Reference Guide to All Diamond Baseballs

Having been involved with a local rec and tournament baseball leagues as a coach for over 10 years, I have personally used pretty much all brands of baseballs.

By far, Diamond baseball is one of my favorites due to quality construction and high quality materials.

Diamond baseball is expensive when compared to equivalent models from Wilson, Rawlings, MacGregor and other smaller brands, but the old adage of you get what you pay for is absolutely true in this case.

Because there is a large selection of Diamond baseballs for all youth baseball leagues, NFHS high school and college baseballs. Diamond Baseball information can be hard to decipher.

Diamond Sports vs Diamond Sports Group
About April 2023, you may have heard that Diamond Sports Group (DSG) declared bankruptcy. Please note that DSG is not related to Diamond Sports (the maker of Diamond baseballs for youth and college leagues). DSG belongs to Sinclair Broadcasting Group which operates Regional Sports Networks (RSN) under the Bally Sports brand.

So I created this post to help you understand the differences between each models and their intended age groups.

There are quite bit of Diamond baseballs so if I missed any, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

Diamond Baseballs – Model Numbers

All Diamond baseball model names ending with “-1” usually indicates that they are intended for batting or practice balls.

Baseball ball manufacturers
If you are looking at other brands of baseball, check out my post Different Types of Baseballs for Different Ages for more information

The minus 1 designation have two primary characteristics:

• Contain about 75% less yarn wounding than identical model baseball without the “-1” designation (thicker yarn makes the ball more “lively”)
• The center cork on these “-1” baseballs are larger (larger cork center decreases the amount of energy from the bat to ball)

All tournament grade Diamond baseballs come with a double cushioned pill with full-grain leather for increased hitting performance.

List of All Diamond Baseball Models

Diamond XX Blemished Baseballs

Diamond has strict quality control so any finished baseballs with unacceptable flaws are marked as “blemished” (BLEM) balls and are sold at a discount.

Other manufacturers like Wilson and Rawlings mark these flawed baseballs with the letters “BLEM” in small print.

Diamond, however, wants consumers to know that blemished balls are clearly marked so marked “DIAMOND” with two large “X” letters.

In my personal experience, Diamond blemished balls come with minor superficial flaws (uneven stitching, slight discoloration, etc.). If you are a coach, you know how many balls are lost during practice so these blem balls offer excellent value.

Diamond DFX-LC1 Baseballs (Little League Safety Ball – Level 1)

Diamond DFX-LC1 is designed for tee-ball players. The ball comes with high compression (RIF Level 1) baseball for Little League. It has a sponge core with low density is very popular among tee-ball players.

Diamond DFX-LC5 Baseballs (Little League Safety Ball – Level 5)

Diamond DFX-LC5 is a medium compression (RIF Level 5) baseball for Little League. It has a sponge core with medium density is very popular among junior tee-ball players.

Diamond D-OB Baseballs

Diamond D-OB is a popular safety baseball, designed to be used with players eight years or younger.

Instead of a traditional design used by high school, college, and MiLB/MLB baseballs, D-OB safety baseballs are made from large chunks of cork, rubber, and adhesive, then shaped into a ball under high pressure.

After cooling, a worker sprays the cork and rubber ball with a thin layer of adhesive to bond it to the white poly/cotton finishing yarn (yarn increases the circumferences to 9 inches or 22.52 centimeters).

A worker dumps the thread wrapped balls into a tumbler for another layer of glue before assembling the leather cover along with stitches.

As you can see from above, all Diamond D-OB baseballs come with a durable, leather cover that feels great (like a “real baseball”). Provided that you take care of them (not leaving them out in rain, or in direct sun), they can last two seasons or more.

Diamond BB-OL Baseballs

Diamond D-OL is another popular Diamond baseball, designed to be used with players thirteen years or older

Diamond BB-OL official league practice ball is another excellent baseball.

The core consists of a double cushioned pill (i.e. two layers of rubber surrounding a small cork ball) , wrapped in wool. As is the case with all Diamond baseballs, the wool is then wrapped tightly with a fine poly-blend thread to retain shape.

The cover is made from real leather, though it can get shiny and slippery (like synthetic balls) after multiple batting practices.

Overall, Diamond BB-OL is an excellent choice for practice baseballs.

Diamond DLL-1 RS Baseballs (Little League)

Diamond DLL-1 RS is widely used in the intermediate category in the Little League.

It is re-branded with various league stamps and is commonly used in normal league games.

Diamond DLL-2 RS Baseballs (Little League)

Diamond DLL-2 RS is widely used in the beginner/intermediate category in the Little League leagues (notch above D-OB baseballs).

What is the Difference Between Diamond DLL-1 and DLL-2?
Both baseballs are approved for Little League game play. DLL-2 comes with 100% cork core whereas DLL-1 comes with a cork and rubber mixture core. 100% cork core is geared towards younger players because they absorb (rather then) transfer energy from a swung bat. Cork and rubber core is move lively so they are more suited for old players.

