# OK, so the ball is juiced.  So what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-the-ball-is-juiced-so-what/26080>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [July 19, 2000, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-the-ball-is-juiced-so-what/26080 "2000-07-19T11:02:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-the-ball-is-juiced-so-what/26080/21 "2000-07-21T06:14:31Z")

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I don’t have names, but I am certain that there were quite a few fine black pitchers that no one in the Majors had to face quite some time ago.

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**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-the-ball-is-juiced-so-what/26080/22 "2000-07-21T08:08:04Z")

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Thanks for the answer, lurkernomore.

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**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-the-ball-is-juiced-so-what/26080/23 "2000-07-21T08:24:28Z")

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Something out of left field…

Perhaps it’s because they are using a denser, better quality grade of Ash wood for the bats.

Stop groaning… I know it’s a miniscule factor.

There aren’t any stats on the number of broken bats this season but I don’t recall seeing all that many as compared to recent years.

But seriously, I don’t buy the ball theory.

I think the reasons are:

Recent expansion has watered the pitching talent league-wide.

The new smaller parks.

Stronger players who hit the weight rooms instead of a bar rooms after the games.

And to a lesser degree, the shrinking strike zone.

Go Mets!

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