Home > Big League Baseball
We Have Found 1 Products for your search of Big League Baseball.
Displaying Items 1 - 1:
The Baseball Story - A Manufacturing Wonder
by Dr. Rob Moore
This week, as Toy Tech was congratulating New York Yankees' fans for their 27th all time World Series victory, and commiserating with Philadelphia Phillies fans regarding what might have been, one person asked Toy Tech how a baseball is made.
After he had answered the question, Toy Tech reflected back on many similar questions that had been posed to him over the years.
So, in honor of the just completed 2009 World Series, we decided to repeat the essence of Toy Tech's explanation regarding the baseball in this space.
The questions ran like this: "What about a baseball anyway? How are those things made? And, have they been 'juiced?' So many home runs. Aren't the manufacturers doing something to the ball to make them travel farther?"
Toy Tech's Response: Well, at the turn of the 20th century, the baseball had a round rubber core. This gave way in 1910 to the livelier cork-centered ball, which was itself replaced two decades later by the even more resilient cushioned cork model.
So, we can definitely say that the center of the baseball hasn't changed much since 1930 or so, and the wrappings used inside the ball have been very consistent in terms of tightness and substance. In other words, the baseball of 1930 is pretty much the same as the baseball of 2009 from the standpoint of distance traveled on impact with a bat.
On the other hand, many of the players, while we won't use the term "juiced," have certainly found a way to grow larger and stronger. So the inevitable consequence of their increase in size and power is many more balls being hit out of the stadiums whose fences haven't changed much in terms of distance from home plate over the last several decades.
For instance, Boston's Fenway Park carries the same dimensions as in 1912, so we can be certain that parks like Fenway, and the baseballs themselves haven't changed much if at all. However, many players can't seem to fit into medium-size uniforms anymore.
For comparison, in 1931, with the baseball constructed the same way it is today, the Boston Red Sox as a team hit 37 home runs in 153 games. In 2003, they hit 238 in 162 games. You be the judge. Same park, same ball. (Interesting note: Between 2003 and 2008, all 456 Red Sox games played at Fenway sold out. Capacity: Approximately 39,928 persons per game. The players during that period hit a wondrous 1190 home runs.)
Back to the baseball itself.
The ball used by the major leagues, and the one you can purchase at any major sports store, consists of a "pill" (a central core) made of compressed cork and rubber material. The pill at this stage is about the size of a cherry. The pill is then encased in two additional layers of rubber, an inner black layer (composed of two hemispheres of black rubber joined by a red rubber washer), and an outer red layer of rubber. When all three layers are in place, the resulting ball is a little over four inches in circumference.
About the Author
toysperiod.com/blog/toy-history/please-make-me-a-baseball/
Dr. Moore serves as Dean of Student at Linda Christas Academy/College.
Big League Baseball Fundamentals Training DVD Set #2
Over 6 hours of fundamental baseball instruction presented by the greatest group of MLB All-stars and Hall of Famers ever assembled on an instructional video, sharing their knowledge, unique drills, and teaching you how to play Every Position from the ground up to Major League level. Invest in your game!
|
| 
