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The article discusses the differences in size and weight of the 43 baseballs from the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season that were tested, and it mentions how lighter baseballs often travel greater distances when hit with a bat. The composition of a baseball is assessed, along with the inner and middle yarn layers and aerodynamics. A possible conspiracy involving MLB and the Rawlings Sporting Goods firm is examined.

The article discusses the start of Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred's second five-year term in 2020 in relation to his views about various topics including sign-stealing scandals involving the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox teams, declining attendance at MLB games, and concerns about the baseball consumption habits of young consumers. Humidity's impact on a baseball is assessed, along with minor league baseball and gambling on baseball.

The article offers information on the mud of the Bintliff used by baseball team. Topics discussed include selection of good mud followed by various process to convert the mud into a consistency of cold cream; business revenue earned by Bintliff for the mud business; and existential threat faced by Bintliff's business due to the approach of Major League Baseball Organization to Rawlings fro the development of baseball with improved grip.

The article examines the dangers posed to players and baseball fans by thrown or batted balls during a game. Since 1887, there have been almost 200 deaths to major league, minor league or amateur players who were hit by baseballs, the most notable being the 1920 death of Cleveland Indians player Ray Chapman. A significant number of major leaguers have been seriously injured by balls in play.

Offers news briefs on baseball as of May 24, 1999. Role of 40-year-old Oakland Athletics player Tony Phillips on the team; Nomination of New York Yankees player Paul O'Neill as the biggest whiner in the game of baseball; Effects of the practice of scuffing the baseball; Others. INSETS: The Standings (Rank of teams by percentage of wins from saves);In the Box (St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers);The Hot Corner.

This section offers sports-related news briefs. Spalding noted that the tests on cowhide baseballs have been successful. The third-grade class of Dorothy B. Holzwarth at Highland Park School proposed to make the firefly the state's insect. According to the Off-Track betting Corp. in New York City, a total of 4,412,000 U.S. dollars worth of winning tickets went uncashed in 1973.

The article discusses the changes to the Rule 8.02(a) made in Mexico City, Mexico by the Rules Committee for baseball. It states that in tampering with a ball to alter its behavior, it is common for pitchers to first polish it, then spit on one side, allowing them to affect its trajectory. According to the Rules Committee, however, starting April 1968, umpires who observe pitchers doing so should first give them a warning, if noted. It says that a pitcher caught doing so again must be disqualified from playing out the rest of the game.

This section offers information, quotes, and commentaries concerning sports and other topics. Using colored baseballs and sunglasses and covering the dome with a tarpaulin or painting are some of the measures proposed to see the fly balls when daylight streams through the domed stadium of the Houston Astros baseball team in Texas. Professional golfer Jimmy Demaret assessed the game of Bob Hope after an exhibition. The features of the scamp and its appeal to food lovers in Florida are also noted.

The article reports on the sewing of Spalding Sporting Goods Company's baseballs in Precision Manufacturing Co. plant in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Spalding says that baseballs are manufactured in its plant in Chicopee, Massachusetts but are sewn together in Haiti due to economic reasons. A description of the visit of American sporting goods businessmen to Haiti's baseball sewing plants is mentioned.

The article offers news briefs on sports in June 1973. In the American League of major league baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox are questioning the use of different baseballs made by Spalding-Reach. In college football, University of Arkansas coach Frank Broyles presented a plan to spread the talent more equally among the teams. Citizen Gerald Bishop was arrested for shooting his television set as he was angered by the outcome of the baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros.

The article discusses several facts related to creation of balls used in baseball games, its journey and lifespan. It mentions that the leather used to make cover of the ball is obtained from Holstein cows and yarn used inside the ball is acquired from wool of New Zealand sheep. It also discusses that the hides are sent to the Tennessee Tanning Company, where they are treated with chemicals to make them bright white and are then dried and shaved to required thickness.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "In Defense of the Sweet Science," by J. P. Heinz in the August 16, 1971 issue, "Grim Struggle With an Equine Killer" in the August 16, 1971 issue, and "They Said It" in the August 9, 1971 issue.

The article discusses fan safety protective netting at Major League Baseball (MLB) games in relation to the injuries that fans such as Jonathan Keane suffered as a result of being struck by baseballs at MLB stadiums, and it mentions how a two-year-old girl was hit by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium in 2017. According to the article, Keane was four yeas old when he was injured by a baseball at Fenway Park. MLB's failure to mandate safety netting at all stadiums is examined.

The article discusses the relationships between human qualities such as honesty and bravery and various types of sports-related balls such as golf balls, baseballs, and footballs as of 2017, and it mentions the designs of balls for sports such as tennis and soccer. Autographed baseballs are addressed, along with admiration for a golf ball that was used when a golfer recorded a hole-in-one shot. Rubber toy footballs for infants are examined, along with human-dog relationships.

