Baseball Q: New baseballs - prep?

Factual Questions
1

My brother-in-law is a semi-pro ump in a family with a history in semi-pro umpping. He says every pro (NBL) baseball is dipped in Mississippi mud before use. Is this true, and if so, why is this done, and why Mississippi mud?

He claims this is also true for the MBL minors. And, he’s heard of it being done by some college teams, too! Is this some ancient tradition? Do baseballs come from Mississippi (like bats are to Louisville, KY), and it is like the commissioning ritual of a ship…or a baptising, fo some sort? (Oops, I almost typed “batising” - lol!)

Certainly SDope’s baseball fans must have heard of this.
Tell us what’s so, Joe!

  • Jinx
2

Not true - it’s Delaware River mud, used to take off the gloss of the game balls, which come from Costa Rica.

3

I first heard about it in a book, either *Men at Work * by **George Will ** or one of **Tom Bosleys’ ** He is a longtime sportswriter for a Washington paper. Both highly recommended to any baseball fan.

4

And of course, the Delaware River Mud comes from New Jersey.

5

You can buy bottles of it at better sporting goods stores.

6

I’ve seen other sources pin it down further to the mouth of Rancocas Creek, FWIW.

7

Bad link, try Delaware River mud

8

DE vs MS? Yeah, like they wouldn’t just use any local mud… :rolleyes:
I see this being the next scandal in baseball! :wink:

  • Jinx