Evening star., 1957-04-26
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW sy FRANCIS srANN
In the 'HoIF Something Better

CHILDIEssLY ABSURD WAS Lew Burdettes demand
that Manager Birdie Tebbetts of the Cincinnati Reds publicly
apologize for calling him cheating sptballer The
ment Fred Hutchinson appropriate Next thing you
know snapped the Cardinals skipper they'll be serving
tea on the mound"
The Milwaukee Cincinnati and wire service writer's have
been getting lot Of mileage out of Tebbet charges against
Pitcher Burdete of the Braves So much to become
tresome. Yet the fault perhaps, does not lie with them
The to control the splitter is to legaze it. In Short
eliminate the bootlegger.
Most baseball Of the opinion that the splitter
is overrated pitch anyway. In the Hall of Fame there
few pitchers who strictly spba artists Ed Walsh
probably the best The other pitching greats all had
something else something better going for them
Legislation against the splitter suspect anyway when
the pitch banned in 1920. At that time there
repercussons from the beaning Shorsop Ray Chap
man Of the Indians by Carl Mays although there
evidence that Mays pitch splitter The Black
scandal fresh in the public mind and besides spit
is horrid word.
EVEN WHEN THE NATIONAL and American Leagues
voted to outlaw the splitter they did obqey by ruling
that established spba pitchers could continue throwing
their speciality until the end of their Bill Doak,
pitcher for the Cardinals at the tme filed formal
municaton to the National League Advisory Council that
said in effect If the spitbal barred would deprive
Xnumber Of pitchers of their earning John Heyder
who had been printer The Star and then was presi-
dent of the National League asked his influence
to have the veteran sptba pitchers extended at
least one more not to the end Of their
Both leagues went along with the idea of allowing
acknowledged spbaer to continue until they finished
In the Reach Official Baseball Guide the National Leaguers
exempted Doak and Goodwin Of the Cards. Fngm
and Rudolph of the Braves Douglas Giants Grimes
and Mitchell Of the Dodgers Fischer the Hendrix
of the Cubs.
The Reach Guide mentions seven American Leaguers
absoved but their were not mentioned Just
from casual memory however there Urban Shocke
Jack Quinn Red Faber Stan Coveeske Rubber Arm Russell
and AL Sothoron
POSSIBLY THE SPLITTER =. . or the threat Of it . i.
kept Coveeske and the others in the big time long
they otherwise might have been done Coveeske acquired
by Washington from Cleveland Is games in row at
one stage and finished with a 2O-5 record
Coveleske, like his counterparts made an elaborate
production before his pitches He raised glove to hide
his face and either weted the ball pretended to do
In any case he purely wonderful Washington in
1925 the Senators their straight pennant
Actually according to hitters the splitter is no more
botersome than the slider and especially the knucker
1t not the pitch that gets results the hitter ahead
Of the pitcher, they say.
One would have to be naive assume that the 1920
ruling outawing the splitter except chosen few held
much water In the 81 years that have elapsed the new bows
have learned various ways of beating the rap
IN BY-GCNE DAYS PITCHERS chewed on spperv elm
which produced astonishing amount of saliva So too
od nnelders and catchers Today in baseball It's gum
cnewng BRIGADE although In notable cases such az Nellie
Fox of the White Sox there is small but select
chewing clique.
But the spitball remains You have the testimony of
Tebbetts and Casey stenge that it's being thrown II u is
dangerous unhittable pitch the evidence is lacking
The year before the sptbal was ouawed Ty Cobb hit
1874 TO lead the American League Bobby Veach was ass
and George Sisler 1852 In the National Ieaoue Edd
Eoush was hitting 1921 and Rogers Hornsby during an Off
year, .318. - 80
None complained about the spitbal It wasn't 50 Inn
portant IN those days Just as it shouldn't be now