Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-29
CONTROL NECESSARY
IN USING SPIT BALL
Pitcher McIntire Says Any
Small Boy Can Pitch Splitter
With Little Practice.

CHICAGO, May y ANY suldH 10Y
can pitch the spit ball with little prac-
tice" says Harry Melntire, But pitch
ing and control are two vastly different
arts. It's simple matter to take a
base ball. moisten two fingers, and hurl
the object toward a batsman. In fact,
that is mere child's play compared to
the skill required to send the ball whirl-
ing with a sharp, deceiying break, which
comes almost at the plate. / learned to
throw the spit-ball in ten minutes. Then
/ practiced daily for six months before
acquired control.
The average base ball fan labors under
the impression that the moist ball can be
thrown only with an overland delivery.
That's mistake. Nine out of ten pitch
ers using this freak start their delivery
overhead, but / prefer the side arm
swing, which gives greater accuracy, Is
less of strain on the pitcher, and per-
mits of a sharper hook as the ball ap-
proaches the batsman. What success
have experienced while pitching the
splitter in the last five years l attribute
to the manner in which it is mixed with
the old-tirne, everyday curve ball
MY motto is, When in doubt, use the
splitter Otherwise ] am content to take
my chances with speed, control, ordinary
curves, and the time-honofed play of try
ing to outguess your opponents. For
strikeout purposes, to my notion, there
isn't another hall 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 twirled with
two fingers gripped on one side and the
thumb on the other, much the same as
any other curve. The object is made
slippery at the point touched by the
fingers, so that it rolls off with Just the
slightest degree of friction. The part
played by the thumb adds to the fr1c-
ton, causing the ball to take whirling
flight over a short distance until the fric-
ton overcomes the revolving motion.
when the break occurs-the sharp, zig
Tagging jump that has baff1ed some of
the greatest curve-baH hitters ever known
to the game.
When pitched with an overland mo-
tion the spit-ball shoots almost straight
downward, and when the side-arm move
ment, such as / employ, is brought into
play, with the thumb toward the body,
it breaks as fast curve does, downward.
and either outward or onward. 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, ii they go into the box in
their regular turn, say every third day.
and hope to pitch winning ball with the
aid Of the splitter
The big men who have used 1t with
success include Ed Walsh and Frank
Smith Of the Chicago White Sox. Jack
Chesbro and AL Orth. formerly OF the
Highlanders, Arthur Raymond of the
Giants and Bob Ewing. now of the
Phillies. All these men employ 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 winning
ball games that they might have lost by
of the spit ball. The overland slant
opened new avenue to employment and
continued successes on the slab for
nlngers whose careers were about over
Likewise. lot of husky boys with little
knowledge of the curve bali managed to
break into the top circles simply because
they had smoke and fast, effective
break to their moist ball. Almost every
pitcher tried his hand at It, but few of
the stars who were shining brightest
Wnen the freak was discovered by Elmer
Strfeklett back In 1903 cared to master il
for regular use in championship games.
Gradually these newcomers developed
variations in the mode of delivery LEO
'iSCs ShiPpcfy ciil, OIL ana numerous other
applications were used to reduce the fric-
ton OF the fingers. Others took to using
gum, resin or tape ON their thumbs, with
more or less success. While 1 have been
ciassed among the spit-ball pitchers of
the National League, do not regard NV
self in the light OF that class using the
splitter exclusively. It's only when I am
forced into tight corners that l cut loose
with the side-arm freak
ED Walsh OF the White Sox goes about
MS work in plain. ordinary way, using
piece or slippery elm bark in his mouth
to keep up the stock of moisture neefA1
through nine-inning contest He moist
ems spot an inch square on the ball he
tween the seams. His thumb clutches the
sphere lengthwise on the opposite seam.
and with mighty overland swinging de-
livery. the big fellow hurls the ball
straight toward the pan. Sometimes it
will jump two feet downward or outward
all this depending wholly upon the way
his arm swings.
Many pitchers using the freak make
1t practice to mix up straight, fast
balls with the splitter, taking, as 1t were,
IN order to outguess the opposing batters.
The pitcher with steady control can Get
away with this line OF work and often
times pitch no-hit games All batters look
alike to the spit-ball artist when he has
fast break and control. When things
are going along smoothly the freak WI
cause the most dangerous hitters to hoist
weak popups to the infield, while the
strikeout column usually takes on a heay-
lily dotted appearance. But once the 'spit.
ter fails almost any old fate is likely to
befall the tWirler."