The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-23
In the World of Sports
cHESbR0 TELLS JUST
HOW he THROWS It
Latest Explanation ofth> Much
Discussed Spit
Ball

BOSTON. Mass, IAN. s2.-willing 70 let
the other pitchers use it if they can, Jack
Chespro for the first time tells of the
spit ball, by which he won forty-ones
victories last season. and which also lost
New York the Championship, when one
or Chesbro's spit balls went wild and al
lowed Criger to score Boston's winning
run.
Chesbro's explanation will undoubtedIy
cause sensation in the baseball world.
II throws an entirely new light on the
naiI' Wn,cn promises In way to revolu-
tlonize the sport. All last summer Ches-s
pro persistently refused TO tell the secret.
Manager Clark Griffith did not know how
Chesoro got his control and scores of
pitchers in the two leagues vainly tried to
emulate him. Chesbro was. the kingpin
pitcher last season, and on his own state
| ment over thirty of the forty one victories
ne secured We're made possible by the spit
| ball.
| Many baseball pitchers will be surpris-
! ed when they read Chesbro's explanation,
| and, according to him. fans and experts
who have thought they really knew some
thing of the ball have been cropping in
| the DARK.
Moisture Removes Friction
The wetting of the ball by Chesbro is
done simply and solely in order that the
bal may slip off the index and middle
| hngers first and from the thumb last In
| all other curves the ballNleaves the fingers
last and the thumb first. From the fingers
Is secured the power to make a ball curve
by Wetting the ball Chesbro has been
able to make the ball leave the fingers
| nrst and thumb last, and from the thumb
| was Chesbro able to get such success
from his use of the spit BALI last sea
son. It IS not necessary to wet the ball
as. Ihoroughly as some pitchers have sup
posed. In fact, Chesbro just moistened
the ball enough to remove the friction
GneSbros thumb caused the downfall of
the heavy American league batsmen last
season and not the moisture-of the ball
| Il has also been supposed that the spit
| ball must be pitched slowly. Chesbro,
| fective when pitched with speed: He
| frankly admits that something should be
done to make more batting, and feels
many of the pitchers will be in supreme
centro1 of the mysterious sspit bal, ;" to
| the great detrinlent of the batsnen 1t
y nssr long m gg tba that that
| PAL and and even then he. refused to
tell how he was able to make the ball
drop three inches or a foot
- Chesbro's statement follows:
The spit ball has come to stay and is
| easily the most effective ball that can pos
| slbly be used; It is easy to pitch. once you
read an explanation of it that was any
where near correct.
I can make the ball drop two inches or
| can make it drop foot and half 1t
/ was only in the first few weeks of last
1 season that the New York catchers hurt
| their fingers when I used the ball. To-
! wards the close of the season l signaled
| just how far the ball would drop and
outside
The spit ball cannot be pitched so that
| 1t will drop towards right handed bats
man by right handed pitcher. 1t can only
pc made, to drop straight or to the outside.
OF course to left handed batsman if can
be made to drop towards him
The thumb, and thumb alone directs
me m spit bal The saliva on the bali does
| not affect the ball in any way. The bali
must be moistened simply for the purpose
OF making it leave the fingers first and
| the fingers last. BY moistening the bali the
| fingers slip off first and the thumb last.
The thumb does the trick on the spit bali
| and does it well.
"Anson Couldn't Catch It."
| cap. Anson couldn't hit the spit ball in
hundred years. In fact l would be willing
to bet Anson couldn't even catch ii.
The ball is not hard on the arm
pitched In fifty-four games last season and
my arm never bothered me. Speed must
pc used to make the ball effective; at
least, l always used speed, but the exer-
ZION ZION Is no greater than that of pitching
las. Ise., sslraignt s pals. l can make the ball
drop ten feet from the plate or two inches.
You have read many explanations OF
the ball, but you never read of Gibson or
| blneen hnt. telling how to use it. Gibson had
peter control of the ball than any pitcher
| saw use it last season. Dineen used the
spit ball in his last game against us that
gave Boston the pennant.
| IN the last thirty games I pitched last
/ season | probably didn't use any ball hut
the spit ball more than half dozen times.
n,tn, l used Ia a spit hall when made the wild
pftcn tnat gave Boston the pennant The
spit ball is not dangerous. I simply n,,t aS
little too much force into the bali. the
same me, as any pitcher does when he makes
perry" - was s'ip-
won't the batsmen run up to meet the
..na,. PAIL? was Was asked, and Cheslsro replied:
Don they! run up now to meet a ciIrye9
You nave simply got to try and figure out
when they are going to do the stepping IN
eorIie, 10 meet IT, "a and you can make it drop ac-
c9roingiy OF course, if the batsman knows
,.1l Wnen the ball will drop he will be able to
Kill 1T the same as he would if he know nv
you We're to pitch an outcurve.
Curve Comes to Stay
The spit bah has come to stay. 7 have
pitched until now. The use Of it gave me
a great advantage last season. It is now
up to the other pitchers to master it.
use. it. It was down at New Orleans last
spring. saw Stricklett throw one and
quickly said: That is something, Mr..
~ SHespro; mat you must acquire. / watch
wet his fingers. did the same and soon
discovered that it was the thumb that did
the work ' o1u
You have my secret now, and it is I'D tn
me pltchers; also to the batsmen to dis
cover some means OF meeting the ba l."
Cnesbro is winteTing at Conway. in the
western part of the state, and is enioying
nlmseH as few ball players do in the win
yer months. He is the owner of a large
darm and has also purchased several
snaH Iarins in the Berkshire hills which,
ne rents. He owns two of the fastesf
nofses IN Western Massa chusetts one of
Whlcn was given him by Frank Farrell for
ms great pitching last season. Mr. Far
IeHs morse, the one he gave Chasbro
pears the name of Spitball, and has q
record of 2:16 o haS
Gnesbro gets up every morning at
clock. feeds his horse, does the chores
and then breakfasts. If the weafbe1 20
good he goes hunting or sleighing. for in
conway the snow is on the ground
throughout the winter. In the evening he
goes down to the village to get his mail
ana gossip with his neighbors at the onIv
store IN town, and every night at
CLOCK Cheshire goes to the hay,
Ioday CheSbro weighs 200 pounds TT.
generally pitches at $50. He will bao;n
ms duties at Harvard on Feb. Is and Viii
stay with the college PLAYERS for q n.a,,tt, y h
ana POSSIBLY SIX weeks, after which he
Will Join the New York team in the South.
Ihe big twirler is looking in the best Of
health, and expects even greater Iesn1te
from his spit BAH next season