In the early 20 th century, the games greatest spitballers, Ed Walsh and Jack Chesbro—as well as the greatest number of spitballers—were both American Leaguers. This led Chicago sportswriter Charlie Dryden to write:

“The American League consists of Ban Johnson ( AL president], the ‘spit ball’ and the Wabash Railroad.”

Alfred Spink, The National Game, 1910:

The Spitballers’ Database has been updated and now includes almost 100 early 20 th century pitchers.

Speaking Out against the Spitball includes a new 1917 quote from the president of the Western League. His remarkable insight talks about the rationale for banning the pitch, as well as the physics that makes the ball so difficult to hit.

Famous Pitchers Dabbling in the Spitter has a feature about Christy Mathewson’s taking up the pitch near the end of his career, including his own words. Taken together with the details about Walter Johnson and his spitter, this article shows just how much the spitball penetrated pitching circles in the Deadball Era (1901-1919).

Read about Philadelphia Athletics’ pitching great Jack Coombs and his spitball, or, more accurately, his “bloodball.”

Spitball Features include the story of how Larry Cheney use the spitter to resurrect his career and to lead Brooklyn to the 1916 pennant. There’s also a story on Clark Griffith, who used to scuff baseball as a pitcher in the 19 th century and who led the fight against the spitter and other “trick pitchers” as a team owner in the 29 th century.

19 th Century Spitballers Revisited adds more supporting evidence that the spitter was used well before the early 1900s.

The Spitter, Synopsis, Part 2

Origins of the Spitball 20th Century? (Conventional Explanation)

Origins of the Spitball 19th Century? (Latest Research)

More material suggesting that the spitter was not a 20th century invention, but rather was used by pitchers in the late 1800s. Read about National League pitcher Billy Hart and famous St. Louis amateur pitcher Pope Sturgeon.

‘Grandfathered’ Spitball Pitchers

Spitballers’ Database

An updated Spitballers’ Database, listing names of spitball pitchers of the Deadball Era (1901-1919) who threw the pitch, along with the reference.

Managers Like the Spitball…when their Pitcher is Throwing It: Chick Fraser Gets Mgr. Frank Chance to “Soften” on the Spitter

Frank Shellenback talks about the spitter. He was a spitball pitcher on the Chicago White Sox in 1919, but they did not list him on the protected list, and thus was not included in the group of spitballers who could continue to use the pitch after it was banned in 1920. (He was in the minors at the time.) He won around 300 games in the minor leagues, mainly the Pacific Coast League. Between 1927 and 1933 alone, he won more than 160 games for the Hollywood Stars. He was later a pitching coach for a number of years, including the Red Sox in the 1940s and the Giants in the 1950s.