"FED Legal" Baseballs
 

Gentlemen,

FED Rule 1-3-1 clearly and unequivocally states:

"The NFHS Authenticating mark is required on all balls that will be used in high school competition."

If you are working a FED game as the UIC and there are no baseballs available at the game site with the required Authenticating Mark, though there is an ample supply of baseballs that appear to be otherwise perfectly suitable, what do you do?

Thanks.

JM

Play Ball!

FED Baseballs
 

Play the game and file a report.

Depends if you are tight-a$$ed, black and white, anal rules book umpire, or an intelligent umpire.

I'd play the game. The TABAWARBU would probably enforce the rule. Sad.

I take each of those non-official balls, and I measure them and weigh them to be sure they meet the stringent FED standards. Then I will get out my black sharpee and initial each and everyone of them and the sign an affadavit and fax it from my car to my assigner.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTT, more then likely I will just play with the balls I am given....

You TABAWARBU you!:D

Grab 1 of my back-ups from the car, and find another decent one in each of the team's ball bags. Then tell the HT-AC to get in his car and start driving to the closest {insert name of sporting goods store} and be back in 20 mins. Then... PLAY (ball)!

When this rule came out we were told in our assoc meeting not to play without the correct baseballs. And so, it has not happened.

Here in CT, as long as it is a baseball, play ball. Both coaches are informed that if they agree to play with this type ball, there will be no protests allowed that refer to the type of ball used.

I had a game that involved a Tech school. the HC was also a LL coach and all he had with him was a bucket of LL balls. Guess what? We played 7 innings and I just noted it to my assigner.

DG,

Was this a dictate of your association, or the NCHSAA, or something else?

What do you make of the fact that many of the baseballs listed on the NFHS website as "authorized" (referenced in the same rule that asserts the mark is "required") do NOT have the "Authenticating Mark"?

What exactly is your association's recommended procedure should this happen to occur? (i.e., no baseballs available at the game site with the NFHS Authenticating Mark.)

JM

P.S. DG, do you have a copy of the BRD?

In Illinois, play the game and file a report with the Illinois High School Association. They follow up with an inquiry to the respective schools.

JJ

Same here in L.A.'s association, but the S.F. Valley assn. made no such edict.

When the rule came out, I bought two cases of NFHS Diamond baseballs, and I just carry them around. I had one school that had "official league" baseballs without the stamp. I just had them swap them out for six of mine with the stamp. Otherwise, if my unit didn't voice the must-have-the-stamp edict, then I would be the if-they're-hardballs-let's-play type of umpire. So in order to ensure that I can allow every game to be played, I bring my own.

So you don't have to be a "tight-@ssed, black and white, anal, rules book umpire," or an unintelligent umpire to enforce the rule plus written and spoken edict, you would merely be following the wishes of the guy who assigns all of the games for three different associations. I would say that's a sign of intelligence to do things his way.

Now, to avoid being a tight-@ssed, anal (the very same thing), black & white, by-the-book umpire on something so trivial, I bring my own baseballs.

NCHSAA.

Already stated, I have not encountered a game where proper baseballs were not provided. Coaches know the rules and it is easy to provide the correct baseballs.

Of course I have BRD.

Next time I will have to look and will get back to you.

But there is a good chance that I will be saying, "Play Ball", regardless.

So that I don't put words in your mouth (I hate when others do that) tell me, if you had no baseballs, and the balls the teams had were equal to, or better (not difficult) than the FED approved balls, but did not have the FED mark on them, would you refuse to work the game, thus sending the visiting team back on their bus and home?

What is so hard? The home team showed up with legal uniforms, legal bats, legal lines on the field. Why not baseballs?

I just had an adult game Saturday where one team had really nice N.A.B.A. stamped Diamond D1 baseballs and the other team had Pro Nine N.F.H.S. baseballs. The Pro Nine balls are totally inferior and have a "fake" ball feel to them and are slightly mushy or springy feeling. The team with the N.A.B.A. balls' pitchers consistently rejected the Pro Nines.

Moral of story: Having a FED stamp is not all it's cracked up to be.

IMO it's no different than a field w/o marked foul lines past the 1B & 3B...we'll still play, but teams don't get to argue fair/foul. When I show up at the game and we have a field, 18 players, all other equip legal...we're playing...that stuff is an administrative issue. We have enough stuff to worry about.

You really have a way about you.

