Baseballs / Softballs

Baseball History

Back in the day, baseballs came in different sizes and shapes. The ball was made with a rubber core wrapped in leather yarn. Around the mid-1800s, pitchers began to make their own baseballs, and one of them convinced the National League to adopt this as the official ball. This design remained the official baseball for nearly a century. In the early 1900s, the cork-ball was introduced. The rubber core was removed, and the new balls were hit faster than the rubber-core balls. Eventually, this type of ball was discontinued, and baseballs began to be manufactured by machine. Players and fans believed that the new ball helped batters hit further.

Milton Reach invented and patented his cushion-cork center in the early 1900s. By the mid-1900s, both the National League and the American League agreed to use a baseball with a cushion-cork center, standardizing the baseball. The ball consisted of a cushion-cork center, two layers of yarn, a special rubber cement coating, two more yarn wrappings, and a horsehide cover. In 1974, they switched from horsehide to cowhide for the cover, but the ball has otherwise undergone only minor changes since then.

Softball History

The first game of softball was played in 1887. They used a rolled-up boxing glove as the ball and a stick to hit it. The ball was soft because it was made from a boxing glove. This is why no catching gloves were used at that time.

Today, they use a ball with a 12-inch circumference.

Usage

A softball and a baseball are both used by pitchers in a game. The pitcher is the person who throws the ball to the catcher, who catches it, while the batter stands in front of the catcher with the goal of hitting the ball. If the batter hits the ball well and it flies far, it is called a "fly ball." There are five main types of pitches a pitcher can throw:

• Fastball

• Changeup

• Slider

• Curveball

• Knuckleball

  
  

All baseballs used in Major League Baseball are made from the same materials: a rubber-coated cork core surrounded by three layers of wool yarn and a winding of cotton or polyester yarn. This core is coated in latex adhesive or rubber cement, and then covered with cowhide. The stitching is done with red cotton thread to form 216 raised cotton stitches. There are also balls designed to float on water, made with a polyurethane cover. Additionally, we sell plastic wiffle balls and balls with different seam types. The two most common seam types are:

1. Rolled Seams – Used by Major League Baseball due to their less distinct elevation.

2. Flat Seams – Rarely used in games because they are difficult to grip.

   
   

Youth baseballs and softballs are smaller than adult versions. Youth baseballs typically measure 8 or 8.5 inches in circumference, while adult baseballs have a regular size of 9 inches. Youth softballs are often 10 or 11 inches, whereas adult softballs are typically 12 inches.

Training Baseballs / Training Softballs

We sell balls that help you improve your throw! These training balls can help you:

• Improve your throwing speed (weighted balls)

• Teach you different types of throws (perfect pitch)

• Measure how hard you’ve thrown the ball (bullet ball)