I ask the spectators if they know what they are. They call out balls, sponges, clown noses...etc. I say "no I have checked with the little red ball people and I have checked with the clowns, they claim they didn't make them." I hand it over to someone and say "I have no idea what they are....I found at the dump."
The spectators reaction gets a good laugh because they usually drop them.

Then I tell them don't worry...they are claen...I have had them for years...they are my pets...this one is named HERE...this one is named THERE. I love them...they can do cool tricks."

Hi, I'm Tex Austin and I'd like to show you my balls.

I had a friend that did a sponge ball routine calling them eenie, meenie and when he vanished them all he said, "there ain't no mo" has anyone heard of this routine on video or PDF or someplace??

Its by Carl Andrews - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3OxFkxIUYs

In my show I refer to sponge balls as “magical beings”. They make mischief, multiply, won’t disappear, etc.

I also appreciate simply not calling them anything.

I don't think that you need to call them anything; people can see what they are - sponge balls!

I also don't use innuendo....it isn't required as more often than not, women audience members will do that for you. You can then get more of a laugh with a slow burn technique.

I just refer to them as balls...

In a strolling setting, I ask them if they have seen a magic show in Vegaas, and how they have assistants they often say yes or say how they are usually showgirls etc...then I go on about introducing my assistants and act is if I am going to introduce my assistants with a round of applause, than I pull the Sponge Balls or Rabbits out of my pocket, and go into one of two routines that I do.

Kelly

I couldn't get through saying that once let alone three times fast.

I call them red balls (if Im using red saponges of course)

I Had a good magician friend out of the washington DC area whose sponge ball was eenie, meenie and there ain't no mo (the mo ball vanishes.... anyone ever hear of this routine with sponge balls

Majority of the time (within context) it's not what you say but how you say and present it. I have so much success with the simple sponge ball to square routine. I think out of the almost thousand performances there has been only 2-3 times people recognized and were familiar with it. I pretty much always just say, "this is what a magician calls a sponge ball" before going into the routine. In my experiences with this, it definitely does not diminish the effect/routine/reactions because I said "sponge ball" instead of "ball". I believe this is because of how I ultimately present the routine and have lots of energy and fun with it. Makes a big difference not just for this effect but all effects.

I ask if the person has any pets at home. I say I have pets and show them my pet sponge. I use yellow balls, so they look like a typical yellow dish sponge. "My pet is named Juan because there's only Juan of him." When I split the ball I name the second ball, Amal. "This Juan and this Amal. They're twins. Once you've seen Juan you've seen Amal."

An idea I had was using a red lazer light pointer. I'd have someone hold out
their hand palm up, shine the red dot on the middle of their palm, they would turn
their hand palm down and when instructed open their hand and out pops the ball.

The laser pointer is used with the rest of my routine for the transfers and
multiplication. Served me very well