How many ways can I say that I would have them play the game regardless? I will stay within the regulations AND make sure the game is played even at my own expense, if necessary.

Are you really this obtuse, or is it just some act that goes with your online persona?

And, based on some of the stuff you write, you shouldn't be the judge of what is the intelligent thing to do.

I find it strange that you need to insult when none was aimed at you.

Not obtuse, just looking for a straightforward answer to my question, which you still have not supplied.

I'll repeat it again without any personal comment aimed at you:

...if you had no baseballs, and the balls the teams had were equal to, or better (not difficult) than the FED approved balls, but did not have the FED mark on them, would you refuse to work the game, thus sending the visiting team back on their bus and home?

A simple yes or no will suffice.

I don't disagree about quality of baseballs. I never seen a bad Diamond D1 and did not know Pro Nine made baseballs. But...

If the coaches know they need NFHS baseballs (and they do), and they don't have them you play anyway? What if they only had -5 bats, no lines on the field, uniforms that don't match? When do we hold a HS coach accountable vs. cut some slack?

And like I have said, they know, so they bring the right baseballs in games I have worked...

Everyone in my area plays either with Diamond or Wilson baseballs. I coached high school for two years and we played with Diamonds. I have never once checked to see if the balls that were being used when I umpire had the NFHS stamp of approval. If they looked suspect to me I would question them, but that has never happened. If it looks and feels like a good ball, I will use it. I sure as heck wouldn't bring my own, although if someone else wants to that's their business. If that makes me a poor umpire, oh well.

So it is an act.

Less than you deserve will suffice.

Well, at least you admit that no answer is less than I deserve.

I will not speculate as to why you refuse to answer a simple question. I'm sure you have some reason.

It doesn't make you a poor umpire. Even Elliot Hopkins has advised that in a case such as this, play the game and notify the assignor and AD.

Legal bats and legal balls are not equal requirments. Legal lines? Have you never called a game on field that was not lined? Really? Batter's boxes in every game?

You must umpire where rules are not followed. In my area, HS game fields are lined, and balls are legal.

The adult baseball leagues here use local HS and college fields, and 95% of them feature no foul lines in the infield and 90% have no lines on the outfield grass (some are painted on fortunately). If it's not HS season, you get the fields as-is.

For a legit HS game under FED rules the coaches know the rules about baseballs and lines on the field. I thought that was the jist of the original post. For adult/summer/youth ball, any reasonable ball supplied is good to go, and lines on the field are nice, but not mandatory. Most supply foul lines, but batter and coach boxes are optional.

For HS games, legal balls, and lines on the field, including batter and coaches boxes are required.

DG, where do you work your games? In my part of the world, particuarly for non-varsity games, we take what we can get. I personally don't quibble about balls, bats, or lines. Some schools use City facilities and with budgets all messed up out here, field maintenance is sometimes non-existant.

I'm sure you would agree, the goal is to get them on the field and get the game played, right?

Hmmm,
 

The Oregon School Activities Association really helps officials in the State of Oregon.

The OSAA wants officials to call RULES and not be involved in administrative rulings in sports.

They have specifically told umpires not to worry about certification stamps on baseballs. The OSAA is smart enough to know that the NFHS simply charges for the logo and uses it as a revenue stream.

The OSAA wants to be "informed" of administrative issues in sports and THEY will deal with it.

Administrative items include, but are not limited to, the following:

1) Illegal Uniforms
2) Players or coaches participating in a game where they should be sitting out because of a previous ejection,
3) Players participating in too many quaters (halves) on any given day,
4) Equipment bearing NFHS logos,
5) Pitchers throwing in too many innings in a time frame,
6) Teams demanding that they are using a 10 run mercy rule (illegal in Oregon).

Ciao

Tim,

You have no idea how intelligent OSAA is until you move out of the state. Especially if you move south.

And I think we would all agree. Well almost all.

When it went in, and was emphasized so strongly at the meeting, I was amused. It seemed odd that so much emphasis was being placed on what the surface of the ball was decorated with. We can all tell a quality leather baseball from a knock-off piece of crap, and if it's even standard, we play a game with it. But not in this particular unit, which is demanding full compliance.

I always carry a bucket of near-new baseballs, because I throw a lot of batting practice throughout the year, and I like to use pearls because they're easy to see. I also usually have a case or two of new ones to rotate in when some of them get soiled. Well, I just ordered NFHS balls this time so that I can ensure that there always will be compliance and no problems or lame bullsh!t stories to put on my report.

