Q: I’m following up on the question about putting mud on baseballs. Why do they put mud on baseballs?
—Susan Rosmarin, Atlanta
A: Mud is applied to new baseballs used by Major League Baseball and other organizations to take the shine off of them and to provide a better grip for pitchers.
Rule 3.01c of the MLB rulebook states: “The umpire shall inspect the baseballs and ensure they are regulation baseballs and that they are properly rubbed so that the gloss is removed.”
MLB has been using the same kind of mud, called Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, since the late 1930s, when umpires began looking for better ways to take the sheen off the balls. Tobacco juice and other types of dirt mixed with water didn’t work or made the balls soggy.
Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud is from a secret location in southern New Jersey.
“The minerals make it like a fine-grit sandpaper. It buffs the gloss off the ball without damaging the leather,” owner Jim Bintliff told NBCNews.com in 2014.
Q: How often have the U.S. men won the World Cup compared to the U.S. women?
—Mary Kay Kreisle, Atlanta
A: The U.S. men's team has never won the World Cup, which has been played every four years since 1930, except for 1942 and 1946.
Brazil has won five men’s World Cup titles.
The U.S. women’s team has won three World Cup titles (1991, 1999 and this year), the most of any country.
The women’s tournament has been held every four years since 1991.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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