Betchya Didn’t Know THIS About Baseball!

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I’ve been saving up some interesting baseball facts & trivia. I figure if it’s news to me, then it’s probably news to someone else too — baseball fan or not!

Here’s a sampler:

• MLB players & their jewelry

 

• The process of mudding down the balls

 

• The life of a Major League baseball

 

• Major League Baseball facts & figures

 

• Fun baseball stuff

 

Fashionable? Healthy? Or Superstitious?

Who knew Major League Baseball players were so trendy?!…

About 200 major league baseball players wear $23 titanium necklaces made by a Japanese company, Phiten, according to a June New York Times report, with many accepting the company’s claim that they improve circulation and reduce muscle stress.

Said a company spokesman: “Everybody has electricity running through their bodies. This product stabilizes that flow of electricity if you’re stressed out or tired.”

Said New York Mets pitcher, Heath Bell (who has two necklaces): “If you think it works, it’s going to work. If you don’t think it works, it’s not going to work. But I’m going to keep wearing it, because next year, there will be something new we’ll all have to get.” Source

 

Mudding Down The Balls

Major League Rule 301c says before every game, umpires must rub down 6 dozen balls to get the slick shine off of them. And we’re not just talking ANY mud! It seems the “best” mud comes from New Jersey.

…Who knew?

Here’s where the mud comes from, and a bit about the history, and the ritual of rubbing down Major League baseballs.

According to the sole supplier of this mud:

In Major League Baseball, the club house attendents or umpires rub at least 5 dozen balls before each game. And the mud comes from a part of Burlington County, New Jersey. The exact location is still keep secret. I know this because I am the sole supplier of the Mud used for Major League Baseball. Check out our website at www.baseballrubbingmud.com.” Source

 

The Life Of A Baseball

Did you know that the average baseball only lasts about 8 days?… and that it can only be used once in a Major League Baseball game?

How do 30 major league baseball teams manage to chew through the more than 900,000 5-ounce spheroids each season? At a negotiated price of $72 a dozen, including taxes and shipping, the major league tab for baseballs comes to at least $5.5 million a year.

A ball lasts about eight days in the majors. It is used only once in a game. Then it is relegated to batting practice, where it’s used once or maybe twice, if it’s not too beat up. From there it goes to the indoor batting cages under the stands for four or five days, and then Wilson ships it to one of the Pirates’ minor league franchises, which will use it for practice until it’s worn out.”
Source

 

Baseball Facts & Figures

Fast Facts About Baseball — all about the players, the coaches, the records, and more!

Collegiate Pros — college baseball players who made it to a Major League baseball team.

World Record Holders — 6 pages of fun facts about baseball, including “world records” in Major League Baseball.

Famous Firsts — including the First Major League season for EVERY player in history!

Hall of Famers — everything you’d want to know about baseball hall of famers.

MLB Directory — one of the best Major League Baseball directories around, featuring all stats for all teams.

 

More Fun Things About Baseball

• Dan St. Paul’s Rendition of “The First Baseball Game”
• A Fun Baseball Prank
• Best Tips For Snagging A Major League baseball
• Mr. Overzealous Foul Ball Catcher
• Mr. Ceremonial First Pitch Thrower Outer
• Baseball Games & Puzzles
• Fun, Fun, Fun At A Nashville Sounds Baseball Game
• Our Tradition of Attending Spring Training Games

 
Listen to Bud Light’s Real Men of Genius “Mr. Baseball Encyclopedia Guy”: