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J.H. Grady MFG. Co.
Official League
Baseball |
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Item Details |
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CIRCA
- 1940
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MANUFACTURER
- J.H. Grady co.
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SIZE
- 9
inches - 5 ounces
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PRICE GUIDE
- $75.00 - $150.00
Excellent-Near Mint
Condition
Due to the lack in
sales history,
value is estimated
on sales of like
baseballs.
Information
Provided by:
Keymancollectibles.com
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The
J.H. Grady Manufacturing Co. was
organized as a subsidiary of Rawlings
Sporting Goods in 1923 for the
production of Rawlings baseballs. John
Henry Grady, who made baseballs for
Rawlings as a youngster, was named
President. The factory opened in with
100 employees at 1310 North sixteenth
Street, and in 1931 moved to 927 Tyler
street St. Louis. MO, a little more
than 1 mile away. In 1946 Rawlings
acquired the J.H. Grady Production
Organization. This was Rawlings' entry
into baseball and softball creation.
This acquisition paved the way for
Rawlings to develop into the official
baseball of Major League baseballs in
1977.
John H. Grady assignor to J.H. Grady
held a number of patents for the
manufacturing of baseballs and
softballs. The J.H. Grady Trademark "Duro
seam" was patented in 1932, and was
used by all the Major baseball
manufactures including Spalding, Reach,
Wilson and Rawlings. They also produced the Duro-Seam Softball with the J.H. Grady
brand name. The "Duro seam" was a
patented method for sewing a hidden
seam, with a smooth surface to insure
longer wear. Another 1928 J.H. Grady
patent was used by Rawlings called "Duo
Center" The center core AKA
"Pill" used a combination of vulcanized
sponge rubber, and pure gum
rubber. The Rawlings, J.H. Grady
Patented "Duo center" is pictured
below.
Made to the same specifications of a major League baseball the 5 inch, 9
ounce J.H. Grady No. 01, "Official
League Ball" had a horsehide cover, and
a cork center. Printed on the panel
east of the sweet spot, the baseball
"WOOLEN YARN IN THIS BALL, 75% WOOL 24%
REUSED WOOL AND 1% OTHER FIBRES, MFG.
3342"
The manufacture of baseballs is a combination of machine and hand work.
Part of the hand work, stitching the
cover, is a relatively slow process the
fastest workers can sew only about 200
balls a week. With this limitation on
output in 1945, baseball makers were
finding it difficult to supply a
greatly increased public demand along
with continued requirements of the
armed services, although production was
said to be near the 1941 rate of
3,500,000 balls a year. About one-tenth
of the nation's baseballs were made in
St. Louis, by the J.H. Grady
Manufacturing Company, which also made
balls for other games such as
softballs, and cork balls. From about
1942 through 1945, half the total baseball
output of its factory had gone to the
armed services.
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J.H. Grady MFG. Co.
Official League Baseball |
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J.H.
Grady Official League
Ball
Yarn specifications |
Rawlings-J.H. Grady "Duo
Center" patent No.
1.1671237 |
J.H. Grady Official
League Ball
size specifications |
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Making Baseballs at the
J.H. Grady Factory in 1945 |
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