Talk:Baseball Rubbing Mud

Is the current image (File:Baseball.jpg) with or without the rub? Unless we know that, the image is useless. The topic is the rub, and by extension how it affects the ball--the topic isn't "baseballs". A useful image would be a pre- and post-rubbed ball--otherwise it does not illustrate anything about the actual topic of this article. Another useful image would be of the mud itself. DMacks (talk) 05:42, 26 April 2011 (UTC)

Should facts or details from the recent SI article (https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/08/07/baseball-mud-rawlings?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email) be referenced? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.224.137.155 (talk) 02:54, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

It has been proposed in this section that Baseball Rubbing Mud be renamed and moved to Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud. A bot will list this discussion on the requested moves current discussions subpage within an hour of this tag being placed. The discussion may be closed 7 days after being opened, if consensus has been reached (see the closing instructions). Please base arguments on article title policy, and keep discussion succinct and civil. Please use {{subst:requested move}}. Do not use {{requested move/dated}} directly. Links: current log • target log • direct move

Baseball Rubbing Mud → Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud – or Baseball rubbing mudBaseball rubbing mud. If this article is about one specific brand of mud, it should use the full brand name. If it's about the mud used for rubbing on baseballs in general, it should use WP:SENTENCECASE. The Lena Blackburne brand may have a de facto monopoly at the professional level, but let's not conflate the concepts. Believe it or not, baseballs can be rubbed with unbranded mud! Note that there has been some prior moving of the article relating to this issue. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 21:45, 3 April 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. Jeffrey34555 (talk) 22:54, 10 April 2026 (UTC)

Support: Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud for the current article. I'd suggest that in the future the article should be changed to the general topic and then be renamed Baseball rubbing mudBaseball rubbing mud, with a section about the Lena Blackburn product. SchreiberBike | ⌨  22:05, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

If we ultimately want the article to be about the general concept, it would not be difficult to move the brand-specific discussion into a distinct section. FWIW, in a quick web search for "baseball rubbing mud", I was able to find many other brands of baseball (and football) rubbing mud for sale on the market (to the extent that a market is needed to obtain small quantities of appropriately textured mud to rub on balls). I also found an explicit present-tense discussion of non-Blackburne mud in the Christian Science Monitor article: "Baseball clubs use special mixes - from infield dirt that's mined in New Jersey to a secret rubbing mud found somewhere along the Delaware River." (The Delaware River mud is presumably Blackburne mud, but the New Jersey infield dirt is not.) —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 22:28, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

• Move to Baseball rubbing mud. The article should, and does, cover the history and use of mud that is not Blackburne's. 162 etc. (talk) 16:16, 4 April 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose: Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud, accommodate Lena Blackburne product with a specific section within the article. At the same time, the title should use WP:SENTENCECASE. -- Paleorthid (talk) 20:53, 4 April 2026 (UTC)
• Support proposed title. Oppose generic lowercase title. This article is about the specific product, which is decidedly notable; the sources are about the specific brand/operation, not baseball rubbing mud in general. In fact, I don't believe there is a general topic, as this product is pretty singular. A mention of the background that lead to its development and widespread use doesn't invalidate the fact that this article is about the specific product, just provides context. A generic title would be incorrect for the topic of the article. oknazevad (talk) 04:22, 5 April 2026 (UTC)

  Meaning, you do not find BarrelProof's observations sufficient evidence that the term natively encompasses several mixes from several locations, indicating baseball rubbing mud mixes beyond just Lena Blackburne product. Mud is such an easily accessible and adoptable material and pitchers love to experiment for effect, I expect the Lena Blackburne permutation to be part a range of formal and informal colloquial mud mixes, with varying mud practices spread across the full geographic range that baseball enjoys. -- Paleorthid (talk) 21:01, 11 April 2026 (UTC)

• Move to Baseball rubbing mud and make it more generic. -- Necrothesp (talk) 14:45, 7 April 2026 (UTC)