It's not necessary to be a tight-@ssed, anal (the same thing), black & white, by-the-book fool or idiot to be in compliance with this curious rule no matter what, but instead just an umpire that quietly complies with the edicts set forth by the guy that assigns most of his high school and MSBL games.

EXAMPLE: I painted all the white and silver marks on my New Balance shoes with black nail polish to be in compliance with the same unit's all-black shoe edict. Five guys came to the playoff meeting with Reebok or New Balance base shoes with the white logos, and they were taken off the list of playoff umpires. I touch up my shoes, I crease my caps, I drive anywhere to take a game, I always accept the games I'm assigned, I never ask for anything ... and I always comply with the NFHS edict on the baseballs.

It's simple to understand ... for almost everyone.

Kevin,

What does your association make of the Official FED Interp that says:

Because it seems to me that your association's policy to NOT allow the game without "marked" baseballs is in direct contradiction to "the NFHS edict on the baseballs".

JM

JM, This was last year; this year may be different. I have rapport with one of the wheels, and I was going to bring it up to him after you mentioned this and the comments started flowing. I only know of one of the umpires that refused to play a game for this reason, but I heard that there were a few.

It's really preposterous. These kids bust their @sses all week to play these games. And many of their folks bust theirs to get off work (like we do) and get to their son's game. All so some umpire can refuse to allow the game to be played because of incorrect baseballs?!? This whole deal that we pull off is already difficult enough, and in many cases, ridiculous enough that we don't have to make it any more difficult or ridiculous with crap like this.

~Sigh~
 

I cannot think of any "style" issue I hate more than creased caps.

A crease NEVER appeared in any of my caps.

Nor did any of my dozens and dozens of caps have one. I even have a couple of uncreased black six-stitches to wear when I am doing a game where it doesn't matter.

But just about every high school and college evaluator and assignor down here wants a crease. (One of them nicks you if your shirt's too baggy, or if you don't wear your belt buckle lined up with the gig line.)

But when that changes, so will my caps. And the creased ones will be in the garage along with all my other treasured souvenirs. ("Check this cap out, son; it's from back in the day when they made all us umpires crease our caps.")

Kevin is going to do what he has to do based on the requirements of his association. We all know that appearance is important, but the bottom line is the product we deliver to our customers. We all know that the coaches really don't care what an umpire looks like (within reason) as long as they are competent and hustle. The appearance thing is totally on us. I have shown up to see friends work games, and their partners flaked and they were working solo, the coaches saw me and asked me to help out, in street clothes.

Two umpires of equal ability, one looks good, the other looks bad, I pick the guy who is suited up properly. So do the rest of us.

When I was touting a partner and me to a local NCAA coach to umpire his fall ball games, part of my description of us was, " ... and, of course, we always dress the part."

It's vital to follow the appearance code. And it's pretty simple. As it is, we get to wear ballcaps, golf shirts and athletic shoes for crying out loud! It wasn't long ago that umpires were saddled with wearing a coat and tie with patent leather shoes.

The only truly good coach I ever had said it the way that made the most sense: "Don't do what's required; do your best." (I took that to mean do more than what's required.)

All pro umpires crease their caps, every good umpire I've worked with has creased their caps, I have always creased my caps, even all my regular baseball-style caps for off field use. I was told many years ago that you look like you are going fox hunting if you wear your hat like Elmer Fudd, without a crease in the crown. Even Ed Montague creases his beanie.

I cannot think of many "style" issues I hate more than uncreased hats.

... :d

i believe the comment JM references was in last year's book as well.

Next year, [follow closely] they [the leadership of the unit] may choose to enforce it differently than they did this year.

It's really a shame that you have to explain the meaning of what you say to certain people who choose to pick apart what you write.

Thanks to all who chose to respond.

My post here was prompted by a discussion on another thread with a gentleman who was certain that it was grounds for forfeit to not have properly marked balls available.

I had never heard that before and disagreed.

I was curious how it was handled in different parts of the country. Between the two threads, 20 different posters took a position (including me).

4 said you can't play without them. Only one that it was grounds for a forfeit. The other 3 said they'd have/find a way to get marked balls.

Everybody else said "play", with some suggesting "file a report". 2 of the "don't play" umpires are from the LA area, &, I suspect, may belong to the same association. Another from NC & one from MN.

