system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:What is live ball v. dead ball baseball?

I've just gotten into baseball recently and I notice that there is often a distinction between the live ball and the dead ball era of baseball. Can somebody please explain this distinction as well as why it results in higher scoring games during live ball baseball?
gpt
In the early 20th Century, baseball was played in larger ball parks, and used balls that were softer, due to the way they were made and from overuse...a single ball might be used over multiple games.  Worn balls also gave the pitchers an advantage, as scuff marks and wear damage allowed them to put more action on the ball.  This resulted in a ball that was harder to hit, and wouldn't travel as far when it was hit.  Baseball strategy that revolved more around getting base hits, and the rare home run was seen as a mistake, a fly ball that just happened to travel a little farther.

Once teams started using better balls and replaced them more frequently, batters could hit further, and strategy shifted accordingly.