[REFANDUMP]

I didn't realize that Clincher made a 12" ball. The purpose of the rules change was to give the defense more time to react to batted balls and make a play on them. There is also a safety factor involved, as the infielders can now play somewhat deeper. If you feel that isn't an issue, I wouldn't worry about the change. As an umpire however, I'm always in favor of anything that might help me get outs !!!