The Process: How Major League Baseballs Are Made

It seems strange to say it, but the process of creating baseballs that conform to Major League Baseballs standards is actually a pretty secretative process. Certainly, anyone whose played with a ball to deconstruction can admit that it’s a leather exterior wrapped around a bunch of string and a bouncy ball in the center. But it’s the precision cutting, curved stitching, and precise size and weight management that date back to 1872 that keep this process somewhat esoteric.

This is the first time a camera has ever been allowed to record the proprietary process, particluarly the way the yarn is wrapped around the center core. But the coolest part is the two-needle, handsewn process that creates the signature stiches around the outside.

Yeah, the sweatshop like factory and worker conditions are very regretable, but a glimpse into how to create a perfectly balanced and spherical object from so many materials is plenty fascinating.