The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-27
LEAGUES MAY BAR
WEIRD DELIVERIES
Moist Rail- Must Go, Says Hcydlcr,
And shine Ball. Too, IL 1t Real
Nv Exists


lection Of other club owners and
an effort will be made at the league
meeting this winter 10 bring about
changes in the rules which will pro
h bit both the moist bali and the
shine ball.
In discussing the question yester-
day, President John A. Heydier OF
the National league said that he
believes that the wet ball should be
abolished but he said that before
any legislation could be directed
against the so-called shine ball it
must be first established that such
4 thing as the shine ball exists.
The spit ball should be abolished,
said Mr. Hedyler TITS use is C.GJec-
tiona bic, and many game ar upset
by a player making wild throw
y.hile the bali IS still moist after
coming from the. pitchers hands
But as for the shine ball Is there
such a thing? TmpIros and club
owners disagree about the existence
Of such a ball, and many competent
baseball authorities regard the shine
tall as a myth"
President Heydler watched the
pitching OF Eller very closely in the
worlds series, and when he was
most effective, while striking out
six OF the White Sox in row, he
says that Eller used a fast. legiti-
mate curved ball 1t wasn't El3er &
m mysterious shine ball which made
him such a great pitcher during the
season just past, Long before he
was ever accused OF using a shine
ball, Eller was an effective pitcher.
Two years ago, during the OHIO
state series between the Cincinnati
and Cleveland, Eller won tho two
games ne pitched. Az that time no
one accused him of using the shine
ball.
There are many versions aboue the
nuzzling delivery It is charged by
some managers that Eiler has parraf-
hne hidden in parts Of his uniform
and when he rubs ais hands on the
cloth his fingers are covered VITA
the wax which he uses 20 shine the
ball and make one side Of II slip
perry TIP in Boston during the past
season eleuths tried 10 examine Ell
ler's uniform. but they were unsGc-
cessful They charged that when Ell
Ter went TO the Boston clubhouse
he was the only mem her OF the Gin
cinnati club who kept his uniform
under lock and key when he wasn't
wearing il Incidents of this sort
thicken the mystery about EIler's Co
called shine ball,
Charges against a successful pitch
er Of using artificial means 10 aid
his pitching are nothing new in
baseball The shine ball is An an
cient mystery Umpire Bob Emsiie,
the oldest Of the indicator holders.
says that more than d quarter Of A
century ago when Bobby Matthew :
was star pitcher, the opposing clubs
protested that he was using a shine
bail AS Tn the case of Ciootte and
Eller. however. no one was able 10
prove that Matthews used any arttfi-
cial substance TO aid his pitching.
Manager Clarke Griffith. of the
Washington club, who is one OF this
managers loud in his protests against
Cicotte's shine bali WAS in exactly
the same kind of 4 situation when
he was pitcher in the major leagues.
Griffith had a habit OF hitting the
ball against the heel of one OF his
shoe. The opposing batsmen were al
ways calling the umpires' attention =
this claiming that FriTitA ntcked the
cover OF the ball. which aieed HIM
in using a freak delivery. After A
" lille the umpires came to the coeclu-
s.an. that .his. .vsas Just b psrY o1Fs
habit OF GriTith's, and he merely
Knocked the ball against the heel If
his shoes and had no intention OF
cutting the cover.
While Some OF the umptres be-
lieve that some artificial substance
is used by Cicotte and Eller whom
the delivery is a 'fioater,' other Of
ficials say that this is merely the re-
suit OF expert pitching one thing
is certain If the shine ball could
be negotiated with the aid of paraf
fine or sonle other smooth subs lance.
II isn't likely that the other pitchers
would hesitate to perfect he same
kind Of a delivery
Cicotte has said time and again the
shine ball is myth. He says the
story has been played up so promi-
nentlv in the newspa pers and among
the ball players that the players
really believe ii, According to both
Eller and Cicotte. the shine ball
exists only in the minds OF the play
ers.
President Heydler points out that
Il rule aimed at the so-called shine
ball might work a great deal OF in
justice against ether pitchers. Many
pitchers so through exactly tho
same kind of motions as Cicotte and
Eller and yet no one accuses them
OF using trick delivery. Mr.. Heyd-
lcr says that II 1t can be shown that
the shine ball is the result of trick
cry, he will favor passing rules to
abolish it.
1t is a difficult process to bring
about change in the rules. If one
major league makes change is
must first notify the national COM
m lSsion. The other league is then
notified and then the commission ap-
points a rules committee to take up
the matter This rules committee
is made up OF three representatives
OF each of the major leagues and
under the agreements one represen-
tative of the minor leagues AS the
minors have abrogated their agree
ment with the majors. however, the
rules committe would now consist
OF three representatives from each
of the majors. This committee
would include both presidents. Any
change in the rules requires ma
jority vote OF the six members.
Hard Hitting of Past Year,
Those who are opposed to the
sccalled freak pitching" says Presi-
dent Heydler. maintain that 1t Is
giving an unfair advantage TO the
pitchers and is retarding the bat
ting disagree with this conten
ton. because l have never seen the
ball hit harder than during the last
season. Many overlook the fact
that the defensive side of baseball
has improved wonderfully, This is
especially true among outflelders.
The outnelders OF today cover a lot