Everyone knows what that round, white ball with red stitching feels like in their hands. We all know what its like to throw it across home place, hoping that it would fly right by the batter, knocking the catcher to the ground, stinging his hand. But have you ever really thought about the origins of that marvelous man-made object? Other than hoping to hit it so hard that you split the stitches and expose it’s stuffing, have you ever wondered what it’s really made of? Here’s your chance to learn a brief history of the baseball…
Prior to 1872, the ball was rubber wrapped in string, then covered with horsehide. It weighed approximately 3-6 oz. and was soft, with the fluidity of a wet t-shirt. It barely rolled and did not bounce, it plopped. This resulted in very uneventful and low scoring games. The balls were purposely manufactured this way believe it or not. This left the players to focus more on bunting, hit and run strategies and base stealing. Supposedly, it was not fun to be an outfielder in the early 20th century. In 1931, the core of the ball was upgraded to a cork wrapped in a thin layer of rubber. The covering was changed to cowhide. White cowhide was much easier to see in the air and on the ground than the original brown ball. The stitching was also raised. This allowed the pitcher to create more original throwing techniques, such as the curve ball and the breaking ball. These tweaks that were made in the last century make the ball the way it is today, making the game more active and exciting to watch.
Prior to 1872, the ball was rubber wrapped in string, then covered with horsehide. It weighed approximately 3-6 oz. and was soft, with the fluidity of a wet t-shirt. It barely rolled and did not bounce, it plopped. This resulted in very uneventful and low scoring games. The balls were purposely manufactured this way believe it or not. This left the players to focus more on bunting, hit and run strategies and base stealing. Supposedly, it was not fun to be an outfielder in the early 20th century. In 1931, the core of the ball was upgraded to a cork wrapped in a thin layer of rubber. The covering was changed to cowhide. White cowhide was much easier to see in the air and on the ground than the original brown ball. The stitching was also raised. This allowed the pitcher to create more original throwing techniques, such as the curve ball and the breaking ball. These tweaks that were made in the last century make the ball the way it is today, making the game more active and exciting to watch.
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