Evening star., 1924-02-15

icy, Moon, Roe, WIngheld, Marberr
Chesbro's work with the young
pitchers, who probably will decide the
fate of the team this year, will be
watched with almost as much interest
rs the activities of Harris, the boy
manager"
Although now nearing the half-cen-
tury mark in years. Chesbro has es-
present day fans by reason of the
high record of IL victories he es-
tablished for the New York club in
the American League in 1904. and
usually IS recalled by the old-time
bugs "the guy who wildpitched
the Yankees out of pennant." but
he has greater claim to fame in
that he perfected the spitball. This
method of delivery now is fast dying
out. due to adverse legislation by the
powers that be, but it was the enter
ing wedge for all manner of freak
hurling that revolutionized box work,
starting score of years ago.
Origin OF Splitter Is Yelled.
The origin or discovery of the spit
bail is shrouded in doubt. Elmer
Stricklett. AL Orth. once a Wash
ington player, and Ed Stein all
Mike Scanfon, veteran sporting au-
thority of the Capital. who can hark
back to the days before organized
base ball nearly fifty years ago. re-
Calls tnat tommy BOND iateC d sue
cesSful National League pitcher, ef-
fectively used the splitter" with the
New Bedford club in 1873, and
1iughey Fullerton has dug up dope
purporting to show that Bobby Mat
thews used it il 1865. But there is
no question that the distinction
OF perfecting the damp delivery be-
longs to Chesbro, according to Clark
Griffith.
"Chesbro perfected the spitball while
.-.T too, 4
during a tanning bee the other day,
''and he did it under odd circum-
stances-because he was forced to. in
fact. Although very successful
pitcher with Pittsburgh in the Ma
tional League, the delivery was un-
known to him when he came to the
New York club in 1904. In New
Orleans that spring we met up with
the White SoX. who had landed. in
Elmer Stricklett, pitcher from the
coast. who was tinkering with new
tangled delivery. 1t was the spitba!l.
but Stricklett. who was slightly
built chap of little power. was unable
to accomplish much with it. and as
recall II he was left in New Orleans
by the SoX when they Quit town.
Stricklett Tells Chesbro.
"Stricklett let Chesbro in on the
secret of the delivery while they
were practicing on the old New Or
leans grounds. Jack eXperlmented
with 1t. and did a lot of talking about
It but never made any attempt TO
use 1T in a game until the first west
ern trip of the Yankees that season.
We opened in Cleveland. with Ches-
bro in the box. He was getting fne
lacing. and in the hope of ending the
bombardment he told his battery
mate. Jim Mcclure, that he was going
to try to use the spitbaN.
"McGuire fixed up sign for 1t. ana
the result caused furore in the
stands. He started off by tanning
Iajoie and two of his mates. He made
the Cleveland players. including the
big Frenchman. look so amateurlsh
in their efforts to connect that the
crowd razzed Lajoie !11l mnmercituliy,
with such questions as Where were
you last night, Larry?
"Chesbros games in Chicago ana
st. Louis were repetitions OF that In
cleveland, they just couldn't hit hln,
that's all. Thereafter Jack use, used In the
almost exclusively. He won fourteen
straight games before he was stopped,
..nd as every one knows set a new
high mark for total victories tha'
year"
Chcsbrn generally is blamed for the
fact that New York was nosed out
FOR the championship by Boston that
.scason, but the charge is not Justheu,
according to Griffith, who, as manager
Of the Highlanders. was one OF the
most keenly concerned witnesses OF
the contest that thwarted his ambt-
tion to annex a title. Catcher kiel-
to Griff. Here's the way he tells It:
Series That Decided 1t.
we We're having nip and tuck
battle with Boston and came to the
final series of the season just half
Il game behind them with five games
to play, a single contest on Friday
and double headers on Saturday and
nj nl3vpu
New York. Chesbro won the hrst
game handily, putting US In the lead
by half a game and making necessary
only two victories in the four con-
tests remaining for us to cop. 1t
seems that Frank Farrell, then owner
IF the New York club, did not figure
our team as pennant contender in
the advance dope and he had leased
to Columbia University for q foot
ball game for that Saturday, which
made 1t necessary for us to switch
the first of the two double-headers
Having gotten the jump on Boston
in the first game of the final and de-
Gliding series. ] ordered Chesbro to
stay in New York and rest up for
to clinch the flag In Boston. But
when we went to the station to take
the train for Boston, at 1880 o'clock
that Friday night. there was Chesbro,
with his handbag, ready to go. He
begged to be allowed to make the
trip to Boston, explaining that friends
in his native state of Massachusetts
had planned a celebration at the park
in his honor, including the presenta-
ton Of some gifts. and I yielded. The
next day we found the old Hunting
ton avenue grounds literally jammed
with fans. The attendance numbered
$4,000, a huge throng in those days.
Jack Powell was slated to pitch for
US, and had started to warm up. when
Chesbro sought me out and asked
that he be used. Willie Keeler, Kid
Elberield, Jimmy WiIkams and some
of the other boys. including Powell
himself, Joined Chesbro in urging
regular horse for work, having often
come back successfully with little
or no rest, yielded to Chesbro's S
pleading that he be allowed to settle
the race" that day.
"Chesbro got along fine for about
four innings, then couple Of scratch
hits through Williams started Boston on
a rampage and they beat US, IL to 6.
On top of that Cy Young beat Pow
ell in the second game, 1 to 0, which
put 1t up to US to grab the last two
games in New York Monday in order
to get the flag.
That Fatal Fling OF Jacks.
"In the first game of the double
header that day, with Chesbro in the
box for US. we went into the ninth
inning with the score tie. at 2-all.
roosting on third base and Freddy
Parent was at bat, with two strikes
on him as result of having missed
4 couple of spitters.
Jack Kleinow signed for another
Of Chesbro's favorite deceivers and