Make A Friend of the Game!
Balls are made by hand in Central America at a Rawlings factory. A rubber ball (the “pill”) is first wound with a layer of gray yarn, then cream, another layer of gray and then finished off with thin, white thread. In all, some 130 yards of yarn are needed to build the core to regulation size. From there, two leather outers are stitched with the familiar red thread, the ball is stamped with logos and a game-ready ball is born.
A typical MLB game will go through about 60 balls. As balls come out of play, they are handed off to field-side MLB authenticators who affix a tamper-proof hologram and record the details of the game, including date and opponent and other details.
Through Tokens’ relationships with the teams, game used balls are acquired and transferred to our California studio. The leather outers are carefully separated from the yarn cores, all in the presence of an MLB authenticator to maintain the chain of custody that follows each ball through finished product. The outers go into production as watches, money clips, cuff links & pendants.
The MLB authenticator also witnesses the cores being unspooled. Each section of yarn receives its own hologram designation for tracking the yarn through the braiding process. Along with a cord that features the team’s color, the gray & cream yarn are braided into the bracelet. The journey ends on your wrist with a chance to make a friend of the game.