The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-11-09
EXPLAINS MYSTERY
OF The SPIT BALL
WESTERN TWIRLER DlVULGES
SECRET THAT CHESBRO RE.
FUSED TO LET OuT--WILL
NOT BE LEGIsLATED
AGAINST.

1 10 GItcHSI JACK buEeDIO vi the new
York American, says Glen Libhardt
for Omaha Western League Team
This is a mistake. Elmer Strick
lett of the Milwaukee club of the
citation discovered the spit ball
while a member Of the Los Angeles
club OF the Coast league in 1902
That Chesbro is given SO much
credit for The new bah is due largely
10 the fact that he was one Of the
first and probably the most success
/ ful major league twirlers to use il.
! strickletts discovery was quite &C.
cidental Ii occurred one morning
/ while the team was practicing at
/ Riverside. Cal, before the opening of
| the league season. Stricllett happen
I'd 60 moisten his fingers and send up
SOW bali He noticed the epcullar
break it took and set about develop
ing his find. The result is the spit
ball
was member of the Los Ange
les team at the time and learned the
trick from Stricklett. though | did
not master the ball during the season
of 1902 Last spring again attempt
al to gain control OF the ball, The
weather was cold however and In
the early months | went bad with ii
Later in the season when the
weather warmed sufficiently for me
10 let my arm out, mastered the puz
zler aud used il 10 good effect for the
remainder of the season.
In pitching the spit ball the fin
gers lay parallel to the seams of the
ball The tips of the fingers are mois.
tened as is a small smooth place GA
the ball The bali is delivered much
after The fashion of a slow ball. The
saliva on the fingers causes the
sphere 10 slide of without rotary mo
ton being impaired TO it, and as a re-
suit it does not twist round and
round in the air as curved ball does.
Various theories explaining the
quick and mystifying "break" OF the
spin ball have been evolved, but few
baseball rooters can tell YOU just why
aud how the peculiar break" is
brought about,
II Is very simple The ball simply |
follows the natural law Of gravitation
The force propelling it diminishes /
the closer the ball gets to the plate, |
and the result is a sudden drop, eth
er TO the right or left, according to |
The way the pitcher releases his grip !
The spit ball' is harder 10 con.
troll than the curve and its control 1
Fan be mastered only by patient prac.
ice. can break It al batter's
hin or at his knees, ana can cause
{ to shoot in. out or down. know
If no one who has been able TO pitch
ball that will break upward
To cause the ball to break down
ys-l the fingers are placed above II
with the palm down. and the delivery
5 made with an overland swing. TIC
freak the ball ont from the batter the
and is turned over and the ball de
iycred with an overland swing To
rcak the BAH out from the batter the
and is turned over and the ball de-
iyered with side arm swing. while
o break 1t in toward him the finge.s
re kept we'll to the side Of the BAH.
nd it is delivered with an underhand
wing 4,
The spit ball'' is neither a fast nor
slow ball being rather Of medium
peed. II & were thrown with toe
lpch force it would not break in
Ime and would glide over the plate
straigh, fast bali. to be murdered
~ the baisman.
II must be carefully judged. n too !
low ID viii break toe soon and prob
bly, hit he ground before il reached
be catcher This was just what
auscd New York TO lose the pennant 2
D Boston.
IN the ninth inning with a Boston I
unner on third, Chesbro pitched a ?
pir ball which broke TOO soon.
ounded past the catcher. and before
could be recovered the um was
cored
Very little rotary motion Is impart
. 10 the "spit ball" u comes mp biz O.
nj slow ana the batter can almost
ae the seams. Just as he draws
ack 10 hit ia the ball seems 10 re-
aiye new impetus and drops or
amps as ii struck down from behind
the batter hits where he aimed be- !.
iisses &C. probably a foot
do net believe the spit BALI VIII
p iesislafed against despite the or, :
Used by the hatsmen.
While expectorating on The ball the q
tcher. conceals the operation hy
Dlding both hands over the BAH and o.,
IS mouth and even il umpiros were /.
10 stop IL they could MOI
E certain That the pitcher really Oil "a
iit on Inc ball. and If they woui5
0p the same to examine the bal RI.
Ter. time the opposing team d. :,
anae3 ii. the fans would never get
ime te sgpnpr
-hcne 70 Knock Out the spit Bail
There is new scheme going the %
unds 81 too public points. bv which
e grosing control Of the pitches | 70
~ The h1tsman Is designed 10 De- +.
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