We take the baseball we play now for granted and never stop to think that it underwent a protracted and intriguing metamorphosis that resulted in significant changes to the ball.
Baseball was a major component of baseball strategy in the game’s early history. Teams may utilize different baseballs depending on the situation because the creators of the hand-made baseball could easily be identified as making a Live, Medium, or Dead Ball.
Before the Leagues ultimately adopted a standardized baseball in 1872, which still serves as the benchmark for contemporary baseball, baseballs underwent a significant modification in 1857. Their size and weight also fluctuated significantly throughout the 1860s.
Early History of Baseball
The construction of the first baseballs involved manually winding yarn or string around a core, which could be any solid item. The ball was then filled with stuffing and covered in leather to make it more durable.
The “lemon peel” or “rose pedal” stitch was used to sew the leather, which was typically brown in color. On the outside of the ball, an X-shaped pattern was created by the leather being wrapped around it and sewn together.
Prior to 1845, a runner may be soaked, or declared out, if the fielder tossed the ball and struck him or her. This was possible since these balls were so light and fragile. I have no idea who coined the phrase or why.
The Producers of Baseball
Baseballs were made however players and neighborhood shops saw fit because there was no standardized, official manufacturer. Comparatively speaking, early baseballs were relatively little and light, but they were made of leather, and their hues ranged from medium to dark brown.
A standardized baseball was first noted in 1854 when the Knickerbockers, Gothams, and Eagle Baseball Club of New York agreed that a ball should weigh between 5 12 and 6 ounces, have a diameter between 2 34 and 3 12 inches, and be sewed using a lemon peel stitch pattern.
This size of baseball was probably modified from the one they were already using and were accustomed to, and it wasn’t the norm for baseball teams in other regions of the country.
The first baseball convention was held in 1857 at Smith’s Hotel in New York City, where the 15 New York Baseball Clubs adopted a number of regulations and standards, one of which was the size of a standard baseball.
The baseball was determined to be between 6 and 6 14 ounces in weight and to have a circumference of between 10 and 10 14 inches.
The first factory to be established exclusively for the production of baseballs was H.P. Harwood & Sons Company in Natick, Massachusetts, in 1858. The figure-eight stitching, which is still used in contemporary baseball, was also created by them.
The second baseball convention, which took place in 1858, outlined more detailed regulations regarding the construction and makeup of the baseball. The widespread consensus was that these changes, which occurred so quickly after the original guidelines were issued, were caused by the significant advancements in manufacturing technology.
According to the updated requirements, the baseball’s core would be made of India-rubber, a highly elastic material made from the latex of numerous tropical plants.
The rules also stipulated that the baseball for the game was to be provided by the opposing team, or guests in modern parlance, and would be given as a trophy to the “Winning” club. Although it had long been a custom, this was now a requirement.
There are many legends surrounding the invention of the baseball. For instance, it is said that Ellis Drake invented the two-piece leather baseball with figure-eight stitching. He is reported to have sketched up the idea in the third grade in 1840 and constructed a prototype out of leftover leather from his father.
He had considered his concept because, according to him, the lemon-peeled balls used in school games of “round Ball” would come apart at the corners of the stitching, making throwing the ball straight all but impossible.
George and Harry Wright stole Drake’s idea and started making and selling baseball covers that were exactly like it two years after Drake came up with the design. Drake passed away in 1912 without patenting his invention, which would have made him and his family extremely wealthy.
