The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-12
ILLEGAL THROW
 USED IN LAST WORLD SERIES
Baker Could Not Under. stand How Derringer
 Beat Tigers \
By JOE WILLIAMS

(UP)-We don't know what old agents arc going to do about 1t but 1t develops the boys arc still throw ing the spit ball, and this demurC Judge Lands and his Gestapo little thing was legislated out ot baseball years ago.
 True, they don't make a practice of 1t but every once in a while the saliva slant, as the word painters oi 1915 used to describe 1t, makes It's appearance. A notable and historic instance was in the last world series when--but let Us tell you the story
 The series was over and Del Baker manager of the Tigers, none toe jubilant over the outcome, was splitting Q beaker of studs with Jim my Wilson, who mad been drafted from the coaching line to catch for the Reds, and in which emergency he had taken on heroic dimensions
 You know I can't understand 1t, , said Baker. We called every pitch Derringer threw out there today and yet we couldn't beat him"
 T won't say you didn't call most of 'em," answered Wilson, "but there was one you didn't and I'm goin gto let you find that one out for yourself"
 Baker is quite capable of ealing every pitch before 1t is thrown, be- cause he is generally accepted as the ,rnostS gifted signal stealer irI the game. In the light of what hap pened, however, he can be excused for not calling the pitch in ques- ton. How could he know that Paul Derringer was going to throw q splitter to Earl Averill for the last out in the world series
 Won't Talk
 But that's just what the ainiable giant of the Reds staff threw in a pinch to put or the clinchcr. How many others he may have thrown he isn't saying. As a matter of fact he isn't saying he threw the classic one to Averill.
 If 1t was splitter" he told us today, "thn my hand must have beer sweaty or something" The wink which followed was significant. Oi course, 1t was 6 splitter and every body in the Cincinnati club house laughd about it after the game. And they got another laugh when they heard what Baker had said to Will son.
 Johnny Murphy. the Yankees fireman, was listening in oil tht conversation. "TherLS no telling how many spit balls are still being thrown" he commented. It's m, notion that @ fellow could pitch { whole game throwing nothing but { splitter and get away with 1t, pro vided he was clever enough.
 And the catcher was helping hin out" supplemented Dcrringer.
 That's right, you'd have to have the catcher working with you. Hee have to snap tho ball back to you bfore the umpire could ask to cX. anime it and by that time the aii would have absorbed all the mois- turc.' MT. Murphy blandly denied he had ever thrown splitter in his life.
 Whether manly of the young men cheat with the splitter or not. it must be fairly obvious that It's q form of larceny which offers few diff faculties. Just q dab of moisture iS all that is needed to make the ball jump and sail and dive, and that can be easily and secretively applied during the upward or downward motion of the wind up. By the time the umpire calls for the ball, es- pecially If 1t has been shot back to the pitcher immediately, all the discriminating evidence has disap- peared.
 Fools Eaters
 For years Johnny Allen, now with the Browns, and Claude Passeau Of the Cubs have been suspected but gradually the protests have ceased It is now agreed Aliens bafYler di he still hasiD is of authentic what is called c slider. The fight OTlHHl htQ tOiihV EhSbSuu uhOWr against the splitter was based on two objections--O 1t just wasn't gentleman like; (2) 1t made han ding of the ball by inhelders uncer- tain. Neither objection carried dew astating weight. The batters were happy to see 1t eliminated, the pitchers weren't.
 There's an oldtimer down here Frank Shellenbach, coach of the Boston Red Sox, who Is leading a onc-man crusade for restoration of the splitter. He contends the offense in baseball is top heavy and re- turn of the splitter would effect a better balance. What makes Shell lenbach's crusade noteworthy Is that the splitter taboo kept him from being an outstanding big league star. He had developed the best minors and was poised for bril- splitter in the game working in the liant big league career when the ban was applied. He never did get Q chance to show 1t in fast company ,,t. n.n t.n ,,.lrtat l,ax,a haav. as,nf h aV