Major League Baseball may have a fix for baseball’s sticky situation: The Ball Mudder machine.
The following written content by Bob Nightengale
Major League Baseball is not only severely cracking down on the use of banned foreign substances, but also is now trying to guarantee there’s consistency in the texture of baseballs.
MLB informed teams last week that the window to apply mud to baseballs has been reduced from five days to just two days before games, and no later than 24 hours before the first pitch. The hope is that this will reduce the variations of the feel and appearance of baseballs used in games.
The individuals who apply the mud, which started in Monday’s games, also no longer are required to use gloves, which was mandated during the 2020 season and the first 2½ months of this year because of COVID-19.
Yet, with the responsibility belonging to clubhouse attendants, some baseballs are darker, some are lighter, and hitters and pitchers alike can have a powerful influence on how those baseball are prepared.
If you’re a pitcher, you want your clubhouse attendants to make sure you get the light baseballs in the daytime, and the dark ones at night, making it as difficult as possible for hitters to see.
If you’re a hitter, slap as much mud as possible during the day, and light at night, making the ball crystal clear coming out of the pitcher’s hands.
You see pitchers often toss aside baseballs before throwing a pitch in hopes of getting a baseball to their liking.
The gamesmanship has been going on for years, and now that Major League Baseball is making sure the sticky stuff is removed from the game, guess where the players will be turning next to gain the most competitive advantage.
According to the folks of Ball Mudder, this is where they step in and can be of valuable assistance.
Phil Small, a high-end custom framer in Arlington, Texas, along with engineer Fred Bellio, have developed a machine that applies mud, or any substance MLB wants, to baseballs in a consistent and uniform manner. Small signed a non-disclosure agreement with MLB on Sept. 9, 2020, and the two parties are working on a prototype that can be used to create a consistent substance on every baseball.
As it is, clubhouse attendants rub mud that comes from the Delaware River on baseballs to remove the glossy and slick finish when taken straight from the box. Read more from USA Today Sports.
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