Manfred Addresses Home Run Surge

UNDATED (AP) – Commissioner Rob Manfred says Major League Baseball has been unable to find any changes in the manufacturing process of balls.  Manfred also insists that MLB has given no direction toward the alteration of baseball and denies that owners want to see more home runs.  A May 2018 report by professors specializing in physics, mechanical engineering, statistics and mathematics concluded there was less drag on the ball, causing more homers. Batters have hit 3,691 homers in 1,345 games, on pace for 6,669. That would be 9% over the record 6,105 hit in 2017.
Astros hurler Justin Verlander is among several pitchers who have intimated recently that the balls are juiced. Manfred countered by saying “manipulation of the baseball is a great conspiracy theory.”  Manfred also said that extending protective netting down foul lines is a ballpark-to-ballpark decision because of differing configurations. Following a series of foul balls that injured fans, Major League Baseball mandated ahead of the 2018 season that netting extend to the far end of each dugouts. Still, several fans have been hurt by foul balls this season.