Hi SH:
I think you hit the nail on the head: The regulations and traditions will more than
likely preclude doing that.
I haven't opened one since I was a kid (and I ain't no kid anymore), but as I recall it
was a sewn horsehide covering over wound string and some kind of hard rubber core. Making
certain that an RM solution using polymers of various types, for example, will behave in
exactly the same way under a wide variety of conditions would be very difficult and always
subject to dispute. I'm sure you could always get it to pass on a limited number of tests
(hardness, bounce, friction coeff., etc.), but there will always be doubt in the minds of
many. It will be argued that "the new ball" would prevent accurate comparison of
statistics from the past with those from the present and further erode tradition. And
those people could be right. Certainly such controversies are occurring now with respect
to park size and steroids (i.e., ballplayer size).
I wonder if the derivation of the cliche "hidebound tradition" derives from baseball.
It would be interesting to know.
A much better candidate might be golf. There are a lot of ways to make a golf ball and
in this case, passing those limited number of tests might be considered all that is
necessary to be "fair." While a much older game, golf seems more open to finagling. Of
course, you must keep in mind that this is being uttered by someone who has never
physically touched a golf club - and finds it supremely amusing that golf is the German
word for rabbit.
Thanks for your interesting question.
Best regards,
Ed
Ed Grenda
Castle Island Co.
The Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping
