MLB to require all teams to 'muddy' ball using exact same technique

According to a league memo sent to all 30 teams on Tuesday, Major League Baseball is now requiring teams to useuddy balls before games.

The process of Muddying is to get pitchers a better grip on the baseball. It's been used in the game for a long time and is as important as ever because of the league's recent ban on the use of foreign substances.

In the past, muddying involved rubbing Delaware River mud on baseballs days before a game. They will have to keep muddy balls on game day only and use the same technique.

A wide variety of muddying techniques were found after reviewing videos of the attendants.

The best way to paint the full surface of the ball is to use two fingers. There is a very precise rubbing motion with the ball in between the hands. It takes 30 to 40 seconds to Muddy each ball.

The league memo is an attempt to make sure that the balls used in major league parks are uniform.

The league received feedback from players over the past two months and is not in response to the latest on-field incident. The ball fell out of Lorenzen's hand. The decision to use a uniform muddying technique was made a long time ago.

The memo tells teams of standardized handling and storage of the balls, as well as the specific technique required to muddy baseballs.

• The baseballs must be mudded within 3 hours of being used in the game.

• The boxes should be placed in the humidor after the muddying process is complete. Balls used to go directly into the humidor.

• Only eight dozen balls at a time should be placed in a ball bag. There was no limit to how many balls could be in the bag, but players felt the balls at the bottom werechalky. The inside of the ball bags will need to be cleaned thoroughly by wiping with a damp cloth and then drying it off.

• The acceptable range of appearance for a mudded baseball will be shown on a poster.

• All game balls need to be stored in humidors for at least 14 days before they can be muddyed.

According to a league source, the league hopes the standardized handling and storage of the baseballs will be a successful attempt to improve the consistency within the baseballs.

Michael Hill, senior vice president of on-field operations, will speak with each of the 30 teams to update the guidelines.