Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-08-09

X bIltNNlNG today, a fine of $50
- will be imposed on any Fed
eral League pitcher using the mud
ball. AT first the above statement
may sound like q myth-how could
a pitcher throw a mud ball?
This mud ball is the successor to
the emery ball, and its most able ex-
ponents are two tall Pep peggers-
Ed Reulbach and Cy Falkenburg.
Reulbach started using 1t with great
success recently, and Cy Falkenburg.
accused variously of using the
emery ball" the "enamel ball" the
fluff BALI and the finger ball"
fling, also perfected it.
IT HE mud ball'' Is a simple thing,
one of the variety of wonders
that make one exclaim as the sa
wants did when Columbus stood the
egg on it's end Funny no one ever
thought about that before! The
pitcher expectorates on the ball and
then rubs dirt on the moist section.
The clinging clay cakes quickly and
forms a wedge that causes the ball
to break at most astonishing angles,
80 that 1t is impossible to bat the
ball. Reulbach pitched the mud
ball Saturday and got thirteen as
sists. along with George Stovalps
goat.
| N HE Kansas City manager exhib-
Il tied several special specimens OF
the mud BALI to President James
| A. Gilmore yesterday, and the ban
on the mud BALI in future games
was the result. Notice has been sent
TO all managers of a $50 fine oeine
! imposed on any pitcher who tries &c
use It. Joe Tinker was the first to
| complain, and he was succeeded by
TrieIder Jones. the st. Louis manager.
They claimed It would ruin the game
as soon as other pitchers perfected
the delivery
TN mixer was a spectator yester-
L day at the local game, and gave
his view on the delivery. Newark
pitchers have perfected 1t, and they
have the jump, but others would get
1t sooner or later, and left-hanuer
would throw something that would be
the weirdest thing batter ever
looked at" said Joe. Most pitchers
would have a hard time controlling
II for q time. The pitcher has all
the best of it now without giving
him any additional advantage" Tin
ker's team, by the way, will be the
next attraction here, coming for
series tomorrow.
MUD ball or no mud ball, Earl
lVA Moseley was master of cere-
monies in yesterdays tilt Earl laid
aside his usual desire to strike out
every batter that came up TO the
plate. but in the pinch, when he had
to do something, he Just put so much
on tho oall that Cullop was whitfield
in a jiffy The Kansas City pitcher
was the only strike-out victim Earl
had, and he was so dazzled by Nose
ley's smoke and splitter that he al
lowed a perfect strike to cleave the
plate. and then kicked as though
Johnstone had did him an injustice in
calling him out.
EANS who saw the exciting games
l. of Saturday and yesterday had
a chance to sympethize with the UNI
pires. Seldom have there been 80
many close plays up for decision.
With the race so tight It is natural
that everybody should be looking for
everything. It was the ooncensus OF
opinion. however. among fans that
Umpire Shannon, who worked on the
bases Saturday. made a mistake in
the tenth, when he declared that Sto-
vail was out at first base because
Goodwin upset Laporte in sliding into
second base, preventing his chance to
make q throw. Had the interference
been of a deliberate nature, such M
holding an opposing players arm, II
would have been different, but nc
umpire could say for a certainty thai
! Stovall would not have beaten the
relay to first, anyhow.