The FED Interpretation I posted above I found in the BRD. The BRD references the NFHS News, 3/99 #20. Apparently, this was in anticipation of the "Mark" requirement entering the rule book in 2000.

Sounds to me like the "official" FED position is, play the game, report it. Makes perfect sense to me.

JM

FED, at least as represented by Elliot Hopkins, agrees with you. It's too bad some umpires and some assigners actually put a logo above the game. Since relocating to Southern California I'ver run into some real anal types, but I haven't had the experience with an assigner that Larry has had.

I was told many moons ago that a crease in any hat makes you look like a redneck.

BTW-Elmer Fudd was hunting wabbits.

When is the FED going to make The Official's Locker Room mandatory for all HS teams?

I was told many moons ago that being from Texas makes you look like a redneck.

Another shameless plug courtesy of Chris Hickman Enterprises.:)

ROTFLMAO!!!

I guess that's where I must have gotten my redneck, from being raised (my most formative years) in Texas and living so much of my life there! I guess I'll just keep on creasing my hats. At least I quit dippin' Cope and Skoal!:p

We don't dip in California. Unless it's in the Pacific, brrrrrr...

In Ohio, the state baseball philosophy is: "do what you can to get the game in." Between bad weather, fields that aren't ready, and other factors beyond our control, ignoring the mark on the baseball is something clearly within our power.

Consistent with that principle, we, too, are instructed to play the game and report the infraction. Most umpires I know do at least half of that. ;)

Our contract with the high schools requires line-up cards to be typed. Arguably, a card generated by a computer and a printer is not typed (not that I see many of those anyway). Ergo, under our present contract, there has never been a legally-played game.

I believe this all stems from Nike attaining a contract with NFHS to supply baseballs for all (legal) NFHS games. If your that anal, it's simple. Hey coach the baseball's are not official Nike/Fed balls. Do you have a problem playing without them, if the answer is no, then your next statement should be, great, however there will be no protest over the game because of the ball. Why make the job more difficult. The team supplying the baseballs are most likely trying to save a buck, let em, my guess is they meet the same standard without the stamp. Ignore it, play the damn game.

Common sense. I like it.

JM,

I had this exact situation happen to me in my Regional back in May. They had 4 baseballs with the stamp on it and a whole box without the stamp on it. My answer was we were going to play; however, if they wanted me to call Gannaway and confirm I would. They asked if I would call and I did. Gannaway told me he didn't care what we used as long as we got the game in - we did.

Nope
 

That statement is probably incorrect.

Oregon plays with the Classic Wilson A1010.

It is stamped with both the OSAA Logo and the NFHS Logo.

Wilson has been strong sponsor of Oregon High School Athletics for many, many years.

In Missouri, most teams use Diamond baseballs in the spring for FED games.

If I showed up to a game and the home team didn't have FED-stamped baseballs, I would play the game and report it to the assigner and state. I think that is how most others here would handle it as well.

You know it's slow when we're discussing stamps on baseballs.

Not true in Illinois. The IHSA has a new contract with Baden to use their baseballs in their State Series.

Could just be Nevada then, I was under the impression it was a fed thing, obviously I'm wrong..not the first time, won't be the last. :D

I've seen Rawlings, Wilson, Diamond, Pro 9 and Champro but not Baden or Nike. Thankfully we don't have to use only one brand. Good grief.

Baden balls aren't too bad.

Honestly, if they are somewhat white and round, I don't really pay much attention to the baseballs. After a few innings they all look the same anyway.

I would be willing to bet that someone typed the names into the lineup card before printing it.

For years I have been looking for an easy way to measure the mound height.

If it's not legal do you carry your own rake or use theirs?

Have you considered writing comedy?

No, really.

My biggest pet peeve is when the coaches boxes are not regulation size.

Are you saying I'm funny..ha ha..or funny... peculiar..( don't help him Patrino:p)

To me buying NFHS stamped balls is both..:D

The word peculiar does not mean strange or odd, by the way.

I am a batting instructor and my son's a pitcher, so I always need dozens of baseballs. I just started buying the ones with the stamp once that edict came down.

So avoiding a problem with the most ridiculous rule ever enacted, and not wanting to draw attention for having an incident because of the most ridiculous rule ever enacted is the route I choose to take.

