Evening star., 1960-06-09
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS sTANN
HiIdebrond A Discoverer?

8 GEORGE HILDEBRAND may not have been widely
conceded to be superior baseball umpire, but the man
who passed away the other day at 81 must have been
adequate. He offcated for % years in the American
League and established record for consecutive games
worked $500.
The irony is that Hldebrand was leaving the scene
at approximately the time when laterday umpire CWl
liam Mckinley and sptbal rhubarb stirred up the
natives of Washington. George was linked with both
umpirng and the splitter He got stick of type when he
died. but Paul Richards Pete Ramos and Mckinley rated
suncounted thousands of words
"a Some claim that Hidebrand discovered the
splitter although he pitcher. George, himself
used to talk of the gyratonS wet ball could make when
thrown full speed but there always will be question of
whether Hildebrand had original hand the develop
ment.
Hildebrand wasn't much of big league ball player
He played only games for Brooklyn in 1902 batting 227
outfeder. But it with Providence that spring
that Hldebrand and historians claim that he dis
covered the splitter.
THE STORY AS HILDEBRAND used to tell it
mite involved He was warming up with Frank Corridor
Providence pitcher, who allegedly threw change-up
by moStenng his fingers. ITO get better grip" George
explained although most good pitchers and managers will
tell you that the softer the hold on ball the slower it will
go to the plate.
Corridor the rest of us were warming up before
and noticed that Frank kept wetting his fingers
Hldebrand said. $50 tried it, only threw hard as
could The ball acted crazy Corridor got noticing how
behaved and we exchanged notes"
Corridor, easily forgotten as big Lacquer pitched for
the Cubs Phs and Cards later osenSibly used the
splitter to proong his However the most serious
rival claimant to Hldebrand discovery Elmer Strick
lett another unremembered pitcher whom Hildebrand
said he encountered in Sacramento 1902 and conided
tat, because of arm he about to be released
1t was at this point Hdebrand noted that Stricklet
was awarded the dubious honor of invenng the splitter
I'll show you trick George said to Strickett literally
wettng the ball and throwing The armed pitcher
desperately trying to stay in business got the idea and
gradually mastered the art of wet ball throwing He won
majors While playing in the majors he called Spit
BALI Stricklett
r. JUST AS MCKINLEY is apt to be remembered for
allowing manager Richards to take charge of ball
game, so is Hildebrand likely be remembered for
weak job although George umpred we'll on most occa-
sonS The unwilling unwilling legacy he left behind on
ms death happened in 1922 when the Yankees and Giants
were locked in a 3-3 tie after 10 innings.
Hlldebrand was the plate umpire therefore the UNI
pre-ln-cnarge Jim Kahn who wrote the book "The
umpire story reports that the still high in the
heavens when Hidebrand made his decision but he AL
ways claimed that (BiD KLEIN had put him up to calling
tne game touching off of the loudes mass demon
strationS by World Series customers ever recorded
!. -. He Hildebrand) always claimed that KLEIN had
put MIN up to it, and influenced his Judgment bv asking
eure lCS light now but will it still be light by the time
potn SloeS complete their turns bat Suppose one
mas Dig inning and scores six seven runs and the
inning takes IS minutes? What then?"
= KLEIN was umpiring his 11th World Series and his
WORD bore weight with Hildebrand but Kahn the his
CorIan took dim view of the entire affair
. WHAT MADE HILDEBRAND'S decision so heinous
See WIN LOSE OR DRAW, Page B-1