I actually heard that reasoning as well but after I read into it I came to the conclusion that this is most likely false. Roundly shaped grenades have been around for centuries and the first introduction of a pineapple-shaped grenades was by the Brits in WW1.
Also a grenade is around three times as heavy as a baseball.
But it makes sense that Americans were/are especially good at throwing grenades because of baseball.

[–] Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah, grenades and baseballs are the same size for the same reason: It's about as big a shape as a person can hold and throw far with a lot of accuracy. It was just a happy coincidence that my grandfather was both on a winning Little League team and the Nazis loved pillboxes with tiny holes. He was part of the 14th Armored and could probably land a grenade in a pillbox from a hundred feet away just like throwing someone out at home from left field.

[–] FireTower@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Round grenades=throwable. Stick grenades=throwable and you have to carry a big fuck off stick too.

Would you rather have more grenades or have your current grenades come with a stick?