Not all baseballs are the same!

 



Why are there so many different baseballs today?



    It shouldn't come to a surprise, with increase in technology would bring innovation to the game of baseball. Baseball has stood the test of time, from "playing at base" at the American army camp at Valley Forge in 1778. Princeton College in 1787 forbidding students to "play with balls and sticks" on the common ground. To one of the first organized Rochester (New York) Baseball Club, with it's fifty members in the 1820's.

Over the last 30 years wide world of sports general have invested a tremendous amount of money and man hours. The goal was to find a way to be more competitive and make the game safer for the players at all age levels. 

Each baseball is designed for a certain age group with performance and safety in mind. With the youngest group the first priority being safety over performance. As the the age of the players grow, the increase of the performance of the ball increases, with a decrease in safety. 


Tee Balls/ Safety Baseballs (age 4-8)


The tee ball has all the safety precautions in mind. The balls are noticeably softer and lighter. The safety baseballs are softer because they feature a sponge and rubber core, thus dampening the impact and protecting the player from serious injury. 

Safety balls are ideal for this age groups as they learn the game of baseball. As the player develop the basic skills of throwing, catching and fielding, the softer ball and lighter baseball. The safety baseball are perfect for learning the fundamentals and building confidence. 



Little League Baseballs (ages 9-12)

Little League baseballs start to resemble the professional style baseball. They are either covered in real leather or a synthetic material. Along with raised seams help the player get a better grip on the ball to make accurate throws. 

As the balls look like professional baseballs. There is a level of safety designed in the baseball. A professional baseball as the winding packed tight around the cork make it much harder. The Little League baseball is winded less to make the ball softer. This makes a difference in how fast and how far the baseball travels, providing a level of safety for the players. 




High School Baseball (ages 13-18)

High school baseballs are typically constructed with a cork core, wool windings and either a leather cover or a high-quality synthetic material. The baseballs are designed for use with aluminum baseball bats to wood bats that are used in the MLB.

The high school baseball also features raised seams that make it easier for the player to get a good grip and make accurate throws. With the raised seams causing air friction the ball will not travel as far as those of the professional level baseballs.


College Baseballs (ages 18-22)

College baseballs are very similar to professional baseballs, but they do have a couple differences. One of the main differences between the two is that college baseballs are designed to be used with aluminum bats rather then wood bats. Another is a slightly lighter density than professional baseballs.

Similar to high school baseballs, college baseballs typically include a cork core, wool windings and leather or synthetic material on the cover. Unlike the high school baseballs, the seams are flatter and more similar to those of the rolled seams seen on professional baseballs. 



Professional Baseballs (age 18+)

First, there are two different baseballs used at the professional baseball level, the Minor league and the Major League. The minor league (Rookie to AA) baseballs are slightly softer, with different seams. The Major league baseball (AAA and Majors) are know to be slicker and harder to get a grip with compared to Minor league baseballs. The Major league baseballs are wound tighter making them harder, aiding in higher exit velocities and further distances upon contact. Pitchers have to adjust to the smaller seams, but they report their pitches are sharper and move more than with the minor league baseball. 



https://baseball360.com/en-us/blogs/news/guide-to-different-types-of-baseballs-by-age-group?srsltid=AfmBOoqvoukNdfBOMdM8EjnjReM8s1Ttmes5NxvIS-B25hchp3piXPKv

https://www.britannica.com/sports/history-of-baseball

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