Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1913 — GREAT AS SPITBALL ARTIST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREAT AS SPITBALL ARTIST

Umpire Bill Evans Gives Russell Ford Credit for Having Most Peculiar Moist Ball.

“I’ve seen all the great spitball pitchers in the American league, and some of those of the National,” said Umpire Bill Evans, at present partner of the man who discovered the delivery. “I’ve studied them. And you can say, without fear of going wrong; that Russell Ford did more with it than any man who ever lived. “Chesbro made it a factor in baseball, and Ed Walsh has had more Huc-

cess, in the way of winning with It, than anyone else. But Ford’s spitball had more break, andkrnore* peculiar break, than that of either of these two great masters. Russell had only one great year with it But I never expect to see anyone get the breaks that he did.”

Russell Ford.