We have some great video footage and a plan on how we are going to make this happen. Once we get all the footage home, we’ll edit it into an informative documentary.

Marc Paillen of Jacmel

Max Conde

Hawtan Leathers

John and Marc

Hawtan Leather

Getting the leather is proving to be more challenging. Tennessee Tannery manufactures hides for baseballs, but it owned by Rawlings, who has not shown an interest in supplying us with any products. It appears that all their production is used for their proprietary use in Costa Rica. So, we need to find a tannery that specializes in the “alum” method of tanning, that could supply us with the necessary hides. I put out a tweet looking for suppliers and have followed up some leads from some very helpful people; Paul Cunningham at Leatherheadsports.com has been particularly helpful. So, if you know of a tannery who could offer us with the needed hides, send them our way.

I have been in contact with the former owner of D&T Spinning, of Ludlow, Vermont in trying to procure the required yarn. While out of business for a few years, (shut down as a result of Rawlings pulling their business), Joy Grossman has provided some good contacts to follow-up. This will be the least challenging of the three components.

Here is a .pdf that was sent to me by Mike Stevens, a former employee of Muscle Shoals, who has been instrumental in arranging contacts with the new owners and possibly bringing that segment of production back up. This will give you a brief history of the rise and fall of domestic baseball manufacturing.

Plant Closings to Costa Rica

The goal of the Haitian Baseball Project is to revitalize the baseball manufacturing sector in Haiti via an individual centered, fair trade program. Baseball production used to be a staple of the Haitian manufacturing base until labor unrest in the 1980’s pushed the multinationals into other countries such as Costa Rica and more recently China.

The vision of the program is to provide individual Haitians the opportunity to manufacture and sell hand stitched baseballs for resale in the US and appropriate global markets. Participating Haitians would be paid a fair wage for their work, provided an “off the grid”, workshop that can double as familial living quarters.

Components of the baseballs would be sourced abroad and provided to the individual Haitian manufacturers for assembly, collected for export, then marketed and distributed. There are two possible scenarios for manufacturing.

1) A network of self-sufficient manufacturing workshops where individuals can assemble all the components of the ball.

2) Regional facilities that can assemble the major components up to the hand sewing stage, where the partially assembled balls would be farmed out for the final stage of cover sewing.

The method of manufacturing will depend on the cost and availability of textile wrapping machines. Each ball requires 396 yards of wool and a poly blend (combined), wrapped at a specific tension. If we can find a cost-effective method that enables each assembler to have their own machines, we can pursue method #1. If computer based, precision instruments are required, #2 may be more effective. Part of the due diligence process will be pursing local mechanics to invent compatible, cost-effective machines to suit the manufacturing requirements.

Finished balls will be picked up by designated collectors who will check for quality and arrange payment. Collected balls will be packed and shipped to the US for distribution.

Organizations such as Kiva http://www.kiva.org (for micro-finance) and the William J. Clinton Foundation (grants and logistic help) will be contacted and invited to take part.

Initial Tasks

1) Source individual baseball components
2) Develop Haitian contacts who can aid in logistics and manufacturer sourcing
3) Get specifications and costs for portable workshops and delivery
4) Seek funding options
5) Contact Kiva for microfinancing vetting procedures

http://lutheransurrealism.blogspot.com/2008/10/major-league-baseballs.html

From the New York Times Opinion Page-March 27, 2010

This is a good piece that gives a broad overview of the plan forward for Haiti. Diversifying the population out of Port-au-Prince, getting the Haitian economy and society more reliant on themselves instead of NGO hand outs and councils being set up to rebuild are all pointed out here