Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen made headlines on Sunday after earning his 424th career save against the Los Angeles Angels. Despite loading the bases to begin his appearance, Jansen was able to secure the save by hitting a batter, walking a batter, and surrendering a single. Following the game, Jansen spoke out about his frustration with the quality of the baseballs used in the game. He told reporters that he had to go through multiple balls before finding one he could pitch with effectively.
Jansen’s comments sparked a conversation among other players about the issue of poor-quality baseballs. Many of his teammates shared similar feelings and expressed concern about how it has affected their performance this season. This is not the first time that a pitcher has criticized the quality of baseballs this year. Tampa Bay Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks also spoke out about his frustrations with the balls back in April after a tough outing at Coors Field. Fairbanks walked all three batters he faced and blamed it on the horrible quality of the baseballs at the game.
The recent criticisms raise questions about Major League Baseball’s policy towards grip-enhancing substances and how they could affect this season’s gameplay. With multiple pitchers expressing concerns about poor-quality baseballs, it seems like there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed before it affects player safety and overall performance.
