Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-07
SP|T-BALL KEEPS
AVERAGES DOWN
BIG LEAGUE BATTERS SAY 1T
is HARD TO SOLVE
When Bat Does Connect with Leather
the Result Is That Ball Strikes
Ground with Diminished
Force

w nat is IlG lldIucoJ peiil tie1S "a PNS0-
er can deliver to hit? That question,
asked of some two dozen ball players
on major league clubs, including some
of the hest batters in the country,
brought with hardly an exception the
opinion that it was either the spit ball
or the jump BALL
Most players lean to the opinion that
the spit ball is the hardest single ue-
livery used by pitcher to hit, ana ana
practically all of them agree that thls
delivery is the one that Is worrying
them the most because 1t is IN more
general use while the jump ball can
be successfully handled by only very
small percentage of pitchers. Players
are practically a unit, however in say
ing that in the hands of master like
Waddell or Young the jump ball, or
raise ball is as hard to hit safely as
it's more recent rival.
When working rightly the spit ball is
practically an unhittable delivery, and
were it not for the fact that its use
makes fielding uncertain it would be
even more deadly in stopping run getting
than 1t is. Properly delivered the spit
ball comes almost straight up to the
plate, but Just when it looks like 1t was
coming on over with only average
speed it suddenly drops from fraction
of an inch to half a foot. When the
spit ball refuses to take this break 1t is
the easiest thing in the entire pltching
repertoire to murder When 1t is break
ing right there is no way as yet found
to hit it successfully.
Bat Drives Ball Downward
Even if the bat connects with the ball
it only drives it down to The ground
and gives one of the inffelders an easy
assist, unless he happens to get his
fingers on the wet spot when throwing
Then there is an error charged up. The
spit ball is the deadest ball batsman
has to drive, and even when hit hard
it can be driven but slowly unless hit
squarely on the nose.
When the spit ball first came out bat
ters thought they had discovered a
remedy for it in slash almost straight
down as a cricket Lat is used, but the
trouble is that the pitchers have dis
covered ways to make the ball break
out or in at the same time 1t takes lts
down shoot, and, of course, the slash-
ing style of batting was no better for
this than the ordinary horizontal one.
Players are now pretty well agreed that
a hit is rarely made eff properly de-
livered spit ball. and that about the
only hope for batters Is to try to pick
out ones that are badly delivere by the
pitchers.
One of the peculiarities about the
Jump or raise ball is that batter who
is hitting in perfect form has less
chance of hitting it than one who is
out of form. Before the Gpit ball came
in the raise ball was the king of them
all. The trouble with this delivery,
however, is that it takes tremendous
strength and speed to handle it. and 1t
can therefore be used only by compare
lively few pitchers. When it is break
t., ,1e 90 ttn6
who can control it the effect is almost
the exact opposite of that Of the spit
ball.
Jump Ball Puzzler
Instead of being hit on top the ball is
hit below and popped up in the air with
an easy out in sight of the fielders.
The Jump ball comes up fast until 1t
gets almost on top of the batter, and
then it takes a slight jump. Possibly
it is only small fraction of an inch,
but that is enough to cause the bat to
hit below the middle. A batter hitting
perfectly at the ball has no chance to
drive it safe, as the break comes so late
and is so fast that there is no chance to
alter the swing of the bat to meet it
squarely.
A faulty batter, who normally hits
too high, on the other hand, is the one
who is most likely to get hits when 1t
is being used. How effective the dellV-
cry is is shown by the fact that most
of the no-hit games are to the credit OF
pitchers who use it.
Both the spit ball and jump ball are
what may be classed as naturally un-
battable deliveries, and when pitcher
has either at his command no particu-
lar headwork Is required. The trouble
is that either delivery cannot be used
continuously without Ri oling the one
using it, and, Furthermore, even the
most expert in their use cannot always
make them obey their will
Whv it is no one has been able to ex-
plaiR, /but 1t is a fact that one day a
pitcher may have any particular style
of delivery perfectly and may be abso-
lutely unable to command it a day or
SO later Hence pitchers who rely solely
upon one delivery are never reliable
and it is the one who has not one, but
half dozen styles to use. that counts
the most in winning games. Not only
is this the case, but pitchers who use
good variety last the longest, owing to
the fact that the strain is better dis
trtbuted. On this account, while it is
well for an ambitious pitcher to acquire
If possible one of The naturally unhit-
table styles of delivery, it is also well
to cultivate a variety and learn to use
headwork with it.