If you watch a baseball game, you will see so many stitches on the ball, so how many stitches on a baseball are there?
This article will answer all the queries related to the number of stitches on the ball in a baseball game. Reading until the end is highly recommended to explore more enticing information regarding the ball in a baseball game.
Table of Contents
HOW MANY STITCHES ON A BASEBALL: NUMBER AND COLOR OF STITCHES
In the major baseball leagues, the ball has double stitches, and the total number accounts for 108, where the first and last stitches are hidden in the ball. With that figure, the total number of stitches becomes 216. Moreover, the waxy red thread is used for these stitches. Currently, all the MLB balls have red stitches. Now the question comes, why are these stitches red?
Red stitches help the hitter understand the ball’s spin; however, if we look into history, there were other colors used for stitches. In early 1900, MLB baseball used to have red and black laces in the national league, whereas the American league had blue and red laces. Finally, in 1934, balls with only red stitches were decided.
As we learned how many stitches on a baseball, the more exciting thing is that these stitches are called “Virgules”, and all the balls used in baseball are hand sewn. Furthermore, the official baseball manufacturer for MLB is Rawlings Sporting Goods, based in Costa Rica. Rawlings Sporting Goods the rights for manufacturing baseballs for professional leagues. In addition, different materials come from other places, but their assembly and stitches take place in Costa Rica.
PURPOSE OF HAVING STITCHES ON THE BALL
Baseball stitches serve multiple purposes. Knowing the number of how many stitches on a baseball makes it time to understand their objectives. A pitcher can shoot different pitches and give tough times to hitters. Moreover, these stitches help grab the ball more conveniently and change its trajectory. Punch pitches can throw include curveballs, splitters, sinkers, and sliders.
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WHAT PARTS MAKE A BASEBALL
Learning how many stitches on a baseball is quite interesting, but the more enticing fact is knowing about the parts used in manufacturing a baseball. So basically, baseballs are made up of three main parts: the core, the midsection, and the exterior. The core is usually made of cork, rubber, or synthetic material. The midsection is composed of either polyester or cotton batting. Finally, the ball’s exterior is given final-touch witch with red stitches using waxy red threads.
The process of stitches is performed through hands to ensure precision because machines are unable to compete with hands when it comes to baseball stitches. When the stitches are finished, these baseballs are sent to the rolling machine, removing all the ball’s irregularities.
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HOW MANY STITCHES ON A BASEBALL AND ITS WEIGHT
The total weight of manufactured professional baseball is between 5 to 5.25 ounces, whereas the weight of a ball used for other baseball games can range from 4 to 5 ounces. If we compare the weight of the ball in a professional baseball game and cricket, we know that baseball is slightly lighter than a cricket ball which is 5.75 ounces.
At the beginning of the 19th-century, balls were made of different sizes, shapes, materials and weights. One most common ball at that time was the lemon peel ball; it was called this name due to its rough and bumpy appearance and different sizes; however, in 1876, a rule was made that made it mandatory to use the balls of the same size for all the baseball players.
Before Rawlings Sporting Goods, A.G. Spalding was responsible for manufacturing baseballs for MLB.
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HOW FREQUENTLY ARE BASEBALLS CHANGED?
Baseballs are changed regularly to keep them in playable condition. According to stats, on average, every baseball is used for only two matches, meaning that hundreds of balls are used each day in baseball. This is done so that the game can be played at its highest level and pitchers and hitters have an equal chance of success.
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CONCLUSION
In this article, we learned about how many stitches on a baseball, the colour of the baseball, who makes baseballs and what are these balls made of. Moreover, we learned about some interesting facts, such as Virgules and the weight of the ball. We also learned about the purposes of these stitches on the ball and how frequently those balls are changed.
I hope you learned something new.
Thank you for reading!
Happens even more cheerfully 🙂