Famous Spitballers - Show 'Em!!!

[Bosox Blair]

On October 31, 1931 St. Louis released Burleigh Grimes. Grimes, a famous spitballer, was one of the players who was still permitted to use the spitball even after the pitch was banned.

The future Hall-of-Famer hung on for a few more years, eventually becoming the last pitcher to win a game legally using the spitball.

(Here is a link to the list of players who were allowed to keep throwing the spitter until retirement, even after the ban: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lispit.shtml )

Show us an item of a famous old-time spitballer!

Here's one from the list:

[B O'Brien]

Is that a glove on the throwing hand of Mr. Quinn?

Then again, it could just be a tough old hand from years gone by. I always take a look at the hands in old pictures, very neat to see. Coming from an old school coal mining family of Irish and Hungarian folks, there are some odd hands and forearms in the family tree!

Also, cool idea for a post!
Bob

[FrankWakefield]

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j106/greatwake/WalshAmericanCaramelE90-3front.jpg

I think this guy threw that stuff...



"I think the ball disintegrated on the way to the plate and the catcher put it back together again. I swear, when it went past the plate it was just the spit." - Outfielder Sam Crawford on Ed Walsh's pitching. (1965)

[scooter729]

More Walsh...

[HRBAKER]

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s172/hrbaker/grimesMS.jpg

[tbob]

Here's 3 more of the Legal Spitballers and one more who was a great spitballer but I believe retired before the 1920 decree from the commish.

[Jason Carota]

Another Walsh:

http://www.chasingthemonster.com/img/t206/t206_488_walsh.jpg

[Bosox Blair]

Is that a glove on the throwing hand of Mr. Quinn?

Then again, it could just be a tough old hand from years gone by. I always take a look at the hands in old pictures, very neat to see. Coming from an old school coal mining family of Irish and Hungarian folks, there are some odd hands and forearms in the family tree!

Also, cool idea for a post!
Bob

Hi Bob,

Hope you are doing well!

You have a keen eye - I never noticed the strange hand on that image before. I can't say for sure if he has an old leather hand (I'd bet on this) or if he might have a thin glove on. Or maybe he just pulled the hand out of a can of lard or oil...

Cheers,
Blair

[vwtdi]

another Walsh.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f92/vwtdi55/walsh_photo/photo-1-2.jpg

[David W]

One legal, one not

[slidekellyslide]

Snapshot of Clarence Mitchell.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b331/nudan92/The%20Players/00newo22.jpg

[Brian Van Horn]

I don't have any cards of Caldwell or Mitchell, but here goes on several of the rest:

[Brian Van Horn]

More:

[Brian Van Horn]

.

[familytoad]

Russ Ford was known to spit/scuff or shine the ball a bit...here are dual T205's

[sbfinley]

Tommy Bridges was often accused of throwing a spitball and on one occasion Yankee manager Joe McCarthy asked the head umpire to check the ball and see if it had been doctored. Tigers catcher Birdie Tibbetts proceeded to fire the ball in the outfield where all three outfielders handled it before the umpire was able to retrieve it. Needless to say, Bridges was never caught doctoring the ball.

Here's Bridges with Bridie and the boss.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images/show/sbfinley/original-press-and-type-1-photos/65/bridges-type-1-before-ws

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http://www.collectorfocus.com/images/show/sbfinley/tommy-bridges-cards-etc/140/1934-goudey

[triwak]

Nice thread!

[thescooper]

Whats a spitball?

[Bosox Blair]

Whats a spitball?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitball

Cheers,
Blair

[thescooper]

TY

[prewarsports]

Since someone mentioned Jack Quinns hand, I figured I would show this photo pair of him pitching and him demonstrating his spitball grip.

Rhys

[JLange]

Sorry to cross over with memorabilia, but Gaylord Perry's autobio titile says it all. Modern era, memorabilia, and illegal spitter - that's three stikes! I'm out!

[teetwoohsix]

Another Ford to go along with the dual T205 shot Brian provided..........

[B O'Brien]

Rhys,
Thanks for the hand shots of Q! Looks like a regular old school hand to me, nothing from Happy Gilmore there.
Thanks again,
Bob

[David R]

Whats a spitball?

A spit ball is a lot like a splitfinger fastball in that it has forward rotation (normally a thrown ball rolls off the fingers with backward rotation) because it "slips" out of the index and middle fingers rather than rolling off of those fingers. The pitcher puts a slippery substance on his index and middle fingers and keeps the thumb dry. He then grips the ball with the slippery index and middle fingers on the flat part of the ball (not on a seam). The dry thumb is placed on a seam for better grip. He them snaps the wrist forward and down when he throws it and the top of the ball slips out of the index and middle finger giving the ball forward spin.

I used to be a pitcher in the Braves minor league system and Phil Niekro showed me how to throw it one year in Spring Training (although I don't think he ever really threw the pitch himself).

[ValKehl]

Allan Russell spent the first 8 of his 11 MLB seasons with losing teams (Yankees & Red Sox) before good fortune came his way and he finished his career with a winner, the Washington Senators (hey, Washington was not always "first in war, first in peace, and last in the A.L.")!! Mostly a relief pitcher in the latter part of his career, Russell led the A.L. in saves with 9 in 1923 (my, how times have changed!), had a 5 - 1 record in relief with 8 saves in 1924, and made one relief appearance in the 1924 World Series (pitched 3 innings in game 3), which was won by the Senators.
Val

[Jason Carota]

Almost forgot about Jimmy (Lavender):

http://www.chasingthemonster.com/img/t206/t206_271_lavender.jpg

Jimmy ended Rube Marquard's 19 game winning streak in 1912.

[tjb1952tjb]

My "Spitters".................

[uffda51]

http://photos.imageevent.com/uffda51/20thcenturycabinetcards/websize/WalshT5cabinet.jpg

[mighty bombjack]

I loved this image, and this is the perfect place to show it

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff105/mighty-bombjack/HOF%20autos%20NFT/Faber.jpg

[tjb1952tjb]

I just read that Harry Howell was quite renowned for his excellent spitter.........

[packs]

Here's another Howell

http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m294/madjams/howell.jpg