The inside of a baseball consists of three layers of wool wrapped around a cork center, about 219 yards of gray and white four-play and three-ply yarn wound so tightly that it resembles a long piece of thread.
They are the story of 2021: two sons of former major leaguers and the other a son of an outfielder who topped out in a corporate-sponsored non-professional league in Japan.
Early on Friday night, Ohtani clubbed his 24th home run leading off the game in Tampa, Florida, to tie Guerrero for the major league lead, an absolutely ridiculous blast of 453 feet, the second longest in the big leagues this season.
A little later, playing in Buffalo, Guerrero regained the lead with his 25th home run, a rather pedestrian blast — for him — of 406 feet, flying out to center field.
Or maybe was pointing southward toward Tampa, letting Ohtani know he had just hit one.
Tatis hit his 23rd home run in the first inning, his 24th in the second and his 25th in the fourth for his first career three-homer game.
As the ball sailed out of the yard to center field, Tatis stood frozen in his follow-through, his left foot pointed toward the pitcher’s mound, his right foot pirouetted behind him.
Fourth in the majors in the home run standings, Schwarber hit his 22nd — and his ninth in six games, joining Barry Bonds as the only players with that many in a six-game span.
Only five players have reached that hallowed figure: Babe Ruth, Roger Maris and the trio of late ’90s and early 2000s sluggers who helped break the sport — Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
Just two seasons ago, when we saw a record number of home runs hit, the cries were that home runs had become too plentiful, too cheap.
I will say this, however: After two months of talking and hearing about Spider Tack, sunscreen, pine tar, rosin, sticky stuff and Pelican Grip Dip, home runs suddenly feel very fun again.