The baseballs are different in the Minors?

At least that is what Burke Badenhop tells us.

Badenhop lives on his sinker, which induces ground balls.

''My sinker has been all right,'' he said. ``I like the big-league balls better than the minor-league balls. They are different. They have a different feel and the seams are smaller. And they tend to be in better condition. You don't know where those minor-league balls have been.''

I know about the condition thing since once when I was attending a A- game I retrieved a foul ball that went into the stands and someone from the club came running down the steps and asked for the ball back.  I gave it to the guy who threw it back onto the field and the umpire put it in his black bag for continued use.

But the seams being bigger in the minors, that I haven't heard of, have you?