Live-ball era

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The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in 1920, following the dead-ball era. During that year offensive statistics rose dramatically in what would be mistakenly attributed to the introduction of a new "lively" ball. The construction of the balls remained consistent, but rule changes gave more advantages to the batter.

In the year following the Black Sox scandal, the new Commissioner of Baseball, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, instituted several new rules. Prior to that time, the same ball would be used throughout the game and foul balls would be thrown back on the field and reused. This gave the fielders many opportunities to give their pitcher an advantage by scuffing the ball. Starting in 1920 new balls were replaced at the first sign of wear, resulting in a ball that was much brighter and easier for a hitter to see. The other major rule change was the elimination of the spitball. The lively ball era was the era in which baseball came back into the picture and exploded with popularity.

In 1920, the game changed from typically low-scoring to high-scoring games, with a newfound reliance on the home run. During that year Babe Ruth, setting a record for slugging percentage, hit 54 home runs, smashing his old record of 29, a record that would last until being broken by himself years later with 60. George Sisler would also set his long-standing record of 257 hits in a single season, which would not be eclipsed until 2004 by the Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki.

Even though the rule that a foul ball hit into the stands must be thrown back is still in effect, it is not enforced and sometimes even ignored.

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