Live ball era

The live ball era is the period in baseball lasting from 1920. It included the complex rule changes aimed to liven up the game after Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman died on the field due to the New York Yankees Carl Mays submarine pitch.

That beat happened due to some peculiarities of early baseball. Rules allowed the teams to use the same ball during the entire game. Fans often returned the shields to reuse them further. Players used foreign substances to change the flight features. As a result, the ball surface became almost invisible and uncomfortable to throw or catch. So the surprises like lost foul balls or the player’s death weren’t a surprise. Sometimes the umpires couldn’t notice the home runs, which led to low-score games.

Commissioners of baseball determined the ball counting and introduced the new rules to MLB. They prohibited doctoring the ball and obliged the teams to use more balls during the game. Any fan seating in the stadium is eligible to catch the foul ball and bring it home. These changes impacted the matches. They became live and high-scored. Baseball is a popular sport today.