Evening star., 1960-06-07
WIN, LOSE OR
DkAW By FRANCIS srAAA
|Spit' Is q Horrid Word

LEAVE US NOT be naive about the matter of Pedro
Ramos and the spitba which Manager Paul Richards of
the Baltimore Orioles alleges he throws. The Senators
Cuban Cutie is wetter dryer than the next good
big league pitcher Name who will refuse blob of
spit sweat provided it makes the ball "alive"
The splitter, practiced extensively by Ed Walsh
Stan CoveeSk Jack Quinn and of the earlier artists
in the wet never has left the baseball 1t
outlawed like BOOZE at time The licensed practitioners
of the splitter permitted their pitch until their
ended but that wasn't the end of the splitter There hasn't
been end.
Preacher Roe, after he was through pitching for the
Brooklyn Dodgers colaboraed on magazine article in
which he freely admitted that he threw spttes for years
Ramos claims that what he throwing at the Orioles
was palm ball" Perhaps his palm" damp but
the fact remains that the palm ball is legitimate pitch
and Hal Schumacher, the old Giant hurer, can demon
strate even today that it does tricks
COOKIE LAVAGETTO, who was teammate of Roes
with the Dodgers, knew that Preacher throwing
Spters $50 did everybody in the National League" Cookie
saying today "He got the wet off his lobes ana
his forehead and faxed pretty good He got the her
out, but he wasn't really fooling anybody He was
splitter, only it couldn't be proved"
To bestirred Washington fans who have been writing
and calling up President Joe Cronin of the American
League to protest Richards many examinations of Ramos
equpment-ostensbly for signs of saliva and sweat-it
is hopeless undertaking. Even Lavagetto admits that
Richards had right interrupt the game and ask for
examination.
According to the rules, could have done the same
couldn't anybody their club wetting the ball any
more than could see Ramos doing the thing
Ramos is good pitcher and it's nice to know that
he's your side Pete lost his temper after throwing
those two home pitches .lr.
Most of all, think, it the umpirng Ramos had
two srkeouts taken away from him by Bill Mckinley"
LAVAGETTO is THINKING the umpiring especially
by Mckinley pretty weak. But he doesn't absoIve
Ramos for Tipping his lid, does Cookie feel that
Richards was out of line for heckling Ramos.
"Petes going to grow up i'll a year or so and he'll
laugh at Richards and all the rest try to throw him
off, Lavagetto said
That's what Lew Burdette of the Braves has been
doing for years-laughing at charges of throwing the
splitter The hitters know that he's been throwing up
something different and Birdie Tebbetts silent be-
cause he's front-ofhce wheel at Milwaukee was most
sriden during his days bench manager of the Gin
cnnau Redlegs.
THERE CAN'T BE MUCH doubt but what Ramos vets
up the ball. So does Early Wynn of the White Sox and
most of the other good
Ramos allowed himself to be teased into a tantrum
by Richards, who could qualify manager the hour
He'll learn, when he gets older" Lavagetto saws of
Ramos, Richards was legitimate grounds when he
squaWked He took full advantage of weak umpiring
but so much power to him.
About Ramos-youll hear some more from him. He'll
be around for quite time"