Baseball question for Cyrus

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

When do you throw out a new ball?

 

and do they use Delaware River mud?

[Alpo]

To quote Marshal Mo Hare, "That's two questions".

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437]

Remember I umpire at the high school level, so it's vastly different than what you see on TV with the MLB.  Those guys replace a baseball every time it hits a bat or the ground, or if the prima dona pitcher just doesn't like that one. 

 

At the high school level, we will start with at least two new "pearls" (brand new, white baseballs) and one gently used ball.  After the game gets going, I lose track, but baseballs being added due to fouls going out of the field of play, etc. are generally gently used.  Occasionally a coach doesn't have one that is gently used -- all he has left are batting practice balls -- so he has to dip into his stash of pearls and put it into the game.  If they are too banged up or obviously scuffed, I send them out.  If they are not, keep playing with them.  Schools don't have the MLB budget and HS pitchers can't do anything with a mild abrasion from being fouled off anyway. 

 

The mud you're asking about is from New Jersey.  Lena Blackburn is the brand selling it, but unfortunately their supply has been dried up since COVID (MLB is still getting it, but I can't find it anywhere).  According to the high school rule book, *only* an umpire can rub down a baseball.  I know one guy who spits on the ball and then uses dirt from the field.  I would think in current times people would have a conniption fit over that, since everyone else is going to be handling that baseball.  Right now I'm just using field dirt with no spit.

 

Here in Colorado, at least half of the fields are astroturf because the soil here is such garbage no one can keep a groomed field.  Just walking on grass once or twice kills it -- this is the opposite of Iowa, where I grew up, and where we thought you were an idiot if you watered your lawn because you would have to mow it four times a week.  Anyway, on astroturf fields, there is no dirt for me to rub down the baseballs, and, as I said, I can't get any Lena Blackburn.  So I'm just taking the glaze off with my hands.