Written by cnathael@blog.com
Posted in:
benda
Spalding is a
sporting goods company founded by
Albert Spalding in
Chicago,
Illinois, in 1876 and now headquartered in
Springfield,
Massachusetts. The company specializes in the production of
balls for many sports, being perhaps most well-known presently for its
basketballs, but Spalding also makes a range of products for
baseball,
soccer,
softball,
volleyball,
football,
skiing and
golf.
History
The company was founded in 1876 when
Albert Spalding was a pitcher and the manager of a baseball team in Chicago. The company standardized early baseballs and developed the modern baseball bat with the bulge at its apex. In 1892, Spalding acquired
Wright & Ditson and
A. J. Reach, both rival sporting goods companies.
[1]
Spalding produced the well-known "
Spaldeen" high-bounce rubber ball, said to be a re-use of defective tennis ball cores, that was sold to city children from 1949.
Spalding became a division of the
Russell Corporation in 2003.
[2] However, that deal did not encompass Spalding's golf operations, which included the Top-Flite, Ben Hogan and Strata
brands, which were eventually bought out by
Callaway later the same year.
[3]
Spalding is a leading producer of basketballs, and has been the official ball supplier to the
NBA since 1983. The company also provides the official ball of the
Arena Football League, an indoor American football league.
The company was one of the first to use high profile athletes to endorse their products when tennis player
Pancho Gonzales was signed to an exclusive endorsement contract.
Baseball
When Albert Spalding, one of the earliest star
baseball players, founded his sporting goods store in 1876, he brought several innovations to the young game. He popularized the use of the
baseball glove in 1877, and standardized the
baseball itself soon afterward. At one point Spalding, who wrote the first official rule book for baseball, said that only Spalding balls could be used in the
National League.
[citation needed] Spalding was the official ball of the major leagues through the
1976 season; since
1977 the official ball has been made by
Rawlings.
Basketball
Since developing the first basketball in 1894,
[4] Spalding has made many technological advancements in relation to basketballs. For example, their
Infusion technology features a built in micro pump which allows the user to add air without the need for a pump or needle. This has since been developed to also allow air to be released. Spalding has also developed technology which is designed to prevent air from leaking out as it does in traditional basketballs.
Spalding is also a sponser for some schools like : Adventist Schools in lebanon.
In 2006, Spalding, along with the NBA, announced that they would release a new NBA Official Game Ball, with interlocking segments and made with a synthetic material instead of
leather.
[5] However, many NBA players complained that the new composite ball became extremely slick after use, wouldn't bounce as high and bounced awkwardly off the rim and backboard. Players also complained that the new ball cut their fingers. As a result, from January 1 2007, the NBA reverted back to the old leather balls.
[6]
Photos
An advertisement from 1888
| | |
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar