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65-410: The leather cover is commonly formed from two saddle-shaped pieces stitched together, typically with red-dyed thread. There are 108 stitches on a regulation baseball. That stitching plays a significant role in the trajectory of a thrown baseball due to the drag caused by the interaction between the stitching and the air. Controlling the orientation of the stitches and the speed of the ball's rotation allows

130-497: A boy pitcher mastered the curveball to defeat the opposing batters. The New York Clipper reported, of a September 26, 1863, game at Princeton University (then the College of New Jersey), that F. P. Henry's "slow pitching with a great twist to the ball achieved a victory over fast pitching." However, Katz, in his biography of Cummings, explains that Henry was not actually pitching curveballs. Harvard president Charles Eliot

195-418: A century. In 1910, the cork-core ball was introduced. They outlasted rubber core baseballs; and for the first few years they were used, balls were hit further and faster than rubber core balls. Pitchers adapted with the use of the spitball , which is now illegal, and an emphasis on changing the ball. In 1920, a couple of important changes were made to baseballs. They began to be made using machine winders and

260-425: A curveball is entirely different from that of most other pitches. The pitcher at the top of the throwing arc will snap the arm and wrist in a downward motion. The ball first leaves contact with the thumb and tumbles over the index finger thus imparting the forward or "top-spin" characteristic of a curveball. The result is the exact opposite pitch of the four-seam fastball 's backspin, but with all four seams rotating in

325-428: A curveball" essentially translates to introducing a significant deviation to a preceding concept. The curve ball is gripped much like a cup or drinking glass is held. The pitcher places the middle finger on and parallel to one of the long seams, and the thumb just behind the seam on the opposite side of the ball such that if looking from the top down, the hand should form a "C shape" with the horseshoe pointing in towards

390-528: A game. Both Allen, and teammate pitcher John P. Barden, became famous for employing the curve in the late 1870s. In the early 1880s, Clinton Scollard (1860–1932), a pitcher from Hamilton College in New York, became famous for his curve ball and later earned fame as a prolific American poet. In 1885, St. Nicholas , a children's magazine , featured a story entitled, "How Science Won the Game". It told of how

455-402: A higher grade of yarn from Australia . Offensive statistics rose immediately, and players and fans alike believed the new balls helped batters hit the ball further. In 1925, Milton Reach patented his "cushion cork" center. It was a cork core surrounded by black rubber, then another layer of red rubber. In 1934, The National League and American League came to a compromise and standardized

520-517: A lower stitching seam profile had most likely led to the increase in home runs, but also pledged to consider studying the issue. On February 5, 2021, MLB issued a memo that said that Rawlings had altered their manufacturing process to reduce the bounce in the balls and that after extensive testing, "... we are comfortable that these baseballs meet all of our performance specifications." The same memo also noted that more teams had applied for permission to use humidors to store their baseballs. As of 2020 only

585-399: A major league baseball weighs between 5 and 5 + 1 ⁄ 4 ounces (142 and 149 g), and is 9 to 9 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (229–235 mm) in circumference ( 2 + 7 ⁄ 8 –3 in or 73–76 mm in diameter). There are 108 double stitches on a baseball, or 216 individual stitches. While the decision whether to discard a baseball is formally at the discretion of

650-744: A negligible portion of a modern MLB team's operating budget. Recreational-grade baseballs can be purchased by the public for an even lower unit price. Once discarded by the umpire, game-used baseballs not hit into the stands are collected by batboys . Many baseballs involved in historical plays are displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown , New York . Other baseballs associated with noteworthy in-game events are often authenticated and sold as memorabilia . Most such sales today are conducted on MLB's official website. The total proceeds from such sales represent

715-432: A number of variations on this basic premise: "Stand behind a tree 60 feet away, and I will whomp you with an optical illusion!" However, optical illusion caused by the ball's spinning may play an important part in what makes curveballs difficult to hit. The curveball's trajectory is smooth, but the batter perceives a sudden, dramatic change in the ball's direction. When an object that is spinning and moving through space

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780-407: A pitcher having an arm angle that is either side arm or at a very low 3/4 arm angle. However, sometimes complete side spin happens for a pitcher who has a higher arm slot due to the person throwing the pitch with a twisting motion causing the fingers to move around the side of the ball instead of over the top of the ball. Using this twisting motion around the ball is said to cause injury to the arm near

