Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-05
"SPIT" BALL MEN ERRATlC
Orth Only Twirler of That Glass to
Have Two Good Years.
RACES AT NEW ORLEANS
Trotting Board Tackled Gold Cup Case
Today-Interesting Bowling
Matches-Golf Notes.

Clark Griffith, manager of the New York
Highlanders, says Ed Walsh won't be such
a sensation in the pitching box the coming
season as he this year, says the Chi
Cago Record-Herald. Crit" was passed
through here the other day on his way to
his ranch in Montana, doesn't wish the big
White Sox star any bad luck, but he says If
Walsh goes the way of all other spit ball
twirlers the coming campaign will not prove
such a rosy path for him.
The little leader of the Highlanders, who
put UP such a scrap at the close of the
season to snatch the pennant from the
Sox, bases his prediction about Walsh on
the records of other famous pitchers who
depend for their success upon the spit
ball But one pitcher in the business ever
had two good years in succession said
Griffith That man is Orth. You can
name over all the other great 'spitters
and you will find that I am correct
Chesbro Never Game Back"
There was Chesbro in 1904; Harry How
ell in 1905; Winters, Gibson and a string
of others 1t invariably turned out that
none of them ever followed one good year
with a repeater Orth is the only excep-
ton Chesbro in 1904 was the greatest of
them ALL but since then hasn't been able
to duplicate his successes of that splendid
season.
Il think the reason the spit ball men
fall down after a long run of good pitch
ing is that they overdo their favorite de-
livery. They try to get too much OF a
break on the ball. with the result that they
lose their knack of pitching it, and the ball,
instead of taking the fine break just before
reaching the plate. slides up to the bats
man without any drop on 1t and then the
base hits begin to pop. They use too much
moisture the ball
II don't say that Walsh will not be a
winning pitcher this coming year, but 1
was this season. He has enough STUFF
to insure moderate success. but l doubt
very much II he will be able to NOW down
the batsmen the way he did this season.
Uses "Spit" Ball All the Time.
walsh was really a corker this year.
He had wonderful break that spit
ball. and he using it all the time. My
batsmen would go to the plate knowing
absolutely what to expect, but still they
couldn't hit him with any degree of GER
tainty. Walsh always opens up with a
spit ball. and then a high fast one. That's
the program all the time. The catcher
doesn't even have to signal what to throw,
for Ed would heave In the same thing any
way. He was in the very height of his
career the past year, but take my word for
1t he won't be going into the box every
other day next season. and winning games
nous the past campaign.
1T has been my observation that spit
ball pitchers who have had their Dig
year will go along all right for six or
seven innings in a game and then sud-
denly lose their ability to make the spit
ter break in the proper manner That Is
the reason Chesbro was taken out of the
box many times this year. Usually the
catcher can tell the minute the pitcher
goes wrong, and most managers waste no
time in sending another man to the box.
mill finly fta arod of no
game and retain command of their pet
delivery, but you never can tell just what
they are apt to do
No Good Unless Just Right.
There is nothing easy to hit as
spit ball pitcher when his delivery IS
little off The ball comes up TO tho bat
just made to order for the batsman, and
without a curve drop on the ball it is
a picnic for any kind of hitter to slam
out the leather.
at may seem funny that a pitcher cannot
throw a certain kind of ball as well one
year as he does another. but that is what
past experience shows US. Harry Howell OF
the st. Louis Browns was as good as any
pitcher in the business in 1903, but he
wasn't the fooler last year he was the year
before He got along fairly well. but that's
all. Whether Walsh will follow in the foot
steps of Chesbro, Howell and the rest re-
mains to he seen. l don't wish to imply
that Cheshire will never again be as good
as ne was in 1901 On the contrary, think
ne will come back into his old form. and 50
will Howell. After so long the pitchers re-
gain their old knack of throwing the spit"
ball, and they become once more as good
as ever
"Sully" Differs With "Griff."
Billy Sullivan. the catcher who handled
Walsh's delivery in most of the games
played by the worlds champions, thinks
Griffth's theory is all rubbish as far as
Walsh is concerned. According to "Sully,"
Walsh will be better than ever the coming
season. "Comiskey thinks 50. too said
Sullivan in discussing the proposition yes
tcrday, and I'll bet you Will find out that
Walsh's 1907 record will beat his 1906 per-
formances all houow.
walsh is an entirely different sort of
pitcher from any one I ever caught
batted against" continued Sullivan. He
pitches just so all the time, never puts in
an extra move, and believe he VIII be
using the splitter just effectively ten
years from now as he did all last season.
LAS far as | am concerned, l wish Ed
would use something besides that spit
ball for it's mean thing for catcher
to handle. / know several base runners
who try to steal second every time they
reach first II a spit pitcher is in the box
They are always looking for the catcher to
make wild throw to second on account OF
the slippery ball Many errors on the in
field would never happen. either, with the
spit ball cut out. l know that the wild
throws by Robe and George Davis in tne
next to the last game in the worlds series
were on account of the wet ball.
Talking About Wrong Man.
mo. 'Grifs' argument won't hold good
If he has Walsh in mind l can't tell why
Ed will be just big hit next year any
more than / can explain the mysteries of
his delivery. l know he throws the most
wicked spit ball of any pitcher, and now
that he has 1t developed just right 1t will
be as deceptive as ever to the batsmen in
1907. ....-- ...
by the way, think the reason the Cubs
lost heart in the worlds series was because
they knew Walsh would have them abso-
lutely buffaloed II the championship should
ever come. down to the seventh game
When their best hitters We're missing per-
feet strikes by over a foot in the third
game OF the series-the one we captured