Baseball (ball) facts for kids

"Baseballs" redirects here. For the German cover band, see The Baseballs.

A typical baseball

The baseball is the special ball used in the exciting sport of baseball. It's made with a core of rubber or cork. This core is tightly wrapped in yarn. Then, it's covered with white leather, usually from a horse or cow, or a strong synthetic material.

A standard baseball is about 9 to 9.25 inches (22.9 to 23.5 cm) around. This means it's about 2.86 to 2.94 inches (7.3 to 7.5 cm) across. It weighs about 5 to 5.25 ounces (142 to 149 grams).

The leather cover has two pieces sewn together with red thread. There are 108 stitches on a baseball. These stitches are very important! They help a pitcher make the ball move in different ways. By changing how they hold the ball and how fast it spins, pitchers can throw pitches like a curveball or a fastball.

How Baseball Balls Have Changed Over Time
How Baseball Balls Are Made and Used Today
Famous Baseball Moments
See also

How Baseball Balls Have Changed Over Time

Early Days of Baseball Balls

Long ago, in the mid-1800s, baseballs were all very different. Their size, shape, and weight varied a lot. Early balls often had a rubber core made from old, melted shoes. This core was wrapped in yarn and then covered with leather.

Pitchers often made their own balls. These balls were used for the whole game. They would get soft and start to unravel as the game went on. One popular early design was the "lemon peel ball." It had four lines of stitching, like a lemon peel. These balls were smaller and lighter, so they flew farther and bounced higher. This often led to games with many runs!

Making Baseball Balls Standard

Around the 1850s, teams in New York City wanted to make baseballs more uniform. They decided on a standard weight and size. However, balls were still made by hand, so there were still differences.

Some balls had more rubber and were wound tighter. These were called "live balls" because they went farther and faster. Other balls had less rubber and were wound looser. These "dead balls" didn't travel as far. Teams sometimes used this to their advantage.

The Famous Figure-8 Stitching

No one is completely sure who invented the common figure-8 stitching pattern. Some say it was Ellis Drake, a shoemaker's son. Others believe it was Colonel William A. Cutler. William Harwood later built the first baseball factory in Natick, Massachusetts. He helped make the figure-8 design very popular.

Official Baseball Rules and Changes

In 1876, the National League (NL) was formed. They created standard rules for the game. Albert Spalding, a famous pitcher, convinced the NL to use his ball as the official one. His design was used for many years.

In 1910, a new type of ball with a cork core was introduced. These cork-core balls lasted longer than the old rubber ones. For a while, batters hit these new balls farther and faster. Pitchers had to learn new ways to throw.

By 1920, baseballs started to be made with machines. They also used better yarn. This made balls even more consistent. Many believed these new balls helped batters hit the ball much farther. In 1925, Milton Reach patented a "cushion cork" center. This design had a cork core with layers of rubber around it.

Modern Baseball Ball Standards

In 1934, the National League and American League agreed on a standard baseball. It had a cushion cork center, layers of yarn, a special rubber coating, more yarn, and a horsehide cover.

During World War II, rubber was needed for the war effort. So, in 1943, baseballs were made with a rubber-like material called balata. This change made it harder to hit the ball far. In 1944, synthetic rubber brought baseballs back to normal.

Later, in 1974, cowhide replaced horsehide for the cover. In 1976, MLB switched its official ball maker from Spalding to Rawlings. Rawlings still makes the official MLB baseballs today.

Recent Changes and Home Runs

After the 2016 baseball season, there was a big increase in home runs. MLB looked into why this was happening. In 2019, officials thought that a slightly lower stitching on the balls might be a reason.

In February 2021, MLB announced that Rawlings had changed how they made the balls. These changes were meant to reduce how much the balls bounced. More teams also started using humidors to store their baseballs. Humidors help keep the balls consistent by controlling moisture.

