Why does the catcher pass a pitched ball to umpire if it hits the ground?

Answer 1

Because if it has scuffs on it, it is considered a "bad" ball and it cannot be put back in play. That's why they check it & the umpire sometimes puts it back in play. ...and the reason a scuffed ball should not be used is that you can get more 'action' out of your pitches on a scuffed ball. The pitcher can get a better grip on a scuffed ball, and the scuffs provide more 'bite' on the air allowing a curve to have more snap or a sinker to drop more dramatically, for example.

Answer 2

Even a slight scuff on the ball can cause it to spin differantly than normal, giving the pitcher a possible advantage and make it harder for the batter to pick up the ball as it comes in. Old-school pitchers used to keep a long finger nail or small piece of sandpaper in their glove to do this artificially.

Answer 3

In professional Baseball, anytime a ball strikes something foreign with significant speed, an umpire must examine it for blemishes, cuts, etc. before putting back into play. Thus, when a pitched ball hits the ground, the umpire will examine it before putting it back into play. The catchers know this and thus do it automatically. If there are baserunners, the umpire will call time before accepting the ball.

Answer 4

You only see this is upper levels of baseball due to the talent and skill level of the pitchers, and to maintain nobody has a competitive advantage. If a ball has a scuff or a torn seam at the MLB level pitchers can use this to get more action or movement on their pitches. This is why you see several balls removed from play in MLB games. If the umpire determines nothing is wrong wth the ball he will put it back in play at a point in the game. The 'wasted balls' get used for batting practice