humidor

For that, he blamed the humidor at Coors Field.

The Rockies installed a humidor room at Coors Field in 2002 to control the moisture level in baseballs, which helps keep them from becoming dried out in Denver’s thin air.

“You get punished for it. So I’d love to see those come out of the humidor tomorrow in a little better shape before they get rubbed up. But there’s nobody to blame but myself for not being able to adjust to some of the quality issues.”

The event, organized by the Jessie Rees Foundation and hosted by the Spyscape museum, included an auction that saw event-goers bid on a CIA humidor signed by former agency director and retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, a tour of Fenway Park and prime seats to a Boston Red Sox game, autographed books and sports memorabilia, and other collectibles.

In Denver, where the air is less dense because of its higher elevation, the Rockies started storing game balls in a humidor in 2002 to make them “mushier,” increasing their weight and giving pitchers more of a sporting chance.