How Many Balls Are Used in a Baseball Game?

The next time you watch a baseball game, make an attempt to count how many times a new ball is brought into the game. Most people are quite surprised when they hear how many baseballs are used in a baseball game. Chances are you probably will be, as well.

Average

In an average baseball game, approximately 180--190 new balls are cycled into play. That number multiplied over an entire Major League Baseball season comes out to around 900,000 baseballs used in one season.

Lifetime

The typical baseball lasts only nine minutes from its introduction in a game to its end.

Batting Practice

A baseball that has been decommissioned from a game is put into the batting practice pool of balls, the stock of baseballs that players use before games when they are taking batting practice on the field.

Indoor Batting Cages

Once a batting practice ball is used once or twice, depending on the team, the ball is transported to the indoor batting cages in the team's stadium. From there, a ball usually lasts another four to five days.

Minor Leagues

If the ball is still in-tact, the ball is typically sent to one of the team's minor league franchises to save on costs for their batting practice balls.

References

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - MLB: The True Life Story of Baseballs