[pedodds]

Hey TOC baseball equipment collectors. The Gutta Percha baseball is a very rare and unique item. eBay Lot #252680951595 is not a a gutta percha baseball. I reference the book Banana Bats and Ding Dong Balls and the 1883 Spalding Guide. The gutty baseball was manufactured for part of the season in 1883. It quickly failed as a baseball because it was seamless and thus pitchers could not grip the ball in order to throw a curve. The curveball has been pitched since 1867.
Rule 13 in the 1883 Spalding Guide states that the baseball cannot be smaller than 9 inches nor larger than 9 1/4 inches in circumference.
I have an example of a gutty baseball. It has a hard core with twine wrapping and a gutta percha overlay. My ball is 9 1/4 inches in circumference and is 5oz., which is correct for the period. It has the feel and consistency of a baseball.
I asked the seller two questions about the ball. I asked if it had the feel of a baseball or if it is as hard as a billiard ball. He stated that it was hard. From my perspective, one of two things would happen when the bat meets a hard gutty ball - the bat would break or the ball would shatter.
Secondly, I asked him why he felt that the ball was a baseball when it is only 8 inches in circumference. He stated that baseballs of the 1860's and 1870's could be any measurement. To my knowledge gutty baseballs were not manufactured in the 1860's and 1870's. In my opinion, he has no idea what it is. I feel strongly that it is not a baseball and so I wanted everyone to know.
The gutty baseball, also called the Reach Seamless Baseball, failed to gain popularity because of it's lack of seams. It is an important yet obscure piece to collectors of the evolution of the baseball.
My example of the gutty baseball is at the far left in the middle row of the image.
Respectfully submitted,
John