Thanks for this 4-1-1. My flag ball was getting discolored this season too. I took my flag apart last night, and discovered the little bag that holds the sand inside the flag had split. The flag was reddish brown on the inside of the ball. I took teh sand out and double wrapped it in plastic baggies, which I then wrapped in tape. I dropped the flag in an oxiclean soak for 90 minutes...stains came out 95%. Put the flag back together this morning, and it is ready to go for tomorrow's game!