Abstract: A ball bearing having a metal inner and outer ring, each ring having at least one land, and the bearing having metal balls disposed between the rings to form load bearing metal-to-metal interfaces. A ball bearing retainer disposed between the rings of the bearing, the retainer comprising rigid members supporting a soft, flexible, highly porous annular body having ball pockets for receiving the bearing balls, and having at least one projection on at least one circumferential surface thereof. The ball pockets are sized to have an interference fit with the balls, and the projection is made to be in contact with at least one land of the inner or outer ring. The annular body is made of a porous foamlike material capable of absorbing up to eighty percent by volume of a liquid lubricant, such as oil, and being capable of supplying a suitably large fraction of the stored lubricant to the bearing.