The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-15
There's no secret. They can't throw

There's no secret. They can't throw
it. I don't mean they can't throw a
spit BALI, but none of them can
throw it the way / do.
Il think the spit BALI the greatest
ball that was ever discovered.
Il don't say it is the greatest ban
used, but it is the greatest ball for
me, and that's why l use it,
How He Throws 1t.
In throwing it 1 merely moisten
the first and second fingers, hold the
ball the same as I would if throwing
any other kind, and then throw nat
urally.
You can't work it by throwing It
underhand or overland 1t has to be
thrown straight away.
That's the only way for a pitcher
to throw, anyway. A man can make a
lot of extra motions if he wants to-,
but he doesn't win as often.
"A pitcher ought to find the ball
that is easiest for him to throw and
then use it altogether. There are
some balls that certain pitchers can't
possibly throw, and yet they keep on
trying and wasting their strength
Got 1t From Stricklett.
Il first started using the spit BALI
a. flor T Ctpic Of IL
team use it on the Pacific coast in
the winter of 1923. I saw him use it
again this spring Then l started in
and 1 have been using it all season.
I've been going in sometimes every
other day for weeks at a time l
couldn't have done it if 1 hadn't the
spit ball
Il don't throw the ball the way
Stricklett did. l throw it the way it
comes natural to me.
Il found out how to control it so
that it would break the way l wanted
by practice.
How do 1 control it? 1 would be
foolish to tell.
I've done nearly all my practicing
with the ball in games. 1 seldom use
it except when playing.
How do the catchers like it? Bue-
low doesn't seem to have any trouble
holding it. McManus got hit once,
I1+ bo I,oc hoco,,,o mead 70 - e;,oo
then.
Some of the other catchers have
been hit because the pitchers didn't
know how to control it.
The infielders don't like it because
they can never tell where the balls
going after it's hit
will the batters get used to the
ball by next season.
Il don't know l don't think they
will ever get used to the ball the way
I throw it. They may get an idea of
how it's going to come but a fast high
one mixed in with a couple of spit
balls will get them ratified.
"One peculiar thing about the ball
is that it can't be hunted. At least,
it never has been since I've used it.
Another thing that's strange about it,
is that when the batter does find it,
the hit goes either to short or second
never to first Or third.
How many men did ever strike Out
with it? 1 never tried l never tried
| for a strike-ou record. It's too much
all the time. It's hard enough to win
Take it when the game has FL or
10 score, the strain on the pitcher is
something terrible. When I've finished
a game with a close score like that and
know I'm through, couldn't toss a ball
across a road.
"Of course, if there were extra in
nings 1 could pitch them, but when
the games over I'm all in To lose
a 10 game is like losing seven weeks
of your life. That's one reason why I
want to quit.
Pitching ball is easy money, but
it's hard money, too.
What am I going to do when
quit. l don't know. Raise Spuds, may
be-
"Of course, l may play ball some
summer with some of the teams
around Boston, but no more league