I have spent most of my entire adult life facilitating the safe and effective and respectful playing of the game of baseball. When this rule came out, and they were serious about enforcing it, I just averted any problems other guys allow to happen by devising a no-brainer solution. There are umpires who are out to take their check and do as little as they can get away with. I am out there to do as much as necessary, and often more.

Yea I know what you mean.

Luckily, I am an engineer. So 2 hours before every game I get my transit and tape and check each field for non-conformance with the prevailing rules. I believe over the couple of thousands of games I have officiated, at best 5 or 10 wolud actually have been played if I was really OOOOO.

Also luckily, I am not OOOOO.

is mound height any different, according to your statement above? They are both in the same boat as far as I am concerned.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to imply that allowing play with a non-stamped ball as getting away with doing as little as possible is insulting and arrogant on your part.

Peculiar?? Not particularly. Funny I'll buy!! Maybe we should have stamps with the FED logo made to stamp all these rogue baseballs we will be using and make them 'legal'?

And this isn't insulting and arrogant?? Good grief!

I wasn't implying anything. My statement was regarding the umpire who would refuse to play the game because of non-compliant baseballs. How did you get the polar opposite out of that?

You have a skewed sense of things. No mound height is not the same ... not even close, really. I don't know how you could associate the two. But it does make for an especially specious bit of grandstanding, there.

Anchored bases and an intact home plate are required for the playing of a game around here. For an at-bat, an intact, approved helmet and a certified bat are also required. Those are the main things I attend to and require compliance with. Mound height is definitely an entirely different subject, and one that is almost never addressed at the high school rules and compliance meetings. As a matter of fact, there are some freshman and lousy school JV and varsity games that are played at city parks without mounds. At the college level, none of these things are ever a concern.

Now, if the H.S. rules chairman demanded that we concern ourselves with mound height, then I guess I would be concerned with it. Otherwise, except to create an irrelevant comparison like yours, it's of virtually no concern.

my .02
 

In my time, I have umpired quite a few rural HS teams that barely had uniforms..... I had a game a few years back when both teams had NO new baseballs to use for the game......nobody had thought to bring any......I went to my car, and brought out 2 new PONY league balls.....said to the coaches, we could play with these or you can reschedule.....(after they paid me of course....)

they agreed, we played the game......

My state (not my association) expects us to require legal baseballs. They do not expect us to measure the height of the rubber above the plate. So, HS coaches always have the correct baseballs, and we don't worry about the mound height.

It sounds to me like you get what you ask for. If a state expects legal baseballs, they will instruct the coaches and umpires on that fact and they will get legal baseballs. If they don't expect it then coaches will supply whatever they have and umpires will not worry about what is supplied.

It seems evident here that some states don't care about enforcing the legal baseball rule, and therefore umpires don't care.

DG,

Does it seem evident to you that the NFHS doesn't insist on (strict) enforcement of the "authenticating mark" requirement - since that's what their published Official Interpretation is and has been since the language entered the rule book.

(That was the "point" of my earlier question about you having a BRD. See Equipment: Baseballs: Approved.)

Also, since you never really answered, I wonder if you would say what, exactly, you would do if

- strictly hypothetically, of course, willing suspension of disbelief, & all that, since this simply wouldn't happen in NC -

there were no properly marked balls at the game site where you showed up to call a game, but an ample supply of baseballs that appeared perfectly suitable, other than lack of the mark?

Thanks.

JM

UMPJM

Why did you ask the original question since you have BRD in hand with a 1999 interpretation?

It is not uncommon for FED to issue an interpretation that never shows up in Case Book, such as this one, from 1999 (gorilla arm another example). It was not long ago that the state made this is a point for discussion at state meeting, apparently unaware of 1999 FED interpretation, that essentially, they really did not mean it when the rule was put in the book.

To answer your very hypothetical question, in the very unlikely event that I was presented with baseballs that did not meet the rule, I would advise the coach that legal baseballs need to be used, and if none were available on site, we would discuss at the plate meeting and both coaches would recognize that official baseballs were not being used, and both were agreeable to their use before we would play the game. Afterwards I would report this to my assignor.

Interesting. The word I'm getting is they are junk.

I've seen them and used them and they soften up REALLY fast and they scuff VERY easily....other than that they're not bad.

JJ

Don,

My post here was the result of a discussion on the question I was having with another gentleman on another forum. He held the position - intractably - that the lack of the "authenticating mark" was grounds for a forfeit (by the home team) under FED rules.

