What’s that stuff? Baseballs

Abstract

The “juiced” baseball is one of the most persistent conspiracy theories in sports. Players, pundits, and spectators have all accused Major League Baseball (MLB) officials of tampering with how the balls are built to make them fly farther. Such “lively,” or “juiced,” balls would lead to higher-scoring games. As the theory goes, more action means more fans, which translates to more money for the league. In particular, juiced balls would ensure fans see more of one of the most exciting plays in baseball: the home run. When a player hits a home run, they send a baseball soaring out of the playing field and put points on the scoreboard. “Every year when home runs go up, people say the ball is juiced,” says Kathy Smith-Stephens, director of quality assurance for the sporting goods giant Rawlings. “Well, it’s not.” We now know, for example, that a slew of juiced-up hitters were