Some MLB players reportedly dismissive of talk of slicker baseballs

Struggles to grip the baseball may go a long way toward explaining the offensive explosion in the World Series, but for some players, it reads as a convenient excuse.

ESPN’s Buster Olney shared Monday that some players are dismissive of the slick baseball talk, implying that hitters don’t get enough credit for beating tough pitchers.

Some players roll their eyes over slick-ball theory: When pitchers are great, it's the pitchers; when tiring pitchers are hit, it's the ball

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 30, 2017

Not every game of the World Series has been a wild affair with a ton of hits — Travis Wood of the Dodgers flirted with a no-hitter in Game 4, for instance, and Game 1 was a classic duel between Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel. Members of both pitching staffs have argued that there’s something different about the World Series baseballs, but how much of it actually impacts their performance and how much of it is an excuse is a matter of debate.