Aviators, PCL hitters providing juice to major league spec baseballs

Last year when the Pacific Coast League used a baseball made in China, one at-bat in every 36 resulted in a home run.

So far in April after switching to a ball made in a rabbit thicket — for the first time, Triple A is using the major league baseball made in Costa Rica by the Rawlings company — one at-bat in every 25 has resulted in somebody touching ‘em all.

On Thursday at Las Vegas Ballpark, it was one at-bat in every nine.

There was an unconfirmed report that a couple of the eight home runs retrieved during El Paso’s 9-8 victory had juice stains smudging PCL president Branch Rickey Jr.’s signature.

Before Thursday’s latest episode of Home Run Derby — there were “only” five hit during the Chihuahuas’ 15-7 victory on Wednesday — the inflated long ball statistics were read to Aviators pitching coach Rick Rodriguez, who offered a sardonic chuckle.

“Oh, wow,” Rodriguez said of the dramatic increase. “I didn’t realize. I mean, there are a lot of home runs hit in this league but …”

But he still was surprised to hear those numbers.

Las Vegas pitchers haven’t complained about the rabbit ball, Rodriguez said. But it’s only April, when pitchers are supposed to be ahead of hitters. Just wait until July, when its gets really warm and ERAs are sent skyrocketing to the Sea of Tranquility.

One fewer adjustment

“Overall, they’re happy to be using the major league baseballs,” Rodriguez said during batting practice. The 15-7 tally from Wednesday’s game still was lit up on the scoreboard, serving as the chalk outline of a pitching staff’s composite home run to fly ball rate being murdered.

“They’ve always voiced their opinion — why can’t Triple A be like the big leagues and have the same ball, because it’s a little bit of an adjustment when you go up there. (So) that’s one aspect they don’t have to worry about, the baseball.”

Yogi Berra once said that 90 percent of baseball was half mental. Rodriguez, a former A’s second-round draft choice in his 35th season in their organization, said he sort of understands what Yogi was getting at.

“When I played, I didn’t even think about it — just give me a ball and throw,” he said. “I just want to get to the big leagues.”

But Rodriguez said regardless of how tightly a baseball is wound or how far it flies, it’s still mostly about making quality pitches.

“You get to the major leagues, and it’s the same,” he said. “The guys here have the physical ability to pitch in the major leagues. Your stuff is your stuff. It’s more about being consistent — getting ahead in the count, being able to put hitters away with your pitch. So when you go up to the big leagues, you’ve already rehearsed all that.”

So now when they go up and a major league hitter launches a Triple A pitch into distant orbit, pitchers won’t pull neck muscles straining to see it. They’re getting plenty of practice in Triple A.

“I think those numbers kind of speak for themselves,” said Fran Riordan, the affable Aviators manager.

Beyond the PCL

“I can’t speak factually that (the ball) is why it’s happening, as far as the increased home run numbers. But I know that hitters mentally think there’s a big difference and pitchers think it’s a big difference and the mind’s a pretty powerful thing. So whether it’s a little mental and a little physical — I think you could argue both.”

About that time, one of the El Paso hitters tried to lay down a bunt in batting practice that wound up on the grassy knoll in right field.

“But there do seem to be a lot of balls flying out of the yard,” Riordan said.

And they’re not just flying out of PCL yards. Lehigh Valley recently beat Rochester 20-18 in an International League game in which the teams combined for 15 home runs.

Writes Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper: “When the weather warms up, hitters’ parks like Las Vegas and Reno could end up among the most extreme offensive parks the minors have seen this century.”

So here are two words of advice to those who will rent out the swimming pool beyond the right-center field fence when the weather warms up at Las Vegas Ballpark: Stay loose. And you might want to consider borrowing a batting helmet.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.