Q: On average, how many baseballs are used in a MLB game?
—Will Kinard Sandy Springs
A: Between 96 and 120 baseballs are used during an average MLB game, a number that has increased through the years as balls often are tossed into the stands at the end of innings or taken out for minor scuffs.
Minnesota Twins assistant equipment manager Tim Burke told Fox Sports North in 2012 that about 100 baseballs are used in games. That can change depending on the weather, length of games and number of balls fouled into the stands, among other variables.
He said between 180 and 216 balls were used in a 15-inning game between the Twins and Milwaukee Brewers in 2012.
“Baseballs scuff a lot easier than they used to,” former MLB umpire Tim McClelland told the New York Daily News in 2010. “We used to go through maybe only five dozen and now it’s doubled. Whether it’s more balls in the dirt or that they scuff easily, pitchers don’t want to throw a ball that’s scuffed.”
McClelland retired before the 2015 season.
An MLB spokesman told the New York Daily News in 2010 that about 900,000 balls are used per season.
“We used to be fined if we threw a ball in the stands,” Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven told Fox Sports North. “They were like a piece of jewelry, a baseball. The game has changed a lot.”
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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