The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-30

Clarke Griffith insists that the shine barr' is not a myth, and that it's use In the American league is working a great handicap to the batsmen-
 T have brought the shine ball to the attention of the league authorities, but so far nothing has been done to bar it's use," declared the manager of the Senators. Pitchers not only are resorting to the use of this illegal delivery, but also are getting away with the trick of blackening the baseball, which is spe- ican league. I think something should be done at once to stop pitchers from getting away with this practice"
 1 asked Clarke: What is the shine ban?"
 'I'm glad you put that question to me" said Griffith Tt gives me a chance to explain this ball. The general opinion is
 that the shine ball is nothing but ball which is blackened on one side and white on the other and which, when it shoots
 UP to the batter, has dazzdng ef-
 feet on the eyes because of the black and white revolutions. But that isn't the
 real shine ball.
 The shine ball is a modified emery
 bali As you know, the emery ball was
 brought about by pitchers who used a
 piece of emery to roughen a part of
 the cover of the baseball. The other part of the ball was smooth. Now when
 this ball was thrown with great force
 toward the batter the rough part of it
 would catch the air as it moved through space. The action of the air against the
 rough part of the ball would cause it
 to sail and the ball would take some
 freak slants and shoots, baffling the batter,
 Now, the shine ball is very much on the same order. But instead of rough
 ching one side of the ball the pitcher
 smooths one side to point where it
 has a surface like glass. The part of the ball which has not been smoothed then becomes rough in comparison and when the ball is thrown the naturally rough part of the cover catches the
 nreeze in the same way as does the
 s"mghened part of the emery ball. There
 tora the shine ball. when shooting up to the baAer hits the air and performs some crazy stunts.
 Griffith. explalniog how players dirty the tall said;
 Tn tls. old days the boys used to take the ball. noisten it, and then rub it on the ground They are barred from do- ing this by the pfeSent-day rules, put they accomplish the blackening effect by putting some tobacco juice, licorice or thick oil on one part of their glove. As soon as they get new ball they rub it on this part of the glove and the re- suit is that one part of the ball becomes black while the other remains white. This is a distinct advantage for the pitcher.
 If the ball was all white when 1t sailed up to the batter there would be nothing to confuse his eye But when one part of the ball is black and the other is white, it gives q peculiar effect in it's whirling motion as 1t shoots> up to the plate.'
 Griffith, while on the subject, insisted that it was these tricks, together with the splitter, that gave to pitchers of the present day an edge on those of other years.
 ..The boys of 20 and 30 years ago had
 arms just as good as the pitchers of the present day, and they had brains just as agile" declared Griffith. But they weren't aided by illegal tricks. And so in comparison they may not have per formed so brilliantly as the pitchers of l ltoday. The oldtimers depended solely upoi. their arms and their brains and the natural curve at their command to fool the batters. Pitchers of the present day feel that these assets are not sufficient and they have called to their aid some of the trick deliveries. such as spit balls, shine balls, emery balls, licorice balls, etc. No wonder the work of some or them has been so wonderful. 'I am against all of these deliveries