Focuses on the possible correlation between rising temperatures in the United States and the increase in the frequency of home runs in Major League Baseball. Average rise in the temperature over 25 years, and the increased percentage of home runs hit; Behavior of flying objects in air that is less dense; Comparison of warm and cold summers and the number of home runs hit; Comments of Yale University physics professor Robert Adair on the amount of effect that temperature can have on home runs.

Letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in the June 29, 2015 issue which address golfer Jordan Spieth and baseball collector Zack Hample, and it provides a correction to a "Where Are They Now" story on former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the July 6-13, 2015 issue.

The article discusses a humorous baseball-related ransom note which was developed by several relief pitchers and staff members on the Cleveland Indians baseball team following outfielder Brandon Moss' 100th career home run which landed in the visitors' bullpen at the Kansas City Royals team's Kauffman Stadium on June 2, 2015. Computer company Apple Inc.'s iPhone smartphone and iPad tablet computer are mentioned, along with a ransom note from 1998 regarding baseball player Alex Rodriguez.

Presents the components and methods of making a baseball. Materials needed in making a baseball.

Discusses the value of the baseballs which were hit as home runs by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa during the 1998 baseball season when they broke Roger Maris' record. The two Chicago Cubs fans who are in court to settle who actually has the 62nd home run hit by Sosa; Estimates for the value of McGwire's 62nd; Why Steve Ryan, owner of North Shore Sports, has offered $1 million to the fans who catch the last home run hit by the player who ends up with the new record in 1998.

The article considers souvenir collecting at baseball games. Minor league baseball player Noah Syndergaard offers recommendations on how best to obtain a player's autograph including being at the game early, having the player sign a small object and being patient while waiting for autographs. Baseball fan John Witt, who has caught over 5000 baseballs as a spectator, discusses how he began that hobby and how best to catch a souvenir baseball.

The article considers expensive sports collectibles available for purchase by sports fans. A baseball autographed by player Babe Ruth for a sick child in 1926 is cited. The basketball jersey worn by Duke University player Christian Laettner in the team's 1992 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament victory over Kentucky will be auctioned with bids beginning at $100,000. A silver medal from the 1980 Winter Olympics hockey tournament will be auctioned.

This section offers news briefs concerning notable people and sports. Kansas City Chiefs' Coach Hank Stram invited 80-year-old American painter Thomas Hart Benton to watch a football game on the sidelines. A fund was established to raise funds for Prince Philip of the British royal family. Pope Paul VI was given four autographed baseballs by the wife of former baseball executive Fred Haney.

The article discusses how the balata ball caused huge problems in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the U.S. in 1943. It says that manufacturer A. G. Spalding & Bros. chose a formula for the baseball core, which made use of balata and cork. According to the author, the American League batters of Major League Baseball (MLB) were stuck with the balatas until the right shipments were used in play. Details of how Spalding vice-president Lou Coleman defended the balata ball are also presented.

The article describes sporting goods testing machines that were built by technicians in the research laboratory of A. G. Spalding & Bros. Inc. in Chicopee, Massachusetts. It describes in detail some of the machines, including the "whacking" machine designed to test the endurance of tennis rackets, a device named "the Torture Tester" that tests skis, and the "Air Cannon" that fires baseballs and golf balls. The author explains that most of the machines required several years of development and they still have a long way to go.

The article discusses a class of baseball fans known as ballhawks. Ballhawks arrive at Major League Baseball games early to snare as many balls as possible during batting practice and the game itself. Ballhawk Zack Hample has collected 4,569 balls, and fellow ballhawk John Witt has 3,885 balls. There are said to be hundreds of ballhawks throughout the U.S.

The article reports on a fund raising held by U.S. children in Subway's Baseball Design Across America tour. The event features 40 baseballs painted by Little League players and autographed by athletes and celebrities. Seven cities will be toured by the event before concluding in Williamsport, Pennsylvania at the 2009 Little League World Series in August.

The article is about Philip Ozersky, the man who caught baseball player Mark McGuire's 70th home run of the 1998 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. The home run set a record, and the ball sold for for over 3 million dollars. Ozersky would have given the ball to McGuire for a few collectors items, but McGuire would not speak to him.

The article features baseball fans Zack Hample, a collector of baseballs in New York City. Hample owns 3,272 baseballs, most of which are thrown to him during batting practice by willing players, but he also has 107 foul balls, one ground rule double and three home run balls, including Barry Bonds' 724th career homer. He knows how to ask for a ball in 31 different languages and carries team rosters with him so he can call out everyone's first name. It states that he wants an A--Rod homer for his collection.

The article discusses the purchase of the baseball hit by Barry Bonds in his record-breaking 756th career home run. Fashion designer Marc Ecko purchased the ball at auction and has set up a website where fans voted to have the ball placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame with an asterisk branded on it, commenting on the problem of steroid use in baseball.

