The average life span of a major league baseball is between 6 to 7 pitches. Some sources have 6, while others have 7. http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/j/kjb240/tidbits.html A July 6, 1998 article in the Denver Post by Mike McPhee quotes Aaron Boutwell, a representative of the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, the official supplier of baseballs to all professional baseball leagues in the United States. Quoting Boutwell, McPhee says the average lifespan of a baseball in Major League play is six pitches. “Not that it wears out. But every foul ball is lost to the fans. Every homer is lost. Every time a ball gets scuffed, the umpire banishes it down to tomorrow's batting practice.” http://www.dcmsoft.com/rumor/story/stuff4.htm look at #35