Expert: John McInnis - 3/30/2004

Question
If can scuff a baseball how would you do it.

Answer
Hi Adam,

I'm not sure were you are going with this.  Do you mean, can the pitcher rough up a ball on purpose in order to have a better grip?  If this is your question, the answer is NO.  Most leagues state that a new ball must be introduced to the game.  Usually, the home team provides two new balls at the beginning of the game.  IF, during the normal course of the game, a ball becomes scuffed, it can be changed by either the umpire or the pitcher.  

Most kids would prefer the scuffed ball.  They have a better grip and can even make it rotate faster.  This then becomes a disadvantage to the batter and is counter to the spirit of fair play.  

I hope this answers your question.  As for wanting to scuff a ball - on purpose - in our league, a pitcher can be thrown out of the game for doing this. Some pitchers rub the ball on their pant legs to remove the dirt.  Others, brush the ball along their belt and, unfortunately, sometime the buckle gets in the way.  If a pitcher is caught doing this on a frequent basis, both the pitcher and the coach can be reprimanded.  Its not worth losing your coaching card.  

Yours in baseball,

JohnMc