New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-30
MAKING THE BASEBALL
Evolution of the Sphere That
Holds America EnthralIed.

Evolution of the Sphere That
Holds America EnthralIed.
In view OF the recent heavy hitting I'm the
professional baseball leagues. due TO the
adoption this year of the new cork-centre
ball IT will be interesting To take a peep
into the heart Of great Philadelphia fac
tory, where no less than six million base
balls are turned out each year. and follow
the processes involved in making this little
understood hut most necessary article o;
the American national game. outwardly
the Decent ball bears a close resemblance
to the dollar ball, but as every bov knows
there - a vast difference I'm the ".ife' and
durability OF the two spheres. the reason
for which Will be quite apparent when the
process Of manufacture is known.
The centre Of the cheap ball IS made or
ground-up carpet rags. closely pressed into
a core by machinery over this core string
is wound-a very little string compared TO
the quantity used IN winding o.c OF the
professional league balls-and then the UNI
finished article is sent TO the room where
the women sewers put the cover on, the
seam being drawn together by hand. 1t
, takes one Of the sewers about eight or nine
minutes TO finish a seam. The ball Is
placed in a small wooden wise and the sew
ing is done with long needles.
But the league ball is very different
product In the first place the construction
Of this ball has been undergoing an evolu-
ton for years At the present time there
is much complaint from some who would
have few runs and a quick game, on ac-
count OF the way in which the batters are
hitting this new cork-centre ball. the
complaint is heard that the ball il too fast
and that runs are too frequent. Tie eXpia-
nation OF the experts IS that eail hit on
the ground with the new ball is no faster
than with the old one. but that a ball hit In
the air goes further, thus accounting Tor
the great number OF extra base HRS MADE
in recent years.
Some years ago the balls we're mace with
rubber centres Then, in response to de-
mand for more runs, to make the game In
teresting TO the spectators, the experiment
was tried OF making a ball with a smaii
piece OF cork I'm the centre. in the heart
of the rubber core. This produced a little
Of the desired effect, and every year from
that time the relative sizes OF the rubber
and the cork In the centre of the spheres
have been changed. until the present fast
bail was evolved. Some think IL is entirely
too fast. the greater number of runs made
with il lengthcning the games 80 that spec
tators complain of the lateness Of the hour
at which the games are finished.
The winding Of the ball is done by ma
chinery. In the old days when baseball
first began 10 claim widespread attention
I'm this country. the balls were wound ~
hand, and a sklful and fast workman
could wind perhaps eighteen balls I'm day.
Now a single machine VIII wild ''verdl
hundred balls IN an hour, and the balls
made to-day are vastly superior to the
clumsy spheres made in the early days Of
the game.
The man attending one OF the winding
machines first places In position one OF the
rubber and cork cores, weighing Just one
ounce. Then he starts his machine, and
the core is quickly hidden in he winding
twinc. When the machine is stopped the
core IS covered by two ounces of gray
woollen Irvine. The sphere, which now
weighs three ounces, is then sent TO an
other man, who adds TO It one ounce OF
white Irvine Then the final winding IL
done with gray twine. The ball by this
time is exceedingly hard and compact.
II is now ready for the cover None OF
the high priced balls are intrusted TO the
women. All sewing on these oalls is done
by men Prior TO the cover being sewn
on the balls are carefully weighed, and
when the covers are stitched In place the
balls are transferred TO the labelling room,
where they are packed in t!ltoil and
slowed I'm pasteboard boxes ready for ship
IIent.
A visitor to one Of these factories will be
likely TO think that the work Is not taken
very seriously, for in the - adjacent ne
will find some of the workmen-boys and
mcn-apparently engaged in a game Of ball
during working hours This is actually part
Of the days work, for the balls are tried
out BY being turned over TO some of the
employees and taken out TO be practised on.
\ baseball is a delicate piece of workman
shin. The least thing affects its useful
ness. and whenever slight change is made
ON the constructiol or some Improvement
is contemplated, the ball must be trlen
by those who are competent TO :idge from
the touch Of the bat to a pitched ball just
how il is going 10 respond when hit. As
there is no better way of testing than by
actually playing with the ball, the final
Judgment on a new product Is lrft to the
men who are sent out To play ball during
working hours with "A view TO trying out
the new sphere. Popular Mechanics