Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-22
PASSING OF THE SPIT BALL
HAS INCREASED HITTING
Lack of Batting Proves Is No Longer Complained Of
by the Fans, Who for Time Protested Strongly
Against the Pitchers Superiority.

=, cry itself. 1t is, really surprising the
| amount of moisture some pitchers can
| get on the ball with each delivery. In
game in which two spit ball pitchers are
| working, a ball is rendered almost unft
for play after the passing of few
| innings. The cover of the ball becomes
| wet from the frequent moistening Ere
! paratory to pitching which very shortly
| renders the sphere dead.
Renders Ball Unfit for Play.
| I have frequently examined the balls
| in such games, and often wondered how
the batters ever managed to get the
sphere out of the infield. In such cases
| always threw the ball out Of play and put
! in a new one a stunt very often not rel
ished by the pitcher in the field. J. have
also often wondered how pitchers using
a curve ball or speed were able to snow
their usual amount OF stuff, working with
a ball in such condition. Jack Foweil,
the veteran big Lacquer. wonderiul
pitcher in his day, was one twlrter VINO
always hated to be used in game IN
which a spit ball HEAVIER was WORKING on
the opposing team. In such games JACK
always kept the umpire busy dlshlng out
new balls. At the start of each inning
Jack would toss the ball to the umpire
and request a dry one The umpres
always granted his request, for there Is
no denying the fact that continual use
of the splitter soon renders the ball unit
for play.
ers it was more than hard on the UNI
pires Players are mighty glad that 1t
is gradually passing less each year. II
is far from a pleasant task to Judge bans
and strikes with two spit Dali pitcners
working 1t is a well known fact that
unless broken low. the spit ball is not
very effective. The successful pitchers
were the fellows who could keep getting
it over the plate at about the Knee ooch
pitching always makes trouble for an
umpire Nine times out of ten a spit
bali that crosses the plate at the knee is
six or eight inches near the ground wneh
the catcher receives 1t. Many people Judge
the ball purely from the position OF the
catcher when receiving it Calling
strike when the catcher seems to be al
most picking the ball off the ground is
far from a pleasant task if the batter
happens to be member of the home
team.
Handicapped All the Players.
There are other people aside from the
umpire and batter who are more than
glad at the scarcity of the spit ball
pitchers namely, infielders and catchers.
Many an infielder has been credited with
an error on an easy chance. simply be-
cause he made a weird throw after field
IL.
wild throws were due to the fielder get
ting his fingers In the saliva There are
any number of catchers in the business
today who can show many an injury
which might be traced back to the
spit ball. '.
Just why delivery that was so pop
ular six years ago should fall into such
sudden disrepute Is a mystery. Per-
haps the best reason Is the toll 1T ex-
acted On the man who depended soleiy
on its use for success. Many pitchers
using the delivery contended that 1t
had no bad effect on the arm, but
strange to say. many of those pitchers
are either out of the game now or In
the minors Pitchers who had been in
the majors prior to the debut of such
twirlers, and who used the old-style
delivery, are still doing business at
the same stand. There IS no denying
the fact that constant use OF the moist
delixery put a terrible strain on the
arm Many pitchers who are now down
and out will admit the fact.
Last year Ed Walsh. perhaps the most
famous of all pitchers who ever used
that style Of delivery. was Of little use
for work. was unable to take his reg
ular turn in the box for months. He
tried to come back three or four times.
but displayed little of his old-time
form. I see by the papers that he
claims to be in good shape again. II
Walsh Is through. his passing Will
mark the exit of the one pitcher who
was surely a past master with the
much discussed delivery.
Copyright. 1914, by W. G. Evans.)