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
Sports History On This Day: August 26
August 26, 1938 – Montreal Maroons were dropped from the NHL. The franchise started up
Sports History On This Day: August 25
August 25, 1968 – It was a pinnacle moment in sports history. Arthur Ashe became
Sports History On This Day: August 24
August 24, 1908 – Technology had a breakthrough to help fans stay connected to their
Super Bowl XLI (Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XLI, which was held on February 4, 2007, at
The Quarterback Project: Do You Agree With Michael Mertes and His Top QB’s?
This week I spoke with Michael Mertes about a project he started to celebrate
Sports History On This Day: August 23
August 23, 1883 – I am not sure if you would call it a comedy
Sports History On This Day: August 22
August 22, 1917 – Keeping pace with the opposition is usually a good thing in
What Were the Worst NFL Trades of the 1970s?
A good friend of mine who enjoys listening to my podcast here on the