Baseball Rubbing Mud

Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud is a brand of specially prepared mud used to prepare balls in the sport of baseball before they are put into play. Newly manufactured baseballs have a somewhat slick and glossy surface, so when new they are rubbed down with the mud to reduce the slickness and give pitchers a firmer grip and better control without damaging or discoloring the ball. Major League Baseball rules require every "pearl", or brand-new baseball, to be rubbed with rubbing mud for at least 30 seconds on game day until it achieves the desired texture and off-white color.