This article discusses retired baseball player Rickey Henderson. While sitting in the stands at a San Francisco Giants baseball game, Henderson caught a batted ball and refused to give it to a nearby child. Henderson did however sign an autograph for the child, and remarked that he would place the caught ball on a shelf at home.

Discusses the fate of the ball used in the final out of the historic 2004 World Series, won by the Boston Red Sox. Initial ownership by Boston first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz; Legal ownership of the ball by Major League Baseball; Intention of Mientkiewicz to let the fans see the ball.

This article discusses a baseball that a man named Mike Carmichael has applied over 18,000 layers of paint to. Carmichael, is a 57-year-old housepainter from Alexandria, Ind. Carmichael says that when he was in high school, he was playing catch with a pal when the ball got away and came to rest in some paint. Mainly time (each morning he'll paint it once and will often apply a couple of coats at night) and space (the ball has moved from a spare room to a backyard shed, and this summer Carmichael plans to build a barn to house it). One thing he no longer needs to invest in is his primary material: He recently signed a sponsorship deal with Sherwin-Williams, which supplies his paint.

Looks at the court ruling deciding who owns a baseball hit by Barry Bonds. Case focusing on Alex Popov and Patrick Hayashi who each had claim to the baseball hit by Barry Bonds at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco, California; Decision by the court to sell the ball and split the proceeds between Popov and Hayashi; Discussion that Popov may try to buy Hayashi's half of the ball.

Discusses whether the low humidity in Colorado contributes to an increase in home runs at Coors Field. Storage of baseballs in a humidor; Finding that moist baseballs rebound with less force; Belief of some pitchers that damp baseballs are easier to grip.

Discusses ownership of the baseball that Barry Bonds hit for his 73rd home run. How Patrick Hayashi recovered the ball; Claim by Alex Popov that he caught the ball; Legal issues involving baseballs hit into the stands, with reference to a legal paper called 'Fugitive Baseballs: Abandoned Property,' by Paul Finkelman

Reports on Todd McFarlane, who paid $3 million for Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball, in light of the possibility that Barry Bonds may break McGwire's record. Surprise at the price paid for McGwire's ball; Potential value of Barry Bonds' record-breaking ball.

Answers a reader question concerning the buoyancy of baseballs. Design of baseballs; Issue of density.

Offers the author's thoughts on Zack Hample, a Major League Baseball fan who brags about his ability to bring home wayward baseballs from games. Thoughts on Hample's book 'How to Snag Major League Baseballs'; Suggestions on how to watch a game from the stands to ensure readiness to catch the baseball; Belief that spectators should dance after catching a baseball, because the television cameras will most likely pan to them.

Offers news notes from Major League Baseball for the week of May 22, 2000. Difficulties of Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki; Injury suffered to Florida Marlins pitcher Ricky Bones while sitting in a recliner watching television; Analysis performed by Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Billy Koch over the composition of baseballs in 1999 and 2000; Search for a left-handed pitcher by the Los Angeles Dodgers after the success of the left-handed hitters of the Arizona Diamondbacks against them.

Offers information on what happened to baseball player Mark McGwire's last eleven home run baseballs during his home-run record-breaking 1998 season. Return of five baseballs to McGwire; Sale of six balls.

Displays photographs of artistically designed baseballs to be exhibited at the Baseball Show in the Curt Marcus Gallery, New York.

The author talks about the career and family life of "Sports Illustrated" staff writer Larry Keith. For his article on baseballs in the present issue, Keith did his research at The Haller Testing Laboratories in Plainfield, New Jersey. The author says the deadline for that article on baseballs almost coincided with the birth of Keith's first child with his wife, Carolyn, who is a picture editor with "Sports Illustrated." Keith previously worked for "The Charlotte News" as a part-time reporter.

The article presents a comparison between the 1976 baseball from Spalding and the 1977 baseball from Rawlings.

The article focuses on the opinions of baseball coaches and managers on the 1977 Rawlings and 1976 Spalding models of baseballs. The Rawlings model is the bounciest baseball, according to two-thirds of coaches and managers surveyed by "Sports Illustrated" magazine. According to pitchers Rudy May, Doug Bird and Frank Tanana, the 1977 Rawlings offers a good grip and it can be thrown harder. The tendency of the 1977 balls to jump over the fence is the reason most pitchers prefer them.

This section offers news briefs on sports personalities as of November 1973. Actor Paul Newman crashed his Datsun 510 at the Road Atlanta Raceway in Georgia during a practice run but was unhurt, finishing 9th in the actual race. Debbie Van Kiekbelt, the Canadian pentathlon gold-medalist for the 1971 Pan-American Games, plans to become a sportswriter and has enrolled in a journalism course at the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Ontario. Autographed baseballs are popular collector's items, with one by Babe Ruth selling for 200 dollars at an auction.