Baseballs
Grabbing the first thing with laces off the shelf isn't going to cut it unless you're just teaching Junior how to play catch. Baseballs  are simply not created equal. Depending on your age, league, and ability, different balls have various specifications that will better suit your game. For most people, youth league competition grade baseballs offer the perfect blend of performance and durability. They are great for games or practice, and are relatively inexpensive. If you need something more specific, consider some of the features mentioned in this guide in order to build yourself the perfect ball.
Baseball Construction
It's important to know that a baseball's performance is determined by all the materials and construction that goes into creating the ball from the core to the cover. Better components and a higher quality manufacturing process make a better performing, more expensive ball.
So let's start with a brief introduction to how a baseball is built -- from the inside out. Starting at the center, you have what's called the core and the windings. These are the key features relating to durability and performance of a ball.
Core
Lower quality balls have cores made of either solid rubber or a composite of ground cork and rubber. Baseballs of tournament grade or higher usually have cushioned cork cores consisting of a cork ball wrapped in a thin layer of premium rubber. These cushioned cork cores are the most dense, and have the highest performance.
Windings
Now that you understand a little about the core, let's move on to the windings, which are either wool or a wool blend thread that is tightly wound around the center core, whichever type it may be. The quality of the ball is directly relative to the percentage of wool used in the windings. Pure wool windings have the highest compression and shape retention characteristics. Plus, the tighter the thread is wound around the core, the better the windings. These qualities will make a ball retain its shape longer and have higher performance.
Cover
Baseball covers might appear to be a matter of aesthetics, but there is much more to them than looks. The ideally performing ball is one has a lot of "pop" and longer air time. In addition, it is more apt to retain its shape and grip. This is where the cover comes in. Baseballs have either a leather or synthetic cover that is glued to the windings and then stitched together. More expensive balls generally have better covers that are better bonded to the windings. Here's a break down of the advantages to each type of cover material. - Leather Covers
- Baseballs are traditionally covered in leather because it offers the best grip.
- Consistent performance, durability, and shape maintenance.
- Leather covers will get dark with use.
- Because leather is porous, it can absorb water and become slippery when wet.
- More expensive balls are typically made with a higher grade leather.
- Synthetic Covers
- These are usually vinyl and less expensive than leather covers.
- They vary in texture and grip depending on the quality.
- High quality synthetic covers have a grip and feel that is close to leather.
- Synthetic covers resist dirt, maintain color well, and do not absorb water.
- Like leather covers, synthetic covers get slippery when wet.
When it comes to covers and cost, you might want to consider who will be using the ball most. Kids who are dabbling in the sport needn't have a top of the the line ball. Synthetic covers will suit them fine for training, practice and recreational use. Plus, synthetics are easy to clean. For adults, teens, or pros, leather is a better choice because it will be more durable and comfortable to grip.
Baseball Seams
Baseball covers are stitched together in such a manner to form raised seams, rolled or standard seams, or flat seams. A regular-sized ball has 108 stitches in all. So which type do you want? The standard type of seams (sometimes called rolled seams), are adequate for all age levels, and can be used in many pitching machines. Major League Baseballs have rolled seams, hence these balls are sometimes referred to as having Major League seams.
Besides these standard seam types, there are two others, which both have their purposes. - Flat Seams -- These are rarely used for games, and are more of a practice ball, perfect for using in a pitching machine.
- Raised Seam Baseballs -- These have the highest seams, and are typically used by age groups where pitching is being developed.
- Raised seams grip the air well, and offer the most control for developing pitchers.
- Starting at age 8 or 9 and up through 14-year-old leagues, raised seam balls are ideal.
- Fielders benefit because the seams offer a better grip on the ball.
- Raised seam baseballs are not well suited for pitching machines.
Baseballs should measure 9 inches in diameter (23cm) and weigh 5 1/4 ounces (149 grams). Balls designed for young players are often smaller and lighter to compensate for their size and ability. Besides size, there is of course the type of ball that might play a part in how you buy a ball.
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Official Major League & Minor League Baseballs - Game day baseballs for Major League Baseball and leagues where the performance of a Major League baseball is required.
- Top of the line components and construction.
- Best performance.
- These balls are designed with wood bats in mind.
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NFHS & NCAA College Baseballs - Designed for high school and college game play.
- The quality of the components and construction is the same as the Major League specification baseballs.
- These balls arent wound as tightly, and therefore have a little less pop than Major League specification baseballs.
- Designed for aluminum bats.
- NFHS or NCAA specification baseballs have the same components and construction as the equivalent NFHS or NCAA approved baseballs, but you must buy the appropriately Approved baseball if it is to be used in a NFHS or NCAA game.
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Youth League Tournament Grade Baseballs - Tournament grade baseballs have the same quality leather cover as the high school and college baseballs with wool blend windings and a cushioned cork center core.
- Less pop than the high school and college baseballs, but they are considered high performance for youth league baseballs.
- Designed with aluminum bats in mind.
- The materials and construction of these balls are the same from one league designation to the next for the same manufacturer, so a Babe Ruth League ball will be the same as a Little League ball with a different stamp.
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Youth League Competition or Game Grade Baseballs - This is the standard baseball used by most youth leagues.
- Competition or game grade baseballs usually have the same quality leather cover as the tournament grade baseballs with similar windings and composite cork and rubber or solid rubber center core.
- Less pop than the tournament grade balls and they are the most popular youth league baseballs.
- Designed with aluminum bats in mind.
- The materials and construction of these balls are the same from one league designation to the next for the same manufacturer.
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Practice Baseballs - These balls are available with both leather and synthetic covers with a variety of windings and cores.
- Practice baseballs are generally less expensive than game grade baseballs, and typically don't have as much "pop" or as good a cover as a game grade baseball.
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Safety Baseballs - These come in a wide variety of covers and performance levels.
- Safety baseballs are typically for youth players from tee ball up through age eight.
- They are designed to protect players who are still developing fielding skills.
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