Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-25
Players Say That the
Spit Ball Can't
Be Hit

what is the hardest bali shat a pitcher
can deliver to hit2
That question asked Of some two dozeI
ban players on major league clubs, includ'
ms SOME of the bost hatters in the coun
try. brought with hardly an exception th'
opinion that Il was either the spit ball OF
the jump bali. Most players lean to tn
opinion that the spit ball Is the hardes|
single delivery used by a pitcher to hit
and practically all 81 them agree that thi'
delivery 10 the pnc that is worrying then
the most because it Is In more general use
while the Jump bah can be successfully
handled by only a very small percentage o.
pitchers. Players are practically a unit
however in saying that Ia the hands OF q
master like Waddell or Young the tnmI
bah or raise bali. Is as hard to hit safely
a. its more recent rival
Whom working rightly the spit bah Is
practically AN unhittablo delivery. and were
Il not for the fact that It's use makes field
ing uncertain Il would hc even more deadly
In stopping run getting than II is. Proper
Iv delivered the spit ball comes almost
straight up ~ the plate. but Just when II
looks like II was coming ou over with only
average speed It suddenly drops from a frac-
tlan OF an inch "a hali "a fnnt- Whom the
spit ball refuses to take this break 1t is
The easiest thing tn the entire pitching
repertoire 70 murder. when II is breaking
right there Is no way as yet found To- nit II
successfully
Even IL the hat connects with tho ball It
only drives II down To the Eiouhu HHu Eihts
one ~ the inflcldcrs nn easy assist unless
hc happens 10 get bis fingers ON the wet
spot when throwinea Then there is an err
rur charged up The splt BAH is the deadesi
ball a batsman has tY drive. and even when
hit hard II can he driven hut slowly unless
hit suuaroiy on tho nost. When the spit
bali first came out bpters thought they had
discovered a rQmedy Tor it In a slash almost
straight down as a cricket bat is used, hut
the trouble IL that fho pitchers have dis
s.y.rgI ayuaHn. o., tu.t4 the hail ifaHN ont or
Ia at the same time u takes its down
shoot. and. - course. the Elnahing style Of
batting was no better for this Than the or
binary horizontal oae. PLAYERS are now
pretty well agreed that a hit Is rarely made
of a properly delivered spit bali. and that
about tic only hope for battcrs Is To- try to
pick out ones that are badly delivered by the
pitchers
one " the pccullarliies about the iump OF
raise bail Is that "a batter who is hitting In
perfect form has less chance Of hitting Il
than one who 10 cut 81 form. Before the
spit bah cano In tho raise ball was the king
of them all The trouble with this de-
livery. however, iH that II takes tremendous
strength and speed 10 handle Il. and It can
therefore be used only ny comparatively
few pitchers. WHOM II Ia breaking properly
10 tho hands ~ % pitcher who can control q
tho effect Is almost Che cXact opposite of
Instead u being ME on ton tho bau IS hit
below ana popped up I'm the air with an
easy out in sight Cor the 0ciders. The Jump
ban comes az fast units 4 r almost ou
top 90 the batter. and then 10 takes a slight
jump Possibly 10 is only q small fraction
of an inch. but That is enough 10 cause The
hat CO. hit below the middle. A batter hHt-
tins perfectly at the ball has no chance 10
drive 30 safe as the break comes 80 late
ana is so fast that there is NO chance 60
alter the sWlnH of The hat Co meet Il square
ly. a faulty batter who normally hits too
high. on tho other hand b. the one who be
most likely Co set hits when it be- being
How effective the delivery is be-
shown by tho fact that MOST of the no-htt
are e. the crcdit ut pitchers who
81.
Roth the spit bail aud jump bah are what
may Dee ciassed as naturally unbeatable do
uVerlss Hna when % ritchrr has either at
Ni~ command NO particular headwork is re-
uuired Tho trouble b. that either delivery
caunn DE used continuously without Grip
pltug the one using them, and. Furthermore.
even tho most expert lea thcir use cannot al
ways make them obey their viii.