New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-09-13

Nhsn fe NV tM thfee 'este' sAes W.
the game,
n also Is saiAd proof that the same
u never lost nyiil the last man IL out
There were two out when yesterdays
game Was wen,
wollsehlsseeF OF Merideh certainly
Il a s~eet l,stsmsn, Four hits IN hNe
trips 10 the plate was bis mark,
wilcox, ifst base fer MeTiden, u
an old time Yale playtF, tie still re-
tsins much OF his told time skill
Pete cabsius hard a. hard time try
ing 10 explain 20 his teammates yes
ferday. They all teek exception 10
some Of his methods OF running the
bases
But rs all IN coed fun and all the
boys had a good time,
Ed Walsh. famous pitcher OF the
Chicago white sox. nos acting as as
sistant 10 Manager GLEASON, has al
ways commended the rnles committee
pulled bone when II barred spitbail
pitching. Now that The day. OF the
spthhil pitcher are almofi over,
Walsh 10 more positive than ever that
e nistRk. has been made. There have
been many great spitball pitchers
since the Inauguration OF the spitball
delivery, OF All ofthem Walsh was
probably the most effective. His un-
canny control enabled him TO use the
delivery almost exclusively. and also
made II possible pr him TO keep the
bali at the knee hhe spot where the
spitball Is most Frective.
The spitball leIivery is not freak
or trick delivery" says Walsh in de-
Tense Of the moist ball Its deceptive
features are 1ot made possible by
rouehening the ball, raising the seams
or shining tn ball. There is no mys-
terry about tie spltball. The batsman
knows how L is thrown and usually
knows when Il is coming. BY the APP
plication of some saliva to a certain
part OF the ball the pitcher causes the
ball TO slip off the fingers II simply
eliminates friction. BY the manner in
which the pitcher holds the ball and
tho way he delivers 1t, depends the
break the'ball will take.
THE successful spitball pitcher in
the old days was a specialist who
constantly worked to perfect the de-
litarv md oont,ira copfroi for with
out control the spitball has no value.
They made mistake when they did
away with the spitball. That style of
delivery would tend to curb some of
the present day smuggling. Shocker,
Faber, Russell, Coveleskie and Jack
Quinn, few ofsthc spitball pitchers
left are among the most effective
twirlers in the American League. They
prove the value of the spitball as a
delivery"
There certainly is considerable truth
h what Walsh says. In this era Of |
fwat in baseball, no style of pitching
Is more effective against the modern |
day sluggers than the spitball. Only |
the other day the veteran Shocker
turned in his Goth victory Of the sea-
son and says he will be satisfied with
nothing short of rs wins. OF course
the spitball isn't Shocker'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 ball 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 not
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 effeetiye 1t is only
natural that lot OF likely young
pitchers use 1t. In SO ding they are
hurting their chances If making the
ajors. However at PRESENT their big
thought is to win in TIE company in
which they are playini and the use of
the spitball is a greatasset. Only the
other day a well Known big league
scout told me that Dme of the best
pitching material he had looked over
in the independent ranks, still used
the spitball extensively. Wonder if
there is a chance for the splitter"
to come back as oie of the weapons
to curb the slugghg that now domi-
mates baseball.
SYRACUSE RICE FANS SEE