August 31, 1909 – A. J. Reach Co. patented the cork-centered baseball. Previously the balls had a hard rubber core to them. It sounds harmless enough, after all the core is buried under a leather cover and inner bindings. The stats tell a different story though.
According to ThisDayinBaseball.com the number of .300 hitters jumped from eight in 1910 to 27 a season later in the American League. The league’s earned run average will go from 2.53 to 3.34. We have heard about the corked bat, but the corked ball may have had an even bigger impact in the game. The modern ball has a core composed of cork and rubber.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Lawrence McCutcheon and the 1975 Postseason
The featured halfback for the Los Angeles Rams in 1975 was Lawrence McCutcheon, a
Super Bowl L (Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl 50, held on February 7, 2016, between the second-time
1977 – The First “World’s Strongest Man Competition”
Mostly everyone, whether a fan or not, has seen some footage of the World’s
Masters of Delusion: Big John Studd and Dutch Doogan
As far back as I remember I always wanted to be six foot ten.
Madison Street Agreement (Between Chicago Bears and Cardinals)
No one knew it existed. But suddenly, there it was: a dusty, withered document,
A Brief History of the Las Vegas Raiders and NFL For Beginners
The Raiders are one of the 32 teams that make up the National Football
1970 Detroit Lions (First Playoff Game Since 1957 Championship)
The Detroit Lions won the NFL Championship in 1935, defeating the NY Giants 26–7,
The “Fight of the Century” (Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali)
I’ll never forget the night of March 8, 1971. It was one of the