The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-20
CLAIMS RED SOX
 PITCHERS FIRST
 USED EMERY BALL

Boston, Jan &0.--BOStOn zsIds VIII recall that early last fali faror was over the Highlander pitchers use Of the emery ball, and so much dlssatis- faction WAS caused by its 5sse that the American league ordered that any one found xesortinE to it would be fined $100 and suspended for 30 days. The Philadelphia team claim ed that 1t oFieineted with tho New York club, but Manager Carrtean laughed heartily yeBterday a1 he stat ed that the Red Sox team v4as the principaI offender. and that had it not been for this emery pIn neither Wood nor Gregg could hava done anything at all for tna team last season.
 There mo harm In disclosing the secret novs says BilL for we VII not be able to put 1t in play hsaeaI- ter and the heavy punishuaent tlfkt would fo1I0gv 9ts uae puts 1E8 forever upon the black Hist. Three years ago Buck OsRrien used to pull 1t once. in a while in conjunction with his Hpit- Ter, but Ealaf Of Cleyslsnd wes the original emery man.
 when we obtained Gregg rom Cleveland we found that Vean de- pended almost solely upon. 1t on ac- count of his lame arm. Therefore we never worked Gregg aRainst the Maps. Gregss team mate KaIer. dreamed of th1s emery appliance enc l night and as he told 6reEEs Instead of wisely Keeping 1t to hlTnself, the l big asset 1t would prove to a pitcher
 who has control became notsed about I the league.
 1T ought to explain that pftchers who were on to the ropes used tq sew small piece of emery paper on 1 to the palm of their gloves. HaleEt discovered that by rubbing one side roughening a space about. the size .oE l a 25-eent piece, the ball could bel made to take the most astQutsains-
 breaks
 For instance, in order to have a ball break upw ards, the under side oG I ts1ls ball would be roughened, and vice versa. The ball would jump with 1 a terrific break, and any catcher Whc tried to handle it had his work cut
 out for him.
 when the schedule was growing old. live had to play 10 games in one week At that lime my pitchers were going
 awfully bad and had It not been for
 this innocent looking piece of emery paper I might as we'll have left Gregg and Wood at home. Jack Egan, who unptred behind Joe one day, said
 that he had never seen such fearful
 breaks on q ball. and fntimated that if Wood had a sore arm ft would do sorne other pitchers a world Of good
 to acquire lame wings.
 I I've went to Philadelphia ore day
 and Wood used it. The 1zaclZn eu were wild after two or three innings of weak hitting and finally some of
 them began picking up the ball to tinyestigate. When the rough spot
 was found they demanded to see I Woods glove and Joe threw it down to them. after first slipping the
 piece of emery paper to JaRvrin. Thereafter the ball would be thrown l to- Janvrin after each bRtsman had hit and Jamie would give if the
 emery process
 The Athletics went to New York I right after me left sPhiIIy and the
 I3ighlanders started to work 1t. Un-
 fortunately Umpire Connolly, who was working here, had one e1epsri- ence with us ir- Phil1y and he Waa 1 on the lookout for it. He took two
 of tn@ balls used in the game shipped them to Ban Johnson, and action by
 ths American league was the result 'f
 After, Congress votes to have the
 District of Co1umbia. dry. the members will perhaps all adjourn to Baltin ore
 It is not true that the Italian
 earthqualke was caused by the drop 1 ping eR a shell from one of those
 new fl centimeter guns.
 Some Of the congressman will per-
 sist in listening to the debates oEi I public questions when they ought tQ
 be settling the patronage rows be-
 tween rival factions.