The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1913-09-04
BASEBALL MAKING
Materials and Methods Used In
Building Up the Spheres.
ONLY ONE PROCESS BY HAND.
That Is Sewing on the Covers, Task
to Which Machines Are Not Equal.
The Yarns Are Wound by MachinerJ

There are few fans who realize just
how much work is required in the
making of regulation sized baseball.
The centers of baseballs are made of
pure Para rubber in most cases. but
the cork center ball, which has been
patented. is an exception. The idea Of
the center piece of rubber. of course. is
to give the ball resiliency. If a base
ball was made without this center piece
it would be "dead'-that is, it would
not have the desired bounding quail
ties, the life" The centerpieces are
generally made to order for the base
ball factories. The next process in the
making of a ball is the winding on of
pure wooden yarn. There was time
when the yarn was wound around the
Para by hand, but soon it became nec-
essary to get a machine which would
do the work of man. 1t was found in
1.-the times when the yarn was wound
by hand that the man coming to work
at o'clock in the morning was putting
out better balls than he was in the aft
ernoon around 8 o'clock. Winding by
the late afternoon the men began to
get tired, and consequently the yarn
was not wound around the ball tight
enough. Many balls were returned to
the factory because they did not pos
sess the resilient powers.
Realizing that this personal defect
was something which had to be over
fn ba ruit dir,r
pose was worked upon and perfected.
Now all baseballs are wound by me-
chanical power and much better work
than man did or can do is accom-.
piished. The yarn is wound around
the Para under heavy tension. almost
to the breaking point. Consequently
when enough has been put on the ball
is very strong and almost solid. due to
the tight tension used In the days of
hand making many balls were soggy
and soft because uniform tension
could not be kept by the person wind
ing There are three layers of woolen
yarn over the para. For about an inch
in thickness three ply yarn of blue
color is used. and over this is wound
thin layer of white two ply yarn. The
blue yarn is again brought into use.
but is only of one ply.
Naturally 1t develops that something
to cover the wool yarn must be used in
order to keep it from unwiuding. The
ball must be solid. so that when it
comes in contact with a bat the
threads will not break or move out of
place. 1t has been found that camers
hair stretched yarn is the best for GOV.
ering the ball after the wool has been
put on and the ball is the size desired.
/ This hair is put on wet. and when 1t
dries contraction takes place. max
ing the ball more firm and at the same
of the camers hair is used just
enough to warrant the wool yarn keep
ing in position. After the drying proc
ess is over very fine layer of spe-
cially made cement is applied by
means of dipping the ball into the
nuid. Then the ball is ready to cover.
Most balls are covered with alum tan
horsehide. the best material. it is claim
ed, which has been found to be of good
use for the hammering which base
ball gets. This is cut into its proper
shape by means of pin dies, which also
punch small holes around the edge Of
the hide to be used In the sewing. The
ball is sent to the men doing the sew
ing, which is now and always has been
done by hand. Machines have been
tried. but not one of them has proved
equal to the task. The men who sew
on the covers must be experienced and
very capable in their work. This sew
ing process must be done with great
accuracy. The work appears to be
dresome and rather tedious, and SO it
is. man working at his fastest can
do only two to three dozen day.
With the covers sewed on the finish
ing up processes come next. Natural
ly Just after the sewing has been COM
pleted the seams are rather rough. A
good baseball. If one will notice. is
smooth over the entire surface. includ-
ing the seams. A pitcher, If he had to
use ball with rough seams, would not
be able to do his best work, as bulge
In the ball would be trying to him.
| The roughness would make the fingers
sore from the continual rubbing.
Therefore to do away with this the ball
Is put in rolling machine, which
presses out the rough seam and makes
the ball smooth all over. This done.
the trademark is stamped on. together
with the guarantee. size and weight Of
the ball. The balls are then taken to
! the packing room, where they are
wrapped in tissue paper and still fur
/ ther wrapped in tin foil. They are then
sealed in Rasteboard boxes and are
ready for shipment.
There are surprising numbers of
! baseballs used in this country and In
bther countries to some extent but out
of every 100 dozen 1t is claimed that
but one ball comes back for being In
bad condition Springfield Republican.