It’s the Ball, Not the Ballplayers

When Mike Penner cites the drop in Wally Joyner’s 1988 home run production without further explanation, he is implicitly attributing the tail-off to something within Joyner himself.

I submit that Joyner’s performance was the same, but that the baseball was different.

The ball was enlivened in ’87 and deadened in ’88. Intermediate power hitters such as Joyner were most sensitive to the changes. The marginal home run of ’87 became a double or a long out in ’88.

Thus, Joyner dropped from 34 to 13 home runs and Wade Boggs dropped from 25 to five. The ramifications of ball tweaking are endless. Little wonder that baseball keeps it a secret.

GEORGE AUSTIN

Rolling Hills Estates