Evening star., 1934-01-06
BIG LEAGUES AGREE
ON LNEL|ER BALL.
Sphere Used in American
Last Year Is Accepted
by National.
standard ball for the two
major leagues for 1884 will
i follow the specifications
%L4

TIME standard ball for the two
major leagues for 1884 will
i follow the specifications
used by the American
League last season. The National
League has accepted the speedier
American League ball in toto.
Presidents John A. Heydler and Will
liam Harridge of the two major cir
cults; Thomas s. Shibe, part owner OF
the Athletics, and Julian w. Curtiss.
heads Of the two companies that manu-
facture the balls, met in conference in
Philadelphia yesterday and carried out
the Standardization mandate passed re-
Gently at the joint meetings In Chicago.
Announcement of the agreement to
adopt the American Leagues ball as
the new standard was announced from
National League headquarters through
the Associated Press.
Not Jackrabbit Ball.
EASTER though this new ball will
be. it still is far slower than the
jackrabbit pellet the two leagues
used few years ago and to which
in theory the American Lague still
clings. After $780, when Hack Wilson
popped 56 home runs into the stands
and even tiny Rabbit Maranville and
Hughie Critz chased outfielders out OF
sight, the National League called time
and started removing the lightning
from within the horsehide cover.
While the American League manufsc-
turer. Tom Shibe, continued 10 build
sphere to suit slusgers Of the Babe
Ruth, Jimmy Foxx and Al Simmons
but still fast, the National League
thickened its cover. loosened the wind
ing and added slightly to the stitching
so that pitchers got better grip.
Result Of Compromise.
"HE new standard ball. therefore, Is
actually a sort of medium between
the jackrabbit Of the American
League at its fastest and the reaction
ball of the National League at its
slowest.
The specifications. eight in number
and made public over the signatures Of
the two league presidents and the
manufacturers after the conference,
are highly technical and indicate that
there is much more to the making Of
a base ball than any but those engaged
in the trade suspected.
Inc Dali Will nave CuSlliOIl COlh
center weighing seven-eighths OF an
ounce, the cushion being provided by
one layer of black rubber and another
of red, the reason for which was not
made known.
Then comes II yards of blue-gray
wooden yarn, building the ball to a cir
cumference Of 734 inches and the
weight of GA ounces. Next, Al yards
Of white woolen yarn are wrapped on
and the circumference has become 81.
! inches, the weight 37s ounces. A coat
! Of special rubber cement is applied.
Another Coat OF Cement.
1.-TWO more wrappings of yarn. the
first Al yards of bMe-gray woolen,
the second a final 100 yards Of
20/2 ply fine cotton, provide circum-
| ference of S7s inches and weight Of
Asa ounces. to which another coat of
/ rubber cement is applied.
The cover is special alum tanned
horsehide. weighing y ounce and 5/1o0
/ Of an inch thick, and sewn with a
double stitch of four-strand red thread.
( The finished ball is to GA inches in
! circumference and should weigh 5 to
| 51a ounces.
These specifications, incidentally, are
the first ever made public by the man
ufacturers. who in the past have jeal-
ously guarded such details.