Web Pick of the Week: Mud rubbing

Web-PickThe St Louis Cardinals’ starter Chris Carpenter earned a win on Opening Day against the Cincinnati Reds, which gave him room to comment on the condition of the baseballs without looking like a sore loser.

Carpenter’s complaint is that the Reds don’t put enough mud on the baseballs. Why would there be mud on the balls in the first place?  Well, a baseball out of the box has a shine and slickness to it that can make it difficult to grip firmly; therefore a specific type of mud is rubbed into the balls (stop laughing) before the game to make them easier to grip. 

Strange but true, and to prove it here’s a web link to an article about it by famed baseball snagger, and author of ‘Watching Baseball Smarter’, Zack Hample.  He’s currently writing a book about baseballs and got the chance to spend some time with the Phillies’ equipment manager last August, learning about the mud-rubbing process.

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About Matt Smith

Matt Smith is the editor and lead writer at BaseballGB. An Oakland A's fan, Matt has been following baseball since 1998 and started writing about the sport in 2006. He is the current Chair of the British Baseball Hall of Fame.

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