The "Ball Mudder" Machine (Yes, Really) Could Be The Answer To Baseball's Sticky Stuff Scandal

So it turns out Major League Baseball has been working on addressing the foreign substance issue for some time now. Word has come down that they have been working with the makers of something called the "Ball Mudder" machine in order to solve the issue of slick baseballs, in a fair and uniform manner.

A new baseball may be coming to #MLB and a potential fix for baseball's sticky situation. https://t.co/em26YPpHfg via ⁦@USATODAY⁩
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 22, 2021

The machine can apply mud (or any other substance) to baseballs to create a consistent substance on every ball that helps with pitchers' grip, in a stable and sustained manner, to even the playing field.

The Ball Mudder's designer, Phil Small, says with his device, "everyone will have the same ball, and that’s what baseball wants. Both the pitchers and hitters want a level playing field, but right now balls are not consistently rubbed the same way."

In fact, with the Ball Mudder, the baseballs will even be coated in a way that if any foreign substance is applied, the color of the ball will change—cheaters would be caught red-handed. Literally.

The concept was originally presented to MLB executives during last year's World Series, but a non-disclosure agreement prevented anyone from talking about it until now.

Perhaps this revelation explains MLB's eerie and odd tweet sent out earlier today, which, predictably, was followed by a number of clever fan responses: