The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-08
SPIT BALL OR JUMP
BALL HARDEST TO HIT

What is the hardest ball that a
pitcher can deliver to hit?
That question asked of some two
dozen ballplayers on major league
clubs, including some of the best bat
tiers 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 hard
est single delivery used by pitcher
to hit, and practically all of them
agree that this delivery is the one
that is worrying them the most, be-
cause it is in more general use, while
the jump ball can be successfully
handled by only a very small percent
age of pitchers. Players are practic-
ally a unit, however, in saying that
in the hands of a master like Wad-
dell or Young the jump ball, or raise
ball, is as hard to hit safely as its
more recent rival.
When working rightly the spit
ball is practically an unhitable de-
livery, and were it not for the fact
that it's use makes fielding uncertain
ping run-getting than it is. Proper
ly delivered, the spit ball comes al
most straight up to the plate, but
Just when it looks like it was COM
ing on over with only average speed,
it suddenly drops from a fraction OF
an inch to half foot When the
spit ball refuses to take this break
it is the easiest thing in the entire
pitching repertoire to murder. When
it is breaking right there is no way
as yet found to hit 1t successfully.
Even if the bat connects with the
ball it only drives it down to the
ground and gives one Of the infield-
ers 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 deadliest 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 batters
thought they had discovered a rem
edy for it in slash almost as
straight down as cricket bat Is
used; but the trouble is that the
pitchers have discovered ways to
make the ball break out or in at the
same time it takes its down shoot
and, of course, the slashing style OF
batting was no better for this than
the ordinary horizontal one. Play
ers are now pretty we'll agreed that
a hit is rarely made off a properly
delivered spit ball, and that about
the only hope for batters is to try
to pick out ones that are badly de-
livered by the pitchers.
One of the peculiarities about the
jump or raise ball is that a batter
who is hitting in perfect form has
less chance of hitting it than one
who is out of form. Before the spit
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 it can therefore be
used only by comparatively few pitch
ers. When it is breaking properly in
the hands of a pitcher who can con-
troll it the effect is almost the Oppo-
site of that Of the spit ball. Instead
of being hit on top, the ball is hit
below and popped up in the air with
an easy out in sight for the fielders.
The jump ball comes up fast until
it gets almost on top of the batter,
and then 1t takes slight jump. Pos
sibly it is only small fraction of an
inch, but that is enough to cause the
bat to hit below the middle. A bat
ter 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 it is being used. How effect
i've the delivery 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 mayl be classed as natural
ly unbeatable deliveries, and when a
pitcher has either at his command
no particular headwork is required.
The trouble is that either delivery
can not be used, continuously with
out Gripping the one using them,
and furthermore, even the most ex-
pert in their use con not always make
them obey their will. Why it is no
one has been able to explain, but
have any. particular style of deliv-
cry perfectly and may be absolutely
unable to command 1t 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 in most of the win
ming games Not only is this the case
but pitchers who use a good variety
last the longest, owing to the fact
that the strain is better distributed.
On this account, while it is we'll for
an ambitious pitcher to acquire, if
possible, one of the naturally unbat-
able styles of delivery, it is also we'll
to cultivate a variety and learn to
use headwork with 1t.
KEEN HORSES AFTER RECORD.