845-579: A pitcher to affect the behavior of the pitched ball in specific ways. Commonly employed pitches include the curveball , the slider , the two-seam fastball , the four-seam fastball , the sinker , the cutter and the changeup . In the early, mid-1800s days of baseball , there was a great variety in the size, shape, weight, and manufacturing of baseballs. Early baseballs were made with a rubber core from old, melted shoes, wrapped in yarn and leather. Fish eyes were also used as cores in some places. Pitchers usually made their own balls, which were used throughout

910-492: A significant portion of the total purchase cost of baseballs since even balls used for relatively minor accomplishments can each fetch hundreds or thousands of dollars. In 1909, sports magnate and former player Alfred J. Reach patented the ivory centered "ivory nut" in Panama and suggested it might be even better in a baseball than cork. However, Philadelphia Athletics president Benjamin F. Shibe , who had invented and patented

975-414: A unit price which would be equal to $ 110 today. Due to their high relative cost, club owners in the early 20th century were reluctant to spend much money on new balls if not necessary. It was not unusual for a single baseball to last an entire game, nor for a baseball to be reused for the next game especially if it was still in relatively good condition as would likely be the case for a ball introduced late in

1040-457: A vertical axis completely perpendicular to its flight path and thus with complete side spin that is either 3–9 for a right handed pitcher or 9–3 for a left handed pitcher is called a sweeping curveball, flat curveball, or frisbee curveball. The flat curveball will still drop because of gravity, but due to the lack of top spin the drop is only a small amount compared to the 12–6, 1–7/11–5, or 2–8/10–4 curveballs. Most often this side spin happens due to

1105-483: Is generally true for all baseballs. Teams often used this knowledge to their advantage, as players from the team usually manufactured their own baseballs to use in games. There is no agreement on who invented the commonplace figure-8 stitching on baseballs. Some historians say it was invented by Ellis Drake, a shoemaker's son, to make the cover stronger and more durable. Others say it was invented by Colonel William A. Cutler and sold to William Harwood in 1858. Harwood built

1170-406: Is obtained from a particular type of tropical tree . Hitting declined significantly that year. The introduction of synthetic rubber in 1944 resulted in baseballs returning to normal. Offense would return to normal after the change back to the regular ball and return of players from active duty. In 1974 , due to a shortage of the material, horsehide was replaced by the more abundant cowhide as

1235-421: Is partially counteracted as the ball rides on and into increased pressure. Thus the fastball falls less than a ball thrown without spin (neglecting knuckleball effects) during the 60 feet 6 inches it travels to home plate. On the other hand, a curveball, thrown with topspin , creates a higher pressure zone on top of the ball, which deflects the ball downward in flight. Instead of counteracting gravity,

1300-565: Is so slick and hard. By rule, balls used in the professional game must be rubbed with a mud known as "rubbing mud" , which is typically applied either by the umpires or someone working under their supervision before each game, and is intended to help the pitcher's grip. Because the mud discolors the ball, many fans prefer to purchase non-game-used balls for purposes such as collecting autographs, etc. In contrast, recreational-grade baseballs are designed so as not to require any special preparation before being used. Three common forms of baseball exist:

1365-415: Is the predisposing factor. In theory, allowing time for the cartilage and tendons of the arm to fully develop would protect against injuries. While acquisition of proper form might be protective, physician James Andrews is quoted in the article as stating that in many children, insufficient neuromuscular control, lack of proper mechanics, and fatigue make maintenance of proper form unlikely. The parts of

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1430-449: Is viewed directly, the overall motion is interpreted correctly by the brain. However, as it enters the peripheral vision, the internal spinning motion distorts how the overall motion is perceived. A curveball's trajectory begins in the center of the batter's vision, but overlaps with peripheral vision as it approaches the plate, which may explain the suddenness of the break perceived by the batter. A peer-reviewed article on this hypothesis

1495-425: Is with regard for the safety of the pitcher – not because of its difficulty – though the pitch is widely considered difficult to learn as it requires some degree of mastery and the ability to pinpoint the thrown ball's location. There is generally a greater chance of throwing wild pitches when throwing the curveball. When thrown correctly, it could have a break from seven to as much as 20 inches in comparison to

1560-543: The Arizona Diamondbacks , Boston Red Sox , Colorado Rockies , and Seattle Mariners , were using the devices. Cushioned wood cores were patented in the late 19th century by sports equipment manufacturer Spalding , the company founded by former baseball star A.G. Spalding . In recent years, various synthetic materials have been used to create baseballs; however, they are generally considered lower quality, stitched with two red thick thread, and are not used in