Diamond DLL RS T Baseballs (Little League)

Unlike the Diamond DLL-1 and DLL-2 balls, Diamond DLL RS T is specifically designed to be used with players competing at the tournament or travel levels.

The construction of DLL RS T closely resembles tournament grade high school baseballs with its double cushioned pill so DLL RS T balls are “lively”.

Diamond DSLL-1 RS Baseballs (Little League)

Diamond DSLL-1 RS baseball is virtually indistinguishable to Diamond DLL-1 baseball with its large cork and rubber core. Of course this particular model comes with the words “Senior Little League” printed on each balls.

Little League may have rules about using league-marked baseballs during playoffs so make sure to check with your local league. But for practice, you can buy either DSLL-1 or DLL-1 baseballs.

Diamond DSLL RS-T Baseballs (Senior Little League)

Diamond DSLL RS-T is intended to be used by tournament-level players. It comes with a traditional “pill” with tightly wound yarn, giving the ball a high bounce.

Diamond DLL-1 MC Baseballs (Little League)

Diamond DLL-1 Mid Compression (MC) is designed to be used in Little League youth games.

Diamond DLL-1 MC baseballs are identical to DOL-1 MC baseballs.

Diamond DOL-A Baseballs

It is re-branded with various league stamps and is commonly used in normal league games.

Diamond DOL-A is widely used in the intermediate category in youth baseball.

It is re-branded with various league stamps and is commonly used in tournament game play.

The example show below is a Diamond DOL-A stamped with Cal Ripken league.

Diamond DOL-A baseballs come with a durable, full-grain leather so they are used extensively in middle games and high school practices (for high school games, DOL-1 HS balls are commonly used).

Diamond DOL-A HS Baseballs

Diamond DOL-A HS virtually identical to DOL-A baseballs.

DOL-A HS baseball comes with four distinct layers, much like minor and major league baseballs.

Diamond DOL-1 Official League Baseballs

Diamond DOL-1 is designed to be used in youth game and high school practice.

Diamond DOL-1 baseball offers the same leather grip as higher grade baseballs and kids love using these baseballs.

DOL-1 is cross-branded with nationally recognized leagues like USSSA and Pony (DPL-1).

Diamond DCR-1 Cal Ripken Baseballs

Diamond DCR-1 Cal Ripken is designed to be used in intermediate youth games and high school practice.

Diamond DCR-1 Cal Ripken baseballs are identical to DBR-1 Babe Ruth baseballs.

Diamond DOL-1 HS Baseballs

Diamond DOL-1 HS is designed to be used in youth game and high practice.

Diamond DOL-1 HS baseball offers the same leather grip as higher grade baseballs and kids love using these baseballs.

The designation “HS” for high school is bit of a misnomer as the baseball contains a larger cork designed to be used as game balls for younger players.

Diamond DOL-1 MC Baseballs

Diamond DOL-1 Mid Compression (MC) is designed to be used in youth game and high practice.

Diamond DOL-MC baseball offers slightly lower quality standard leather (vs. premium leather).

Diamond DOL-2 Baseballs

Diamond DOL-2 is very similar to Diamond Office League baseball (D-OB) with a large cork center.

The difference is that the cork is slightly smaller to accommodate a thicker yarn wounding for enhanced hitting.

Diamond DOL-2 baseball leather and seams do not last as long as high school balls but these baseballs retain their shape better than D-OB due to outer yarn layer.

Diamond D1-PRO NFHS Baseballs

Diamond D1-PRO NFHS is the predecessor to D1-PRO HS. They are identical in specifications except the label. Both baseballs are categorized as high school baseballs.

The “ultra” premium leather cover feels great on your hands (some say it feels even better than Rawlings MLB baseballs) and the ball is constructed with multiple layers of a high quality yarn to maintain its shape.

Diamond D1-PRO NFHS/HS baseballs are more expensive than others so you may find that Diamond D1-HS baseballs are more common in middle and high school settings.

Diamond D1-PRO HS Baseballs

Diamond D1-PRO NFHS is the predecessor to D1-PRO HS. They are identical in specifications except the label. Both baseballs are categorized as high school baseballs.

Like the cover from D1-PRO NFHS baseballs, the “ultra” premium leather cover on D1-PRO HS baseballs have a solid, leather feel.

Takeaways

Diamond baseballs are very durable and if you take care of them (like not leaving them out in rain), they will last about two seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

• It seems like lot of the balls share common inside parts. Why are some labeled with a league name like Little League, while the same balls are also named “Official League Baseball (OLB)”?
  • Official League Baseball is a way for a manufacturer to sell the identical “little league” balls without paying the license fees. Some cheap MLB baseballs are stamped OLB even though it comes with a synthetic cover and is more for display than anything else.