Where Are Professional Baseballs Made?
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If you’re a baseball fan, you’ve probably wondered at some point where professional baseballs are made. While there are a few different companies that manufacture baseballs for the MLB, the vast majority of them are made by a single company: Rawlings.
Rawlings
Rawlings is a baseball company that has been making baseballs since 1887. Rawlings has been making baseballs for the Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1977. Rawlings makes all of the baseballs for the MLB. Rawlings also makes baseballs for other leagues, such as the minor leagues, independent leagues, and colleges.
Company History
In 1887, George and Alfred Rawlings founded the company that would become Rawlings Sporting Goods in St. Louis, Missouri. The two brothers started the company by selling balls, bats, and gloves to local baseball teams. In 1892, they began manufacturing baseballs themselves and by 1893, they were the official ball supplier for the National League. In 1905, Rawlings supplied balls for the first modern World Series.
Rawlings has been supplying baseballs to Major League Baseball (MLB) ever since. In 1977, Rawlings was purchased by General Mills and in 1987, it became a subsidiary of Reverse acquirer Berland International. In 1998, Rawlings was bought by Newell Rubbermaid and then in 2007, it was acquired by Jarden Corporation.Rawlings has been headquartered in St. Louis since its founding, and all of its MLB baseballs have been manufactured there since 1957.
Manufacturing Process
The baseballs used in the Major Leagues are handmade by Rawlings at their plant in Costa Rica. It is a guards-off environment, where a small team of mostly women work at long tables, each with their own set of stations and tools. The balls start as piece of cowhide that is cut into circular blanks. Those blanks are then hand-stitched together by one of the craftswomen, who can sew about 170 balls per day.
Once the ball is stitched, it is stuffed with a mix of cork shavings and rubber pellets. A machine called a winder then twists the yarn around the ball until it is tight enough that no air can escape. The ball is then placed in a mold where it will be heated and pressurized to give it its official shape. After cooling, the ball is hand-painted with red stitches and the trademark Rawlings logo before being packaged and shipped off to Major League stadiums across the country.
Wilson
Wilson is a well-known baseball company that has been supplying professional baseballs for over 100 years. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and manufactures all of its baseballs in the United States. Wilson is the official baseball supplier for both Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball.
Company History
Wilson has been making professional baseballs since 1884, and they are currently the official ball supplier for Major League Baseball. The company was founded by John C. Wilson in St. Louis, Missouri, and they moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1889. The factory is still located in Chicago, and it employs about 150 people.
Wilson Balls are made from cowhide that is sourced from US cattle farms. The hide is tanned and turned into sheets of leather that are cut into strips. These strips are then sewn together by hand to form the ball’s cover. The stitching is done by a team of 30 sewers, who can each stitch about 80 balls per hour.
After the cover is stitched, the ball is ready to be stuffed with a core of cork and rubber. The cork comes from Portugal, and the rubber comes from Malaysia. The balls are then stenciled with the official MLB logo and put into boxes to be shipped to teams around the country.
Manufacturing Process
Baseballs are manufactured in a variety of locations around the world. The Major League Baseball (MLB) requires that all baseballs used during regular season and postseason play are made in the United States. However, MLB baseballs are also manufactured in Costa Rica and Japan.
The manufacturing process of a Wilson baseball begins with a cowhide cover that is cut into panels. The panels are then stamped with the Wilson logo and sewn together by hand. Once the cover is complete, it is placed onto a rubber and cork core. The core is then wrapped with yarn, and finally, the cover is stitched onto the ball.
Prior to being used in MLB games, each batch of Wilson baseballs must be inspected by an MLB-approved umpire. Once a batch has been approved, it is given to an MLB team for use during regular season or postseason play.
Mizuno
Mizuno is a Japanese company that specialises in baseball equipment. It was founded in 1906 and has been making baseballs since 1917. Mizuno baseballs are used in the major leagues in Japan, as well as in the United States. They are also used in the Olympics.
Company History
Mizuno baseballs are used in both professional and amateur baseball competition in Japan. The company has a long history of making baseballs, dating back to its founding in 1906.
Mizuno was founded in Osaka, Japan in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno and his brother Rizo as Mizuno Brothers Ltd. The company originally sold Western-style clothing under the brand name “Mizuno Shop” and did not begin manufacturing baseballs until 1931.
Mizuno began supplying baseballs to the Japanese professional leagues in 1934 and has been the exclusive supplier of balls to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) since 1950. Mizuno also supplies balls to the minor Central League and the amateur Shikoku-Kyushu Baseball League. In addition to supplying NPB with game balls, Mizuno also provides training balls for use during spring training and practice sessions.
In 2012, Mizuno introduced a new line of professional-grade baseballs made with microfiber synthetic leather instead of traditional cowhide leather. The new balls were designed to reduce stitching defects and improve durability.
Manufacturing Process
Mizuno only manufactures its baseballs in its own dedicated factories. It sources the best leather from tanneries around the world to create its professional balls.
The Mizuno ball factory in Hiroshima, Japan, has been making baseballs since 1931. The Mizuno factory in Norco, California, which opened in 1998, produces the same quality baseballs as the Hiroshima facility.
Only Mizuno employees are allowed to enter the baseball factory floor. This is to ensure that the manufacturing process is not compromised in any way.
Mizuno uses a special wax injection technique to evenly distribute cork and rubber throughout the ball core. This technique helps ensure that each ball has consistent bounce and weight properties.
