How ‘magic mud’ gives baseball pitchers a better grip

Baseballs

Source: © Mark Griffey

Unique mud formula coats and roughens baseballs, boosting control and grip for pitchers

For nearly a century, mud collected from a secret river location in New Jersey has been used to de-gloss the balls used in Major League Baseball to improve pitchers’ grip and control. Now, an investigation into the ‘magic’ mud’s fluid mechanics reveals how material’s special properties arise.