While there are the occasional lucky baseball fans who might receive a bat, jersey, or glove from a player, it's the balls hit into the crowd at MLB games that rank among the top free souvenirs. According to www.foulballz.com, roughly 46 foul balls are hit per game, with many of these finding their way into the crowd.
Given that an average of 46 baseballs find their way into the hands of some lucky fans, it begs the question of how many baseballs the home team has readily available for each game.
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In a report published by www.fox43.com, an MLB equipment manager said teams go through an average of 8 to 10 baseballs per game. This surprising number comes from the fact that many are lost to home runs, fouls, and batting practice. Nowadays, if there is any contact with the dirt, the baseball is instantly discarded and replaced.
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At roughly $6 per baseball, home teams pay an estimated $720 per game to meet this demand. The shelf life of an MLB baseball is merely two pitches. So, it's easy to imagine the steep equipment costs that teams need to account for while estimating their operational costs per season.
The evolution of MLB baseballs
It goes without saying that baseballs used in the mid-1800s were drastically different from those used in the modern game. The original ball was made from a rubber core from old, melted shoes, wrapped in yarn and leather. The shelf life of these types was low as they had a tendency to unravel as the game progressed.
In the mid-1900s, the American and National Leagues came to an agreement to standardize the baseball, settling on a a cushion cork center; layers of yarn and rubber, and finished with a horsehide cover.
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In 1976, the MLB struck up a manufacturing partnership with Rawlings, which continues to this day. While the only notable change to the ball has been the switch from horsehide to cowhide, the baseballs used by the MLB have remained largely the same for decades.
Just imagine what modern-day sluggers such as Aaron Judge and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would have been capable of doing if they played in the 1800s.
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