Posted on 12/30/2019 4:41:48 PM PST by ameribbean expat
Mud is a family business; it has been for more than half a century. For decades, baseball’s official rule book has required that every ball be rubbed before being used in a game. Bintliff’s mud is the only substance allowed. Originally marketed as “magic,” it’s just a little thicker than chocolate pudding—a tiny dab is enough to remove the factory gloss from a new ball without mucking up the seams or getting the cover too filthy. Equipment managers rub it on before every game, allowing pitchers to get a dependable grip. The mud is found only along a short stretch of that tributary of the Delaware, with the precise location kept secret from everyone, including MLB.
(Excerpt) Read more at si.com ...
I saw a TV story about this maybe 30 years ago. They showed everything but if I remember the secret location was on the Mississippi.
Bump
I saw a more recent TV story on it.
The guy earns his money. Tramping in the mud flats and all.
Cool story. I didn’t know they used mud.
The mud left over is sold to Democrats who have an inexhaustible supply.
This story is so weird to me from start to finish.
Hard to believe no one spied on him to try to figure out the location. Hard to believe no one else figured out how to do this.
But hey, rock on for genius and marketing.
I’ve known about this since I played little league in the 70’s. My teammates and I thought it was BS because we live very close to, and have been fishing at, the area where the mud is harvested. We thought it sounded too far-fetched because we live in such a out-of-the-way area. When it was proven to be true, we thought it was the coolest thing ever! That is, until Mike Trout arrived on the scene.
The “secret” location is on the Rancocas River near where it meets the Delaware River.
The “secret” location is on the Rancocas River near where it meets the Delaware River.
Burlington co, NJ
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