How Baseball Balls Are Made and Used Today

Halves of two baseballs; traditional cork-centered (left) and rubber-centered

Ball Construction and Performance

Sports equipment companies like Spalding have patented different core designs over the years. Today, some baseballs use synthetic materials. However, these are usually for lower-level games and not for Major League Baseball.

The materials and how tightly a ball is wound affect how it performs. A tighter-wound ball will usually fly faster and farther off the bat. Sometimes, people say modern balls are "juiced" because they seem to travel farther than older balls. The height of the seams also helps pitchers control the ball.

Different Balls for Different Leagues

Baseballs for MLB and the top minor leagues (AAA) are made to the same high standards. Balls for lower minor leagues (like AA) are slightly different. They are made to be a bit more durable.

In leagues like Little League Baseball and college baseball, the seams on the balls are usually much higher. This can make it easier for young players to grip and throw the ball.

The Cost and Care of Baseball Balls

In the early 1900s, baseballs were quite expensive. Teams tried to use one ball for an entire game. They would even reuse balls in good condition for the next game. Balls hit into the stands were often collected and put back into play.

Over a game, balls would get dirty and damaged. This made them harder to see and hit. After a player was seriously injured in 1920, efforts were made to replace dirty or worn baseballs more often for player safety.

Today, MLB teams use many new balls in every game. They must have at least 156 balls ready for each game. An MLB team uses tens of thousands of balls each season. Modern professional baseballs cost about seven dollars each. This is a small part of a team's budget.

What Happens to Game-Used Baseballs?

When an umpire removes a ball from play, batboys collect it. Many baseballs from famous plays are displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Other special game-used balls are sold as memorabilia. These sales often happen on MLB's official website. Even balls from smaller events can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The official MLB ball is made by Rawlings in Costa Rica. Making baseballs is still mostly done by hand. Machines haven't been able to fully take over the process.

Official League Balls and Rules

For many years, the American League and National League used balls that were technically the same. However, they had different markings and signatures. In 2000, MLB changed its structure. Now, both leagues use one standard ball.

A major league baseball weighs between 5 and 5.25 ounces. It is 9 to 9.25 inches around. There are 108 double stitches, or 216 individual stitches, on each ball. The Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan uses a ball that is slightly smaller.

Umpires decide when to remove a ball from play. Today, balls are usually replaced quickly if they get even minor scratches or dirt. Balls used for warm-ups are often given to fans. Players also sometimes give game-ending balls to fans, especially children. Any ball that a spectator catches or finds in the stands becomes their property.

Preparing the Ball for Play

A new professional baseball is very slick and hard. It would be dangerous to throw without preparation. By rule, balls used in professional games must be rubbed with a special mud. This "rubbing mud" is applied by umpires before each game. It helps pitchers get a better grip on the ball. Because the mud discolors the ball, many fans prefer to buy clean, non-game-used balls for autographs.

Types of Baseball Balls

There are three main types of baseballs:

Hard baseball: This is the standard leather-covered ball used in Major League Baseball. It's also called a hardball.
Rubber baseball (Nanshiki): This softer, rubber version is used for children's baseball in Japan.
Soft (compression) baseball: These balls are softer and mainly used for batting practice or indoor training. They are often made from polyurethane.

Famous Baseball Moments

Some baseballs become famous because they were part of a special moment in the game. Fans who catch these balls often keep them, and they can become very valuable!

The ball Mark McGwire hit for his 70th home run in 1998 was sold for $3.2 million.
Barry Bonds' 73rd home run ball from his record-breaking 2001 season was sold for $450,000.
Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball, which broke Hank Aaron's record, was sold for over $750,000.
Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit, a home run, was caught by a fan. The fan gave the ball back to the Yankees and received about $70,000 worth of gifts.
A baseball signed by both Babe Ruth and Marilyn Monroe sold for $191,200.
The ball that rolled between Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series sold for $418,250.
A ball from the Steve Bartman incident in the 2003 NLCS was bought by a restaurant group for over $113,000. It was later publicly exploded as a unique event.