1625-462: The Brooklyn Eagle was likely fabricated. Other claimants to invention of the curveball are shown by Katz to have gotten the curveball only after Cummings, or not to have been pitching curveballs. In 1876, the first known collegiate baseball player to perfect the curveball was Clarence Emir Allen of Western Reserve College, now known as Case Western Reserve University , where he never lost

1690-453: The Magnus effect describes the laws of physics that make a curveball curve. A fastball travels through the air with backspin, which creates a higher pressure zone in the air ahead of and under the baseball. The baseball's raised seams augment the ball's ability to develop a boundary layer and therefore a greater differential of pressure between the upper and lower zones. The effect of gravity

1755-559: The Pine Tar Incident in the 1980s was one famous incident triggered by a capricious enforcement of an obscure one. Today, MLB teams are required to have a minimum of 156 baseballs ready for use in each game. When combined with baseballs needed for practice, etc. each MLB team uses tens of thousands of balls every season. However, modern professional-grade baseballs purchased in bulk as is the case with professional teams only cost about seven dollars each as of 2024 and thus make up

1820-409: The curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball , causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curveball , power curveball, and the knuckle curve . Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve . The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to pitcher. The expression "to throw

1885-492: The major leagues . Using different types of materials affects the performance of the baseball. Generally a tighter-wound baseball will leave the bat faster, and fly further. Since the baseballs used today are wound tighter than in previous years, notably the dead-ball era that prevailed through 1920, people often say the ball is " juiced " . The height of the seams also affects how well a pitcher can pitch. Baseballs used in MLB and

1950-400: 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 replace dirty or worn baseballs. However, even though scores of new balls are used nowadays in every game, some rules intended solely to reduce the frequency (and associated expense) of replacing balls during a game remain in force -

2015-553: The American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919 ) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League. Opening Day took place on April 18, featuring fourteen teams. The final day of

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2080-417: The National League president's signature in black ink. Bob Feller stated that when he was a rookie in the 1930s, National League baseball laces were black, intertwined with red; American League baseball laces were blue and red. In 2000, Major League Baseball reorganized its structure to eliminate the position of league presidents, and switched to one ball specification for both leagues. Under the current rules,

2145-527: The aforementioned Dwight Gooden were regarded as having outstanding curveballs. 1944 Major League Baseball season The 1944 major league baseball season began on April 18, 1944. The regular season ended on October 1, with the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns as the regular season champions of the National League and American League , respectively. In an all- St. Louis postseason,

2210-414: The arm most commonly injured by the curveball are the ligaments in the elbow, the biceps , and the forearm muscles. Major elbow injury requires repair through elbow ligament reconstruction, or Tommy John surgery . Curveballs have a variety of trajectories and breaks among pitchers. This chiefly has to do with the arm slot and release point of a given pitcher, which is in turn governed by how comfortable

2275-435: The arm slot at an angle will throw a curveball that breaks down and toward the pitcher's off-hand. In the most extreme cases, the curve will break very wide laterally. Because the slider and the curveball share nearly the same grip and have the same unique throwing motions, this curveball breaks much like a slider, and is colloquially termed a " slurve ". The axis of rotation on a slurve will still be more or less perpendicular to

2340-453: The ball to a fan (especially a child) in the front row or by gently tossing it into the stands, especially if the player holding it is a home team player close to the stands as for example is often the case for an outfielder catching a fly ball. MLB has long recognized any ball that comes into the possession of a spectator by any lawful means after entering the stands as immediately becoming the property of that spectator, although balls hit out of

2405-556: The baseball. They agreed on a cushion cork center; two wrappings of yarn; a special rubber cement coating; two more wrappings of yarn; and, finally, a horsehide cover. Baseballs have gone through only a few small changes since the compromise. During World War II , the United States banned the use of rubber for non war-related goods, including for baseballs. So in 1943 , instead of using rubber, baseballs were made with rubber-like shells of balata (also used in golf balls), which

2470-416: The baseball. They decided to regulate the weight of baseballs at 5 1 ⁄ 2 –6 oz, and with a circumference of 8–11 inches. There were still many variations of baseballs since they were completely handmade . Balls with more rubber and a tighter winding went further and faster (known as "live balls"), and balls with less rubber and a looser winding (known as "dead balls") did not travel as far or fast. This

2535-464: The best advantage in knocking it, now uses every effort to deceive him by curving—I think that is the word—the ball. And this is looked upon as the last triumph of athletic science and skill. I tell you it is time to call halt! when the boasted progress in athletics is in the direction of fraud and deceit." In the past, major league pitchers Tommy Bridges , Bob Feller , Virgil Trucks , Herb Score , Camilo Pascual , Sandy Koufax , Bert Blyleven , and

