Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud

Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud is a compound used in all Major League Baseball games to take the shine off brand-new baseballs. The compound, sold in small plastic containers, is actual mud harvested from a secret location on the banks of a tributary of the Delaware River somewhere in New Jersey. The eponymous Lena Blackburne, a former player turned coach, discovered the location when looking for a better source of dirt to prepare baseballs following the 1938 season. Until then, a combination of infield dirt and water was used, but the results were not always satisfactory.

The compound was rapidly adopted after being proposed by Blackburne to American League officials. Its use quickly expanded to the National League and all minor leagues. The umpiring crew is responsible with preparing enough baseballs for the day's game by rubbing them with the mud, although the actual rubbing is now performed by a clubhouse assistant and not by the umpires themselves, who only supervize the process.

Further Reading

• Emma Baccellieri: "Mud Maker: The Man Behind MLB’s Essential Secret Sauce", Sports Illustrated, July 29, 2019. [1]

Related Sites

• Official company website