Link. While shaping of bats is tailored to individual players, the baseballs are uniform, and mudding them is currently being made more uniform -
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MLB began an investigation that included asking each of the 30 teams to send videos of their clubhouse employees “mudding” the balls for game-day use.
“What you found was 30 different ways of how to apply the mud,” Caplin said. “Some guys just used a towel, while other guys really rubbed it in, getting it ingrained into the leather.”
MLB executives responded by sending a memorandum last month to every team with updated regulations for the “Storage and Handling of Baseballs.” The instructions for how to mud a baseball are Talmudic.
“All baseballs projected to be used in a specific game must be mudded within 3 hours of all other baseballs being used in that game, and must be mudded on the same day that they are going to be used … Baseballs should not be out of the humidor for more than two hours at any point prior to first pitch … Rubbing mud should be applied to each baseball for at least 30 seconds ensuring that mud is rubbed thoroughly and consistently into the entire leather surface of the ball … ”
And it is special New Jersey mud, from a one-man supplier, dug from a secret river spot.
A natural monopoly if there ever was one. Read the details.