San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21
Thirty three Golfers Already Entered for City Championship
BILLY EVANS SAYS

Ed Walsh, former pitcher of til
Chicago White Sox, now assistant t
Manager Gleason, has always con
tended the rules committee pulled
bone when il barred spitball pitching
Now that the days of the spitbal
pitcher are almost over. Walsh is NOR
positive than ever that a mistake ha
been made. There have been man,
great spitball pitchers since the in
auguration of the lspitball delivery
but of all of them Walsh was prob
ably the most effective. His uncann!
control enabled him TO use the deli7
cry almost exclusively and also mad!
it possible for, him 10 keep the bal
Mt the knee. the spot where the spit.
| ball is most effective.
THE spitball delivery is not a freak
or trick delivery" says Walsh in de-
tense of the moist ball. 'Its-deceptive
features are not made possible BY
rOughening the ball, raising the seams
or shining the ball. There is no mys-
terry about the spitball. The batsman
knows how it is thrown and usually
knows when it is coming. By the APP
plicatiOn of some saliva to a certain
part OF the ball, the pitcher causes
the ball 10 slip off the fingers. Ii
simply eliminates friction. By the
manner in which the pitcher holds
the ball and the way he delivers L.,
depends the break the ball will take
The successful spitball pitcher in
the old days was specialist who con-
stantly worked TO perfect the delivery
and acquire control, for without con.
troi the spitball has no value. They
made a mistake when they did away
with the Spitball. That style of deliv-
cry would tend TO curb some of the
present day slugging. Shocker, FABLE.
Russell. Coveleskie and Jack Quinn.
few of the spitball pitchers left. are
among the most effective twirlers liz
the American League. They prove tn.
value of the spitball as a delivery.
There certainly is considerable
truth in what Walsh says. In this era
of swat in baseball. no style of pitch
ing is more effective against the mod
ern day siuggers than the spitbaii
Only the other day the veteran Shock
or turned in his twentieth victory of
the season and says he will be salts
fled with nothing short of % wins.
Of course the spitball isn't Shocher's
only stock in trade. but that elusive
style delivery is still his big threat.
The sluggers don't seem able to take
the liberties with the spitball pitchers
that they do with the speed bal
artists.
While the major leagues are adher.
ing to the policy OF putting the ban
on spitball pitchers when the present
veterans pass out, the minors. semi
professionals and amateurs are moi
following the same system. The action
of the major leagues in barring the
Spitball has not been general. Its use
still continues in high favor in base
ball outside the big show.
Since the ball is effective it is only
natural that a lot of likely young
pitchers use it. In so doing they are
hurting their chances of making the
majors. However, at present their big
thought is to win in the company 10
which they are playing and the Use
OF the spitball is a great asset. Only
the other day a well known big league
scout told me that some Of the best
pitching material he had looked over'
in the independent ranks, still used
the spitball extensively. Wonder il
there is chance for the splitter" to
come back as one Of the weapons to
curb the slugging that now dominates
baseball.