Several things can cause a ball to "die". From oil saturation to clogged pores and surface prep.
If the cover isn't oil soaked, it is possible that the microscopic pores in the coverstock have become clogged with dirt and debris from poor lane maintenance. Microscopic particles of dirt can be carried onto the ball and when the oil soaks in, the dirt becomes clogged/lodged into the pores, causing them to lose their oil dissipation abilities.
Another scenario is this. The coverstocks on some of todays modern balls "reacts" badly with some chemical formulations and can actually shrink the pores in the coverstock enough that they are no longer able to absorb the oil from the balls surface, effectively killing the balls oil handling capabilities. ACETONE is one of these, I had to learn that the hard way.
Have the ball taken down to a very low grit ( 500 abralon or lower) and then have it bled out and resurfaced. If that doesn't return it to its former glory, it is most likely never going to be brought back to that level again.
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