'Miracle Mud'

[July 03, 2013]  ^"Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball," by David A. Kelly, illustrated by Oliver Dominquez, Millbrook Press, 2013, 30 pages, ages 6-10

Review by
Louella Moreland

Baseball is a favorite American pastime in the summer months. David A Kelly's book "Miracle Mud" gives us a delightful story about a man who loved baseball and contributed to the sport in an unusual way. Oliver Dominquez's illustrations are rich with color and action. One can almost hear the smack of the wooden bat on the ball, smell the grass and hot dogs, and hear the roar of the crowd on a sunny afternoon.

Many children grow up playing ballgames in backyards, schoolyards and on teams. Some have dreams of becoming a professional ballplayer, touring the country from city to city, ballpark to ballpark. That was Lena Blackburne's dream, too.

Blackburne wanted to be a famous ballplayer, but no matter how hard he tried, he just wasn't good enough. When he realized he could not play for a team, he became a coach.

It was then, in the early 1900s, that Blackburne realized baseballs had a problem. New balls were shiny and slick, so they were soaked in dirty water. Unfortunately, that made them soggy, wet and hard to hit. Sometimes they were rubbed with shoe polish, tobacco and spit. None of these were very good remedies.

One day, when Blackburne was fishing near his home, he saw that the riverbank was covered in a dark brown, gooey mud. Soaking the new baseballs in the mud, letting it dry and then brushing them off made the balls less shiny without being soggy, wet or smelly. They were easy to throw and hit as well. He had found an answer to a problem that had plagued the game for years.

Blackburne kept the riverbank a secret, becoming a "mud farmer," digging up and selling the riverbank mud to baseball teams across the country. Soon it became the only "mud" allowed in the major leagues.

Lena Blackburne never became a major league baseball star, but his legendary "mud" did become famous. In 1969 the "mud" was installed in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Be sure to look for it if you visit the museum at Cooperstown, N.Y.

For this and other books about baseball, visit the Lincoln Public Library at 725 Pekin St. Just remember, mud is great for baseballs, but not for books!

[Text from file received from Louella Moreland, Lincoln Public Library District]

Ms. Lou's blog: lincolnpubliclibraryupdates.blogspot.com