I had never heard that before & wanted to know how it would be handled in different parts of the country. So, I posted here to see what others would say. Maybe this was something I just "missed".

To me, there are a number of issues involved concerning the bounds of the umpire's authority & responsibility in a game, umpire liability should someone be injured, as well as "with the book" vs. "by the book" umpiring.

I was NOT trying to bust anyone's balls or be a know-it-all, so my apologies if I came across that way.

Furrther, I concur with your comments about FED interps, and find your suggested resolution to my hypothetical eminently sensible and appropriate. So, thanks for bothering.

JM

FWIW, basketball coaches I've talked to don't like the Baden ball, either.

Pretty hard to throw a curve ball with a Baden basketball...:D

JJ

I have however seen a rising fastball thrown with a basketball? Maybe it was just an illusion????????????????

AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

No, no more rising fastballs, they make me blink. LOL!

Well, they are better than the Pro Nine's I got last week. Now there's a junkie baseball!

Baseballs provided in these parts by HS teams are high percentage Diamond D1's, followed by Wilson 1010 and Rawlings (forgot number). I am familiar with other baseballs from youth league play but all I recall from HS play is Diamond, Wilson and Rawlings. AD Starr makes some good balls. I have seen Baden (rare though), but I have never seen a Pro-Nine ball.

Thank your lucky stars and/or the deity of your choosing.

The Pro Nine's look like Diamonds at first glace...that's their niche.

Now THAT'S funny, I don't care who you are... :D

Funny..ha ha or funny...nevermind...

or my all time worst....
 

AD Starr.......can be had with the NFHS and all other youth ball orgs markings as well....but all in all a crap baseball......by the second inning they will bear no markings at all ... the leather will be turned to suede......by the third inning, they will be noticebly soft and oft times out of round.......

Man speaks truth. Of the ones I have seen, the Pro 9 is discernibly the worst feeling, worst performing baseball (I'll take your word on the Baden). The Pro 9 is also about the cheapest.

And the one school around here that uses them exclusively is a school that sits in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in America.

Just a thought, maybe we should be spending less time worrying about our balls??

Speak for yourself, I use a Shock Doctor Carbon Flex myself.:eek:

Steve,

Well, then you've got nothing to worry about!

Fuhhgedaboutit already. :rolleyes:

JM

Come on, Deej, you CAN'T think Starrs are good. I know your son played NCBA baseball, so you're familiar with A.D. Starr (the official ball of the league; by league rule, failure to use it is protestable and grounds for forfeit). I've worked that league since 2002, and I've never seen a worse ball--even Pro-Nines are better, and they stink. Starr is based in PA, so I'll bet piaa ump knows of what he speaks on that issue--particularly since he describes what I experience, too.

I'm like Finnerty when I work NCBA; I buy 3-4 dozen extras every year for my plate jobs. I always bring 4 (7 inning game) or 6 (9 inning) with me to add to the 4 the teams provide. Almost always, every one of them ends up in the practice bucket because they aren't salvageable at game's end for use in another game.

For adult players, there may be serviceable baseballs other than Diamond, Wilson and Rawlings, but I've never seen one.

JM

Depends upon what state you are from

In my area we had a protest upheld because the wrong baseball were used.

I was not involved in the game but around the 3 - 4th inning the VT coach lodged a protest that the proper baseballs were not being used. The game continued. The protest was upheld and the game was replayed in it's entirety.

You asked "what do you do?

I would call over the AD (if available) of the home school along with the coaches. if the VT coach (In HS the Home school supplies the baseballs) objected, I would then call my HS assignor to get clarification.

In other words, I would not start the game unless i got the ok from the "powers that be" because we already had a protest upheld because the wrong baseballs were used.

Therefore, it depends upon the state you live in and protest procedures if any that apply.

Pete Booth

Starr, like others, make different quality balls, the ones I have seen are pretty good. Every Diamond, Wilson and Rawlings ball I have seen are not the best quality.

Even the Rawlings Major League Baseball? I get these quite often, and they are the real deal.

Here's the problem with inconsistent quality of "FED" baseballs as opposed to MLB baseballs.

MLB has set standards and randomly tests balls that bear the MLB logo and are used in MLB.

The only standard FED enforces on those balls that bear the FED stamp is whether or not the check cleared.

Any company willing to pay for the right to use the FED logo, no matter what piece of crap they produce, may do so.