The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-06-03
MUGSY M'GRAW
KILLED PLAYS
Spit. Ball and Squeeze Barred
From Repertory of the
Giants Pitchers.

New York, June 3.-The New York
Giants, according to present indica-
lions, appear to be the only team capa-
BILE of giving the Chicago Cubs race,
and consequently there is the most in
tense anxiety on the part of the for
mer's friends that they should be on
the job throughout the entire season
and especially so during the present
long series of games on their own
grounds. A tumble during that time
would be extremely dangerous.
There are two picturesque features
of present-day baseball that American
leage teams have adopted, but which
Manager Johnny McGraw will have
nothing to do with. They are the spit-
ball and the squeeze play. McGraw has
absolutely prohibited the use of either
by his players.
The spitball McGraw considers as
the most dangerous delivery a pitch
er can adopt, and he has issued the
strictest orders against it's use. He
says no pitcher can use it more than
one season without running his arm.
McGraw possibly bases his conclu-
sions on Chesbro's sad experience.
Pitchers Good Enough.
However, the Giants manager will
listen to no arguments that Walsh, of
the Whitesox, has used the vapor pei
let for several seasons, and is still
very effective with it, or that Strick-
lett is still good and also has used the
damp sling for years.
Il will not have any of my pitchers
use it" he says, with rigid determina-
ton and decisiveness.
"All of my pitchers are good enough
for me as they are"
Beth McGinnity and Taylor can use
the spitball, and with great effect
iveness, too, according to their own
opinions. But they must have gained
It by pitching at the barn door on the
old farm during the winter months,
fer they never dared to exploit their
respective abilities with the splitter at
the Polo grounds.
McGinnity said while in Los Angeles
that he had the spitball down fine, and
on the quiet, McGraw, not having ar
rived at the grounds, Joe proved to
me that he was right. 1t was at the
time Joe was developing his "dry
splitter" and the way he manipulated
the wet one would have given Ches-
brow the yellow jaundice. And, more
over, Joe seemed to have excellent
control over it.
By the way, Joe hasn't shown his
dry splitter" here in the east yet. He
evidently thinks he is doing we'll
enough with his old deliveries, and,
let me whisper, he is. too
Il may try the spitball when l have
to go to a minor league, but not now,"
said Joe the iron man
Taylor told me he could work
the spitball fine" But McGraw
won't let me-"
A Sucker Play.
Then Luther continued on his pad:
McGraw called me in Louisville
this spring for using the splitter.
was making the ball jump out like a
shot and putting my glove to my
mouth, but it was only bluff to make
the Louisville hitters think it was the
spitball. told McGrath that, and he
laughed. don't think he was en-
tirely satisfied at that, for l was get
ting jump on the ball as quick as
any splitter ever had"
AS for the Squeeze" McGraw's
characteristic remark about it is:
"A sucker play
OF course, if the play is not carried
through exactly as intended; if either
player hesitates-either the one at
the bat or on third-or the pitcher
gets en-" then it is all off, and the
play is a sure enough Sucker" one;
but, nevertheless, it is spectacular,
sensational and also a winner when
properly handled.