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
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
Super Bowl XLIX (New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XLIX, held on February 1, 2015, between the three-time
Adjusting to the NFL Rule Changes in 1978
In 1978, a bunch of new rules geared to improve the passing game showed
Charlie Bidwill’s First Love (Chicago Bluebirds)
It was truly a united front with the involvement of all of the gridiron
Help Select The “All-Time Greatest NBA Centers To Wear Jersey #5”
Looking at sports history and reminiscing about legendary players from different eras is a