You wanna know what is a baseball made out of? Well, I tell ya, it ain’t just somethin’ simple. That little ball, it’s got more layers than my Sunday best!
First off, you gotta know, they ain’t like they used to be. Used to be, they made ’em outta horsehide, I hear. Now? It’s all cowhide, the leather outside. Cows, horses, what’s the difference, right? It’s all skin to cover that ball up. They stitch it up real good, so it don’t fall apart when them fellas whack it with the bat.
Inside, that’s where it gets interestin’. They got this little cork thing in the middle, like a little heart. They call it a “pill,” fancy name, right? Ain’t nothin’ but a bit of cork. They say it has to be just right, not too heavy, not too light. It’s like Goldilocks and her porridge, gotta be just so.
Then, they wrap that cork up like a baby in a blanket. Only, it ain’t no blanket, it’s rubber. Two layers, they say. Keeps the cork all snug and safe, I reckon. It makes it bounce better. Like a little child jumping on a bed. And the rubber makes it all bouncy-like, so when it gets hit, it goes flying!
Then they wrap it even more with some wool stuff, like them sheep out in the field. Wool to keep you warm in the winter, right? Well, it keeps the baseball warm too, I guess. Lots and lots of this wool, they wind it around and around, like I’m knittin’ a scarf for my grandson. They say there’s hundreds of yards of this stuff! Can you believe it? That’s a long piece of string! Then they add some other string, but it’s made of cotton. They call it poly-cotton. Fancy!
- First, a cork center, like a little heart.
- Then, two layers of rubber, like a hug.
- Then, lots and lots of wool, like a sheep’s coat.
- Then they have the string, which is made of cotton.
- Finally, cowhide, stitched up tight.
They make these baseballs in a place called Costa Rica. You heard of it? It’s far away. They make so many of these balls. A whole bunch! And they are used by the ROMLB. I don’t know what it is, but it must be important. 80,000, that’s a big number, like counting all the stars in the sky!
Back in the old days, these baseballs weren’t all the same. Some were big, some were small, some were heavy, some were light. Like a bunch of mismatched socks! But now, they all gotta be the same, so it’s fair for everyone. You know, like cuttin’ a pie, everyone gets the same size piece.
And you know what? This whole baseball thing, it came from some old game. They called it “rounders.” Played it way back when, across the ocean. Then it came over here, and they changed it up, made it into baseball. Now they play it with nine guys on each team, plus a batter. The pitcher throws the ball, and the batter tries to hit it. If he misses it three times, he’s out. If he hits it, he runs around the bases. And there are also runs, hits, and errors. I don’t know much about that. They just yell a lot.
So, there you have it. That’s what a baseball’s made of. A whole lot of stuff wrapped up tight. Cork, rubber, wool, and cowhide. All to make that little ball fly through the air. It’s a wonder, ain’t it? Just like life, I suppose. Lots of layers, all wrapped up together.
Next time you see a baseball game, you think about all that stuff inside that little ball. And remember, it ain’t just a ball, it’s a whole lot of work and a whole lot of history, all stitched up together. This is what I know about what is a baseball made out of. It’s not as easy as it looks!