2600-432: The continued use of hand-made balls. The raw materials are imported from the United States, assembled into baseballs and shipped back. Throughout the 20th Century, Major League Baseball used two technically identical but differently marked balls. The American League had "Official American League" and the American League's president's signature in blue ink, while National League baseballs had "Official National League" and

2665-500: The cork centered ball, commented, "I look for the leagues to adopt an 'ivory nut' baseball just as soon as they adopt a ferro-concrete bat and a base studded with steel spikes ." Both leagues adopted Shibe's cork-centered ball in 1910. The official major league ball is made by Rawlings , which produces the stitched balls in Costa Rica . Attempts to automate the manufacturing process were never entirely successful, leading to

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2730-418: The cover material. In 1976 , MLB ended its relationship with Spalding for manufacturing their baseballs and switched to Rawlings , which still provides the balls to MLB today. A significant increase in the number of home runs since the start of the 2016 baseball season caused MLB officials to establish a committee that would examine the manufacturing process. In December 2019, MLB officials said that

2795-443: The curveball adds additional downward force, thereby giving the ball an exaggerated drop in flight. There was once a debate on whether a curveball actually curves or is an optical illusion . In 1949, Ralph B. Lightfoot, an aeronautical engineer at Sikorsky Aircraft , used wind tunnel tests to prove that a curveball curves. On whether a curveball is caused by an illusion, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean has been quoted in

2860-630: The curveball. One was Fred Goldsmith. Goldsmith maintained that he gave a demonstration of the pitch on August 16, 1870, at the Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn , New York , and that renowned sportswriter Henry Chadwick had covered it in the Brooklyn Eagle on August 17, 1870. However, Stephen Katz, in his biography of Cummings, shows that Goldsmith's claim was not credible, and that Goldsmith's reference to an article by Chadwick in

2925-423: The direction of the flight path with forward-spin, with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the intended flight path, much like a reel mower or a bowling ball . The amount of break on the ball depends on how hard the pitcher can snap the throw off, or how much forward spin can be put on the ball. The harder the snap, the more the pitch will break. Curveballs primarily break downwards, but can also break toward

2990-416: The elbow. A slider's spin axis is almost parallel to the ball's flight path similar to a football or bullet, but tilted slightly upwards pointing to 12 o'clock. When a slider's spin axis points to 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock, then the pitch becomes a slurve. This slurve tends to happen when a pitcher uses too much force on the curveball and less finesse. This happens because the pitcher may lazily pronate slightly at

3055-428: The flight path of the ball; unlike on a 12–6 curve, however, the axis of rotation will not be parallel to the level ground. With some pitchers, the difference between curveball and other pitches such as slider and slurve may be difficult to detect or even describe. A less common term for this type of curveball is a 1–7 (outdrop, outcurve, dropping roundhouse) or 2–8 (sweeping roundhouse curveball). A curveball spinning on

3120-437: The game, softening and coming unraveled as the game went on. One of the more popular earlier ball designs was the "lemon peel ball," named after its distinct four lines of stitching design. Lemon peel balls were darker, smaller, and weighed less than other baseballs, prompting them to travel further and bounce higher, causing very high-scoring games. In the mid-1850s, teams in and around New York met in an attempt to standardize

3185-442: The game. Balls hit into the stands were retrieved by team employees in order to be put back in play, as is still done today in some 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. This would lower the offense during the games giving pitchers an advantage. However, after

3250-427: The home plate umpire, today baseballs are expected to be immediately replaced after even minor scratches, discoloration and undesirable texture that can occur during the game. Balls used for pre-game warm-ups are often given to fans. Because baseballs are almost always replaced after each half-inning it is increasingly customary for players to give balls used to end half-innings to fans in the front rows, either by handing

3315-465: The major collegiate level and above will average between 65 and 80 mph, with the average MLB curve at 77 mph. From a hitter's perspective, the curveball will start in one location (usually high or at the top of the strike zone) and then dive rapidly as it approaches the plate. The most effective curveballs will start breaking at the apex of the arc of the ball flight, and continue to break more and more rapidly as they approach and cross through

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3380-521: The nation's first baseball factory in Natick, Massachusetts , and was the first to popularize and mass-produce baseballs with the figure-8 design. In 1876, the National League (NL) was created, and standard rules and regulations were put in place. A.G. Spalding , a well-known baseball pitcher who made his own balls, convinced the NL to adopt his ball as the official baseball for the NL. It remained that way for

