Baseball (object)
A baseball is a
ball used primarily in the sport of the same name,
baseball. It is generally approximately 9 inches no more than 9 1/4 inches in circumference, and 5 ounces avoirdupois in weight, though sometimes different-size balls may be used in children's leagues. Construction varies. Generally the core of the ball is
cork,
rubber, or a mixture of the two, and is sometimes layered. Around that are various linear materials including
yarn and
twine, sometimes
wool is used. A
leather cover is put on, in two pieces, and stitched together using 108 stitches of waxed red
cotton thread.
Encyclopedia
A
baseball is a
ball used primarily in the sport of the same name,
baseball. It is generally approximately 9 inches no more than 9
1/4 inches in circumference, and 5 ounces avoirdupois in weight, though sometimes different-size balls may be used in children's leagues. Construction varies. Generally the core of the ball is
cork,
rubber, or a mixture of the two, and is sometimes layered. Around that are various linear materials including
yarn and
twine, sometimes
wool is used. A
leather cover is put on, in two pieces, and stitched together using 108 stitches of waxed red
cotton thread. Rolled stitching is flatter and creates less air-resistance. This is the type of stitching used for major league balls and is ideal for the game and everyday play. Official Major League balls sold by Rawlings are made to the exact
MLB specifications and are stamped with the signature of Commissioner
Allan "Bud" Selig on each ball.
History
Cushioned cork cores were patented in the late 19th century by sports equipment manufacturer and former baseball star
Al Spalding. In recent years, various synthetic materials have been used to create baseballs; however, they are generally considered lower quality, and are not used in the
major leagues. Using different types of materials affects the performance of the baseball. Generally a tighter-wound baseball will jump off the bat faster, and go farther. Since the baseballs used
today are wound tighter than in previous years, notably the dead ball era, people often say that the ball is "juiced". The height of the seams also affect how well a
pitcher can pitch.
In the early years of the sport, only one ball was typically used in each game, unless it was too damaged to be usable; balls hit into the stands were retrieved by team employees in order to be put back in play, as is still done today in other sports. Over the course of a game, a typical ball would become discolored due to dirt, and often tobacco juice and other materials applied by players; damage would also occur, causing slight rips and seam bursts. However, after the 1920 death of batter
Ray Chapman after being hit in the head by a pitch, perhaps due to his difficulty in seeing the ball during twilight, an effort was made to keep clean, undamaged balls in play.
Today, several dozen baseballs are used in a typical professional game, due to scratches, discoloration, and undesireable texture that can occur during the game. Spectators are now generally allowed, and even encouraged, to keep baseballs that are hit or tossed to them. Balls hit out of the park for momentous occasions are often requested to be returned by the fan who catches it, or donated freely by the fan.
Famous baseballs
There are several historic instances of fans catching or attempting to catch baseballs:
Notes and references
See 1.09.
External links
;Baseball Construction
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