Evening star., 1911-08-14
GREAT PITCHERS Do
NOT USE SPIT BALL
Ed Walsh Only One Who Ever Fig.
ured in a Worlds
Series.
MOISTENED DELIVERY
NOT VERY POPULAR
Pitchers Using It Might Be Just as
Effective Without Its
Use.

NEW YORK, August 1.-THE spit ball
pitcher has won many a game. but 1t is
a question whether he has won any more
for having developed the spit ball. May
be he has, but pitchers of the first class.
who don't use the moist curves and who
are just as capable as their damp-deliv-
cry contemporaries, are too numerous to
mention Such pitchers as Ford and
Walsh have done wonders with the spit
ter. but. with their physique, knowledge
of pitching and natural ability, wouldn't
they have been fully as effective in the
long run had they stuck to regular meth
DDS of serving slants and shoots?
Anyway, it is a striking fact that in
the biggest Of all base ball prizes, the
post-season series for the worlds cham
pionship. spit ball pitchers have played
but a slight part. AS a matter of fact.
they have not been very prominent on
pennant-winning teams of either league,
and since 1903, when the present world s
series began, the only spit ball pitcher
who has figured in worlds series is Ell
Walsh of the Chic ago White Sox.
Walsh took part In two of the games
the White Sox won from the Cubs. and
as much as any one man helped win the
prize in 1906 for the American League,
but he is the only one of the anointed-
ball set who ever cut any figure in a
worlds series. Cy Morgan helped the
Athletics win the pennant last year. but
Mack didn't use him at all in the games
, in which the American Leaguers gave
such an artistic and thorough trimming
to the pride OF the National League. The
spit ball pitcher Is not useless Unit IN
any whole. but he is by no means a me-
| cessity, and more pennants have been
won without him than with him.
In the series between the Boston
Americans and Pittsburshs in 1903 the
winning pitchers in turn were: Philippe,
Pittsburgh: Dineen. Boston; Philippe.
Pittsburgh: Philippe, Pittsburgh: Young.
Boston; D.neen, Boston: Young, Boston,
| Dineen. Boston. There was no series in
1901. but in 1905 the winning pitchers
came in this order: Mathewson, New
| York. Bender, Athletics: Mathewson.
| New York; McGinnity, New York; Math-
ewson. New York Not one of these used
/ the spit ball
| The order Of the winning pitchers in
| 1896 was: Altrock. White Sox; Reu bach,
| Cubs: Walsh. White Sox: Brown, Cubs
| WalshWhite. White Sox. White, White
| Sox. As Walsh finished but one contest.
! only one complete game out OF the forty
/ which have been played for the world $
! championship has been won by a spit ball
! finger. That fact is significant.
The winning pitchers in 1907 were:
| Pfester. Cubs: Reulbach. Cubs: Overall,
| Cubs; Brown, Cubs. In 1913 they were
| Reuibach Overall Cubs: Overall
Cubs: Mullin. Detroit; Brown, Cubs
| Overall. Cubs. In 1909: Adams, Pitts
burgh: Donovan. Detroit; Maddox, Pitts
| burgh: Mullin. Detroit; Adams. Pitts
/ burgh; Mullin. Detroit; Adams Pitts
/ burgh In 1910: Bender. Athletics
| Coombs. Athletics Coombs. Athletics;
| Cole Brown. Cubs; Coombs. Athletics.
One of nineteen pitchers who have TAX
1 en- part In these games is spit ball ex-
| pert. Left-handers have been almost as
scarce, White and Pfiester being the only
ones. That fine veteran. Mordecai Brown
leads all the rest In participation in win
| ming games. He has been in fiye and has
| faced three clubs. the White Sox, De-
| trots and Athletics. overall has taken
part I'm four victories: Philippe. Dineen
| Mathewson, Reulbach. Coombs and
/ Adams in three each and Young, Walsh
Bender and Mullin In two each.