Spitballs Effective But Hard On Pitcher’s Arm, Writer Claims
March 23, 1915 Age 24
“Over The Old Home Plate” By Billy Murphy The St Louis Star and Times
TALKING ABOUT HITTING.
Those were harsh, cutting words that a baseball manufacturer recently issued while on the subject of covers for baseball and the ability of some players to damage those covers.
The hide of Siberian ponies was used in the past for covers for baseballs. The European war has cut off the supply. It was feared for a time that there would be a famine in baseballs. But there won’t be. “The hides from American ponies will do just about as well,” says this baseball maker. “Of course, the Siberian hides are a bit tougher than the American hides, but I guess the American hides will be able to stand up pretty will under the hammering of such men as Cobb, Speaker, Jackson. Collins and Daubert.”
And then he added this cruel thrust :
“As for some of the other players damaging the covers, well, from what I know about their batting powers, I would say that an ordinary wrapping paper cover on baseballs would stand up just as well under their swings as would a Siberian pony hide.”
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TALKING ABOUT SPITBALLS.
Spitball pitching isn’t a common practice in the big leagues anymore, yet the fact stands out that the best pitchers in the leagues use the moistened twister.
“Big Bill” James, the pitching star of the Boston Braves, is a spit-baller. Jeff Tesreau, the Giants’ mainstay, uses the spitball. Doak, of the Cardinals, who led the National League pitchers in 1914 is addicted to the use of the spit ball. So is “Hassen” Pfeffer, of the Dodgers, one of the best pitchers that has busted into the national game for a considerable period.
LOOKING BACKWARD.
The use of the spitball makes for great twirlers. History shows that mediocre pitchers who mastered the spitball quickly jumped into first rank in their particular department of the game. But history also shows that the spitball shortens a pitcher’s career.
Jack Chesboro was a spitballer. The use of it ended his big league usefulness a number of years before the scheduled time. “Big Ed” Walsh, of the White Sox, is a spitter. He’s through.
The spitball. without doubt, kills a pitcher’s arm quicker than anything else. There is no ducking the consequences from the continued use of the spitter. Probably the quartette of truly great pitching youngsters, having demonstrated what they can do with the spitball, will use it less freely in the future and save their arms.