How has baseball changed over the years?

Answer 1

The pitching mound was lowered and the DH rule, the gloves have gotten way better, travel is easier, more specialization ie; closers for late inning games, night games, bigger money, the list goes on and on.

Answer 2

This 4 piece hand stitched leather skinned "Lemon Peal" style Baseballs were one of the first style baseballs used during the 1850's - 1860's. In 1859 the rules stated that a ball must weigh 5.75 to 6 ounces and measure 9.75 to 10 inches in circumference. Two years later, the ball specifications were changed to 5.5 to 5.75 ounces and 9.5 to 9.75 inches in circumference. By the 1870s the "Figure 8" stitched baseballs were used similar to the 9 to 9.25 inch 5 to 5.25 ounces Baseball used today. the figure 8 baseballs were first introduced in the 1840s.

The covers of the first baseballs were made with dark leather because it was readily available and easier for the players to see when the ball was hit in the air on a clear day. White baseballs were later introduced (1861) because most ball fields at the time had heavily wooded area back drops, and it was easier to see the white ball. Famed baseball writer Henry Chadwick advocated using a dark red leather baseball as late as 1875 but white baseballs were used ever since.

American League baseballs with the Reach Trademark had Red & Blue stitching, and the National League Spalding Trademark baseballs had Black & Red stitching up until about 1934/35 when in both league started using only red stitching.

In 1970 The maverick owner of the Oakland Athletics Charlie Finley made efforts to introduce a bright orange baseballthat Charlie thought might "put some pizazz into the stuffy ole national pastime." The Orange Baseball had two principal advantages over conventional white baseballs: (1) fans could follow the flight of an orange ball more easily than a white ball, especially when hit to the outfield, and (2) the batter could more easily see an orange ball being delivered at a speed of 90-100 miles per hour out of the normally white background of a pitcher's uniform. The baseball was allowed to be used in spring training but commissioner Bowie Kuhn balked at letting him try it in a regular-season ball game. Visit the Vintage Baseballs link below to see the different balls used that were mentioned above. -Steven KeyMan