3445-454: The palm following the contour of the thumb. The index finger is placed alongside the middle finger, and the other two extraneous fingers are folded in towards the palm with the knuckle of the ring finger touching the leather. Occasionally some pitchers will flare out these two fingers straight and away from the ball to keep them clear of the throwing motion. The curveball and slider share nearly identical grips and throwing motion. The delivery of

3510-419: The park for momentous occasions (record setting, or for personal reasons) are often requested to be returned by the fan who catches or otherwise retrieves it, or donated freely by the fan. Usually, the player will give the fan an autographed bat and/or other autographed items in exchange for the special ball. Without proper preparation, an official professional-grade baseball is very dangerous to throw because it

3575-488: The pitcher is throwing the overhand curveball. Pitchers who can throw a curveball completely overhanded with the arm slot more or less vertical will have a curveball that will break straight downwards. This is called a 12–6 curveball as the break of the pitch is on a straight path downwards like the hands of a clock at 12 and 6. The axis of rotation of a 12–6 curve is parallel with the level ground and perpendicular to its flight path. Pitchers throwing their curveballs with

3640-428: The pitcher's off hand to varying degrees. Unlike the fastball, the apex of the ball's flight path arc does not necessarily need to occur at the pitcher's release point, and often peaks shortly afterwards. Curveballs are thrown with considerably less velocity than fastballs, because of both the unnatural delivery of the ball and the general rule that pitches thrown with less velocity will break more. A typical curveball in

3705-662: The postseason began with Game 1 of the 41st World Series on October 4 and ended with Game 6 on October 9. The Cardinals defeated the Browns, four games to two. The 12th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played on July 11, hosted by the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , with the National League winning, 7–1. The 1944 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in

3770-413: The release point instead of following through with complete supination at the end of the throw for the curve. At other times the slurve will happen due to the pitcher supinating a little too much at the release point when throwing a slider, which may be called a slurvy slider. A slurvy slider with the same velocity of a power slider (5–8 mph slower than a fastball) may impart a greater break. Generally

3835-469: The same pitcher's fastball. Due to the unnatural motion required to throw it, the curveball is considered a more advanced pitch and poses inherent risk of injury to a pitcher's elbow and shoulder. There has been a controversy, as reported in The New York Times , March 12, 2012, about whether curveballs alone are responsible for injuries in young pitchers or whether the number of pitches thrown

3900-482: The standard leather-covered ball used in ubiquitously in the sport; a rubber version used in Japan for children's baseball; and a softer yet "practice" ball mainly used indoors: Fans catching baseballs tied to MLB milestones has been a part of the game since fences became a part of it, increasingly being kept (and increasingly valuable) over time: Other famous baseballs: Curveball In baseball and softball ,

3965-482: The strike zone. A curveball that a pitcher fails to put enough spin on will not break much and is colloquially called a "hanging curve". Hanging curves are usually disastrous for a pitcher because the low velocity, non-breaking pitch arrives high in the zone where hitters can wait on it and drive it for power. The curveball is a popular and effective pitch in professional baseball, but it is not particularly widespread in leagues with players younger than college level. This

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4030-569: The top minor leagues (AAA) are made to the same specifications, but labelled separately. Balls used in the lower minor leagues (up to AA) use slightly different specifications intended to make those balls somewhat more durable, although MLB pitchers on rehab assignments in the minors are usually supplied with major league-grade balls. Generally, in Little League through college leagues, the seams are markedly higher than balls used in professional leagues. Baseballs cost three dollars each in 1900,

4095-488: Was among those opposed to the curve, claiming it was a dishonest practice unworthy of Harvard students. At an athletics conference at Yale University in 1884 a speaker (thought to be from Harvard, likely Charles Eliot Norton, a cousin of the Harvard president ) was reported to have stated: "For the pitcher, instead of delivering the ball to the batter in an honest, straightforward way, that the latter may exert his strength to

4160-406: Was published in 2010. Popular nicknames for the curveball include "the bender" and "the hook" (both describing the trajectory of the pitch), as well as "the yakker" and "Uncle Charlie". New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden threw a curve so deadly that it was nicknamed "Lord Charles" and the great hitter Bill Madlock called it "the yellow hammer”—apparently because it came down like a hammer and

4225-399: Was too yellow to get hit by a bat. Because catchers frequently use two fingers to signal for a curve, the pitch is also referred to as "the deuce" or "number two". Candy Cummings , a star pitcher in the 1860s and 1870s, is widely credited with inventing the curveball. In his biography of Cummings, Stephen Katz provides proof. Several other pitchers of Cummings' era claimed to have invented

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