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Just for the record:
When a ball is scuffed, nicked, cut, soiled or discolored, it is tossed aside, and in the case of a discolored one that can be cleaned off, is actually re-introduced into the rotation and used again later in the game. So about a quarter to a third of the time, when you merely see one get soiled and tossed to the dugout, it is rubbed off and put back in the bucket of gamers for later use in that game.
Also, when a guy hits a screamer right on the screws, it puts a soft spot on the ball and it's discarded and put in a bucket for warm-ups, B.P. and other such things (like awarding to fans).
When Mike Piazza hit the scene, about halfway through his rookie year, Brett Butler told me to watch how many times the umpire asks for the ball after Piazza hits one of his screamers. He said, "They throw them out when they get dented. I have never seen one player crush as many baseballs as this kid. Just watch them. Every time he really gets a hold of one, they throw it out. He hits the ball harder than any hitter I've ever seen."
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