Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-20
WIN, LOSE OR
NNAV By FRANCIS STANN
The Spitter's Never Been Awoy

THE SPITBALL is BACK Dave Philley is charging
and the news treated in the press the week end
as If the nefarous pitch had been away Oh, yes
SO years ago they outlawed the splitter it's
been with us. 1t was like banning the common cold
Philley who hangs onto his major league status chiefly
because he is pretty fair hitter, is claiming that Don
Newcombe of the Reds and Early Wynn of the White
throwing two of the games best Spitters.
Just Lew Burdette of the won't be offended
Phey named Fidgety Lew too In this instance, Phiey
was speaking in place of Birdie Tebbets who heretofore
has been Burdettes chief But that while
Birdie managing the Reds, and he's Lewis boss
Actually, Philley just happened to be talking when
somebody with pencil in hand listening The hitters
know that pitchers wetng the ball to create weird
shoots They talk about all the time the bench and
during game but they do it without because,
privately, they don't blame the pitcher.
WYNN PROBABLY COULD use an extra pitch and so
could Newcombe too because they old guys and their
fast balls aren't quick and tricky upon time
Some day, perhaps Burdete will write his memoirs and
confess that he's been sptbaler all these years.
Lew, you know, belonged to the Yankee chain
and deemed expendable. It's reasonable to
that he may have picked up pitch that made him loss
to the Yankees big asset to the Braves Catching Lew
or the others in the act is something else.
Philleys blast seems chiefly aimed at the umpireS
"The jumps will do anything about the splitter"
Pulley PLENTY of pitchers it. WynnS is beauty
and Newcombes isn't bad Burdete throws at least
every two pitches
1t back in 1920 that baseball put through of
last major rules chances winch was outaWlng the
splitter but it weak sort of ban in the first place
The is that basebas wheels moved in that drec
ton at ALL because hered just been the Black Sox scandal
the election of KeneSaw Mountain Lands first commits
soner, and couple of other big moves.
NoNETHELEss THERE WAS grave rules session
which John Heyder boss of the National League and
ex-printer The Star, presided Heydler appointed
Bill Week. daddy of todays Sports Shirt WILL and Hank
O'Day to help represent his circuit
IN he
and QUINN whose John is general manager of the
Phes after years of at Boston and Milwaukee
Griffith admitted years later that he not only used the
splitter in his pitching days but that he doctored the
baseball in other manners.
After ALL was only little guy" he defended when
you get that mound and big hitter close to you
it's only natural to protect yourself"
But Grif did vote with the joint rules committee
against the emery ball. powder ball and spitban
These remember days when the Black Sox scandal
had cast pail baseball and it was time for new
gimmick Babe Ruth thanks to the manufacture OF a
liveler ball. provided it with his unmatched home runs
1T WAS THE BEGINNING of a trend toward giving
the best of it, and according to most modern pitchers
they're still getting it.
So as not to deprive the confirmed Spitbal pitcher of
his chief stock in trade ruled back in 1920, that
the ban exempted SpbalerS then in the major leagues
The emery ball aegedy invention of Russell Ford OF
the Yankees, was outlawed.
The talcum- powder ball was denied such as Hold Eer
of the Reds Ed Ccette of the exled White and Chief
Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics What they did was
worthy of professional magcianS according to legend
They concealed tacum the pockets of their Knockers
and rubbed one side of the ball smooth
All three pitcheS-the splitter, emery and tacum
powder-were apt to take off at tangentS. But whereas
even a desultory examination today would expose the
emery and talcun umpreS to be at loss at detect
ing the intentional splitter There's too much sweat in
4 volved.
Burlegh Grimes who pitched for all except two Ma
tona League clubs regarded as the last OF the legal
spitbaler But the illegal still are operating In fact
they've stopped