besr

[Matt]

Originally Posted by JJ

When they first started "monkeying" with bat specifications, I said, and still say, the cheapest and easiest was to alter the game for speed of the ball off the bat is to doctor the BALL. A $5 ball is a lot cheaper than a $250 bat. But, like lots of other things, greater minds than mine are at work on things like that....

JJ

There's not much you can do with the ball. The ball is not what provides the energy of its flight--and it is already in a form that is not conducive to conservation of kinetic energy.

[JJ]

Hmmmm....25 years ago when I was umping slow pitch softball (for the final season!), they were using restricted flight softballs. Probably still are. Seems to me it would be cheaper to "fix" the balls than the bats...

JJ

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by JJ

Hmmmm....25 years ago when I was umping slow pitch softball (for the final season!), they were using restricted flight softballs. Probably still are. Seems to me it would be cheaper to "fix" the balls than the bats...

JJ

The balls used in fastpitch, men's slow pitch, women's slow pitch, etc. all have different CORs, as well as the bat standards.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by Matt

There's not much you can do with the ball. The ball is not what provides the energy of its flight--and it is already in a form that is not conducive to conservation of kinetic energy.

Adjust the COR of the ball. That's how you get restricted flight balls and RIF balls. Current ball specs for approved baseballs (not necessarily in the rule books) include the COR requirement. FED 1-3-1 lists the FED restriction.