ha!
That is like a young catcher would go get balls fouled off into fence and hand to ump. My son went to him and said anything with a scuff mark is the ball I want. Ripped ball would be my preference.
I've always wondered why a pitcher would want a new ball. Heck, when my son was pitching he would as for a "new" ball if the ball that came to him on the mound was too good. He wanted them messed up...mud in the threads, nicks in the cover, etc.