From Getty Images (and thanks to Burton Raffel), Daniel Descalso of the St. Louis Cardinals in beautiful full extension

I (Evander) just had to share this photo (which can be enlarged by clicking on it) of Daniel Descalso of the Saint Louis Cardinals. Note the gloved ball, though changed frequently in Major League Baseball, is not pristine by any means. Not only has it been smacked by a bat and picked up grass scuffs, clay, and dirt from its travels thro the infield: Balls are rubbed up with a special mud compound in the home-team clubhouse before they enter any game, via the home-plate umpire.