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Junk Balls
It's a great concept; a ball with a rotating center. Holes open = curveball. Holes closed = fastball. Pure genius.
There are even scuffs on the ball for easier gripping, and to add to the curve effect.
We really liked the Junk Ball. The extra few ounces and the scuffs seemed to be the best features. It's a heavier ball, so it
allowed pitchers to throw harder than usual. Using the scuffs as seams added more pitch control.
The rotating center is a great idea, but it takes a lot of effort out of pitching, which was one of the main reasons we didn't
choose the official Wiffle Ball as the preferred ball of MLW several years ago. After a while, pitchers were throwing nearly all
pitches with the holes closed, and adding their own movement when desired.
When hit, the added weight also made the Junk Ball travel farther than what we're used to. We quickly realized that the Junk Ball
is not for use in small yards, unless you don't like your neighbors. In that case, we'd recommend using a real baseball, and hiring
a good lawyer.
Some players hit the Junk Ball so hard that it knocked the rotating center out of alignment. It was easily repaired though. No one
succeeded in breaking the red ring off the Junk Ball, so the ball seemed quite durable.
We all agreed that the Junk Ball is a great ball. However, like the company's name suggests, this ball might be better for little kids,
since it allows pitchers to throw curveballs with very little effort, and the ball travels farther than a regular plastic ball.
We tested the Junk Ball in an open, grassy area, which seemed to be the most suitable place for adults to use it. We would not recommend
using it in confined areas, such as typical backyard use, or on our home field, The Sac.
We'd like to thank Jason Engle from Little Kids, Inc. for providing us with the free Junk Ball samples. This ball is definitely worth
playing with. Find a place to play, if you don't have one already, and head over to your local toy store to pick up a 2-pack of Junk Balls
today!
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