Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-04
SPLITTER C|NCH' To
HURL, SAYS HARRY
McIntire, a Clever TWirIer, Says
He Throws 1t Any
Old Way
FILINGS 1T WHEN IN DOUBT
Calls Walsh, Smith, Raymond and
Ewing Best of Damp
HeaVerS
FILINGS 1T WHEN IN DOUBT

CHICAGO, June 3.-"Any small boy
can pitch the spitball with a little
practice" says Harry McIntire. "But
pitching and control are two vastly
different arts. It's simple matter to
take a baseball moisten two fingers
and hurl the object toward a batsman.
In fact that is mere child's play COM
pared to the skill required to send the
ball Whirling with a sharp, deceiving
break which comes almost at the plate.
I learned to throw the spitball in ten
minutes. Then 1 practiced daily for
six months before 1 acquired control.
"The average baseball fan labors
under the impression that the moist
ball can be thrown only with an over
hand delivery. That's a mistake. Nine
out of ten pitchers using this freak
start their delivery overhead, but 1 pre-
fer the side-arm swing, which gives
greater accuracy, is less of a strain on
the pitcher and permits of a sharper
hook as the ball approaches the bats
man. What success / have experienced
while pitching the splitter in the last
five years 1 attribute to the manner in
which 1t is mixed with the old time
everyday curve ball.
IN DOUBT USE SPLITTER
my motto is: When in doubt, use
the splitter Otherwise 1 am content
to take my chances with speed, control
ordinary curves and the time-honored
play of trying to outguess your op-
ponents. For strikeout purposes, to my
notion, there isn't another ball to be
compared in point of effectiveness with
the splitter
pitchers find their greatest difficulty
in handling the freak owing to the
heavy friction required The ball is
off with just the slightest degree OF
friction. The part played by the thumb
adds to the friction, causing the ball
to take a whirling flight over a short
distance until the friction overcomes
the revolving motion, when the break
occurs-the sharp, zig-zagging jump
that has baff1ed some of the greatest
curve-ball hitters ever known to the
game
"When pitched with an overland mo-
tion the spitball shoots almost straight
downward, and when the side-arm
movement, such as employ, is brought
into play. with the thumb toward the
body, 1t breaks as fast curve does
downward, and either outward or on
ward.
BIG MEN BEST
"Most pitchers who use the splitter
are men of powerful physical build, for
they must possess great strength in
order to bear up--that is, If they &c
into the box in their regular turn, say
every third day, and hope to pitch win
ming ball with the aid of the splitter
1.-THE big men who use 1t with sue
cess include Ed Walsh and Frank
Smith of the Chicago White Sox, Bugs
Raymond of the Giants, and Bob Ewing
now of the Phillies. All these men en-
ploy their strength to pitch the splitter
successfully, as the faster it is hurled
the faster and more deceiving the
break that follows.
"Scores of pitchers are still earning
money in the minor leagues and, win
ming bali games that they might have
lost by one-sided scores but for their
adoption of the spitball. The overland
slant opened a new avenue to employ
ment and continued successes on the
slab for fingers whose careers were
about over.