MLB's Rob Manfred denies Justin Verlander's allegation that league intentionally juiced balls

[Auggie]

Last edited Wed Jul 10, 2019, 02:58 PM - Edit history (1)

On Monday, Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander used his platform at the All-Star Game to express disgust with the baseball. To be more specific: Verlander dropped some expletives while alleging Major League Baseball was juicing the ball in order to increase offense and fan interest. Because our pithy description doesn't do Verlander's comments justice, let's repost an excerpt of what he said -- remember, you can read his comments in their entirety over at ESPN.com:

"It's a f---ing joke," said Verlander, an eight-time All-Star who is starting his second All-Star Game on Tuesday. "Major League Baseball's turning this game into a joke. They own Rawlings, and you've got Manfred up here saying it might be the way they center the pill. They own the f---ing company. If any other $40 billion company bought out a $400 million company and the product changed dramatically, it's not a guess as to what happened. We all know what happened. Manfred the first time he came in, what'd he say? He said we want more offense. All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It's not coincidence. We're not idiots."

Commissioner Rob Manfred and union director Tony Clark responded to Verlander on Tuesday as part of their standard All-Star Game media availability sessions. Predictably, Manfred pushed back against Verlander's allegation:

Manfred denied categorically that MLB has intentionally juiced-up the baseball for more home runs.

“[MLB] has done nothing, given no direction for an alteration in the baseball … There is no desire on part of ownership to increase the number of home runs in the game."

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-commissioner-rob-manfred-denies-justin-verlanders-allegation-that-league-intentionally-juiced-balls/

This is the key word to me: "intentionally." One could "un-intentionally" change the properties of something by sourcing, for example, a different form of raw material. And I wouldn't put it past Manfred. Verlander's right -- ball players are not idiots.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

1. Dear MLB

Please raise the mound again and expand the strike zone. Gove the pitchers a chance and then we will see real baseball,where runs are difficult to get. That's what makes the game...…...

[Iggo]

2. 'Member the last time people were saying the balls were juiced?

Yeah, me too.