Have you ever wondered where baseballs go after they become too dirty, scuffed up or waterlogged to be used in games? If the baseballs are near the St. Louis area, chances are they have found their way to The Baseball Seams Co. (BSC).

In September of 2001, BSC founder Nathan Rueckert created a way to express his love for baseball and for America in a single image: an American flag formed from the very seams of America’s game. Rueckert tore off the leather from three used baseballs and cut a swatch of navy blue mesh from an old baseball jersey and hand-crafted the very first “America’s Game” original artwork. Almost immediately, Rueckert founded BSC, obtained necessary copyrights, and looked for more old baseballs. Since 2001, Rueckert has cut-up over 3,000 baseballs and has sold artworks in outlets such as The Baseball Hall of Fame Museum Shop and the Busch Stadium Cardinals Team Store.

According to the artist, the vintage look is what makes the flags look so great. “I love how each dirty baseball has its own personality,” says Rueckert. “Some balls are covered with grass stains, while others have ripped seams from a line drive hit up the middle. Each flag has it’s own story and leaves the baseball fan wondering how many curveballs, pickoff plays, or games of catch with dad in the backyard their flag has been through.”

Although baseball was coined as “The National Pastime” as early as the 19th century, never before has a single image so vividly captured how the game has been so interwined in American lore. Baseball is the common ground that bridges generations, that joins races, that connects persons from every walk of life. It’s more than just a game – it’s a pastime.

As of April 2010, over 1,020 artworks have been formed. Each artwork is hand-made, hand-signed, and hand-numbered by the artist. Each baseball flag is mounted onto an 8″×10″ piece of matboard, and comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and artwork description with matching artwork numbers.