Every Major League baseball is rubbed with a special 'magic mud' from a secret New Jersey location.

The use of 'magic mud' began in 1938 after Lena Blackburne, a coach for the Philadelphia Athletics, discovered a unique mud deposit near the Delaware River in New Jersey. Before this discovery, teams used substances like tobacco juice, shoe polish, or dirt from the field, which often scarred the ball or made it dangerously dark. The mud from Blackburne's secret location is unique because it has the consistency of pudding but contains a very fine silt that acts as a natural abrasive.This specific grit allows the mud to remove the slippery gloss applied by manufacturers like Rawlings without damaging the cowhide or the integrity of the stitching. Physics plays a major role here because a better grip allows pitchers to achieve higher spin rates, which are essential for the movement of breaking balls. According to MLB Rule 4.01(c), all balls must be properly rubbed before they can be used in a game to ensure uniform playing conditions.The exact location of the mud remains a family secret, currently managed by Jim Bintliff, who harvests the material annually. The mud is aged in barrels and treated with a secret process before being shipped to all 30 MLB stadiums and many minor league affiliates. Despite modern advancements in synthetic coatings, no artificial substance has yet been able to replicate the specific tactile properties of the Blackburne mud.