Baseball Rubbing Mud: Difference between revisions

Before all [[MLB]] and [[MiLB]] games, an umpire or clubhouse attendant rubs six dozen or more balls with the mud to give them a rougher surface, to make them easier for pitchers to grip, and to comply with MLB Rule 4.01(c), which states that all baseballs shall be "properly rubbed so that the gloss is removed." The rubbing mud's unique feature is that it is "very fine, like thick chocolate pudding",<ref name=florida /> and it has been considered the "perfect baseball-rubbing mud".<ref name=florida>{{cite web |accessdate=2009-10-06 |url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/070406/sps_3737799.shtml |title=All-American mud needed to take shine off baseballs |work=The Florida Times-Union |date=2006-07-04 |author=Schneider, Jason }}</ref> A study in 2024 found that the mud contains an ideal mixture of clay and water, coating the ball with an adhesive residue, while the suspended sand grains enhance friction and therefore the pitcher's grip.<ref>{{Cite web| last = Ouellette| first = Jennifer| title = What makes baseball’s “magic mud” so special?| work = Ars Technica| access-date = 2024-11-07| date = 2024-11-07| url = https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/what-makes-baseballs-magic-mud-so-special/}}</ref>