By Paul Sullivan

Chicago Tribune

CLEVELAND — Commissioner Rob Manfred continued to dispute allegations of an intentionally juiced baseball by major league players and managers who believe the evidence is overwhelming.

The all-time home run record is on pace to be obliterated, and even the Tommy La Stellas of the game have suddenly found their power strokes.

“There is no evidence from the scientists the baseball is harder,” Manfred said Tuesday at a meeting of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “The basic characteristics of the baseball, as measured by the independent scientists who we asked to do the study, provides no support for that. What there is support for is the drag is a little less, and when you have less drag, it goes farther.

“We had a spike (in homers) this year. We went back to those scientists and they said, ‘Look, you have baseballs with less drag.’ We’ve acknowledged that, said it a number of times. We went back to the scientists and said, ‘We need to figure out why.’

“Not only do we need to figure out why, but we need to figure out a process that lets us manage in advance how a ball is going to perform. We’re working on that.”

Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, the American League All-Star starter, told ESPN that Major League Baseball has intentionally changed the balls to add more offense, pointing to the fact MLB owns ball manufacturer Rawlings. Verlander called it “a (bleeping) joke.”

Manfred wouldn’t discuss Verlander’s comment but said: “How you manipulate a human-dominated, hand-made manufactured product in any consistent way is for a smarter human being than I.”

Players union chief Tony Clark told the BBWAA in a separate session he agrees the ball has “suddenly changed, and I don’t know why.”

Manfred insisted MLB is “concerned about the topic” despite the suggestion it likes seeing more home runs because younger fans seemingly prefer the long ball.

“That’s why we’re spending money and time trying to get a better handle on the way the baseball performs,” he said.

Manfred said he has received input from pitchers.

“Pitchers have raised issues about particularly the tackiness and the seams on the baseball,” he said. “We do believe those could be issues that are related to the ball.”

Manfred brought up Cubs manager Joe Maddon while pointing out a baseball is not the same as a golf ball. Maddon recently said you could stamp “Titleist” on the sides of balls, referring to the golf ball manufacturer.

Maddon is a newfound skeptic, as he noted after a recent game at Wrigley Field in which balls were flying out with the wind blowing in.

“It’s like a UFO took off,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m witnessing, but the way the ball is coming off the bat right now, I guess it’s just extraterrestrial. … Because this is my fifth year (in Chicago) and I know what I’ve seen. And whenever the wind is blowing in, you don’t see that.”

Verlander has served up a major league-high 26 home runs, so the allegedly juiced ball has affected his performance. Not every pitcher is taking the same tack.

“We can sit here and talk until we’re blue in the face about the ball,” the Cubs’ Jon Lester said after a recent loss. “Every pitcher in the big leagues has to pitch with it. You can comment on it all you want, but it’s just an excuse. I don’t make excuses. Got to make better pitches.”

White Sox All-Star Lucas Giolito, who allowed only nine home runs in the first half, believes the ball is juiced but said it doesn’t really bother him.

“For me it’s not a big deal because it’s not just me that’s facing guys with a juiced ball,” he said. “Everybody faces everybody with a juiced ball, so it all kind of balances out, I guess.”