Page:Evolution of the Ball, Baseball Digest July 1963.djvu/5

 mained in the rules until 1943, although the use of such a cloth had become obsolete previously by the use of soil to remove the gloss. In 1949 the official baseball rules were completely reviewed by a special committee and a number of revisions were made including the shortening of the rule on the baseball as follows: The ball is to weigh not less than five nor more than five and one-quarter ounces avoirdupois, measure not less than nine nor more than nine and one-quarter inches in circumference and is to meet the approved resiliency standards. Eliminated from the rules were provisions such as the one awarding the last ball in play to the winning team, the providing of sufficient baseballs for use in the game, etc. Such requirements were now considered automatic and no longer needed to be outlined in the rules. One provision of the new rules — the reference to the "approved resiliency standards" — needed clarifying as no such standards had ever been set. This provision was eliminated at the rules meeting in December, 1954, and at the same time the composition of the baseball was more clearly defined. The rule put into effect for 1955, and still in existence, is as follows: The ball shall be a sphere formed by yarn wound around a small core of cork, rubber or similar material, covered with two strips of white horse-hide, tightly stitched together. It shall weigh not less than five nor more than five and one-quarter ounces avoidupois and measure not less than nine nor more than nine and one-quarter inches in circumference.