Evolution
of the Ball
Condensed from the Rawlings Trade Digest
The wide tolerance in the size of baseballs prior to 1872 is best illustrated by a comparison with specifications after that date. The thin black line represents tolerances as set in 1872. The red area shows latitude in size permitted prior to 1872.
The rulemakers recently made the strike zone larger in an effort to aid the pitchers who are confronted with the task of earning a living in the day of the so-called "live" ball.
Actually the terms "live" and "dead" have been applied to baseballs for more than 100 years. The stir that arose in 1961 when Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and others were hitting home runs at a record clip was just one in a series of many "dead or alive" controversies that have occurred over the years.
The baseball has undergone very little change since the early days of the game, at least in the specifications prescribed in the rules. Basketballs, footballs, helmets, shoulder pads, baseball gloves and mitts and uniforms for all sports have undergone numerous changes in size, shape and appearance, but for nearly 100 years—since 1872—the baseball has weighed five ounces and measured nine inches in circumference.
There have been changes in the materials used in making baseballs, and there has been a marked improvement in the consistency of the final product. The yarns used, for example, are stored under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, and are wound under constant tension, thus eliminating soft spots and assuring uniformity.
