Never Throw A Clean Ball
Truly, I loathe the process of purchasing new sneakers. They’re too bright, rigid, and superficial. It’s a dirty world we live in, and the stress that comes with prolonging the shine before the inevitable grime is something I could do without.
It takes a minute, but once I get the kicks scuffed up and broken in, that’s when I feel comfortable waltzing around. I embrace the worn look - it’s a sign of travel, experience, and a life lived. Old shoes walk; new ones merely talk.
Perhaps this mirrors a similar reasoning why every pitcher in the MLB never throws a clean ball. The following history comes courtesy of baseballrubbingmud.com.
Any avid baseball fan will tell you pitchers never throw a clean ball - they’re too shiny to play with. For nearly seven decades, a special type of New Jersey muck, Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud has been erasing the gloss from baseballs for just about every professional team in the country.
As the story goes, in 1938 an umpire complained to third base coach Lena Blackburne of the Philly Athletics about the poor condition of baseballs used in the American League. Balls were merely prepped by rubbing mud and water from the field, resulting in a soft surface.
