Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1915 — LICORICE BALL WON’T LAST [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LICORICE BALL WON’T LAST

Christy Mathewson Declares Tom Seaton’s Newest Pitching Idea Will Not Be Countenanced. Tom Seaton had better watch out or he 'will get into a controversy with Christy Mathewson. The latest winter league freak is the “licorice ball," of which the star pitcher of the Brooklyn Feds is supposed to be the inventor. An acquaintance of Seaton has been spreading news about this wonderful idea of his. The first essential in the use of the "licorice ball” is to have a piece of hard, black licorice in the jowls. The pitcher must apply black Saliva to one side of the ball, leaving the other •Ide dean. He must throw it in

such a way that the black revolves around the .white and gives the batter’s eye alternate flashes of light and dark that will cause him to wink or blink and thereby fail to get an accurate gauge on where it is coming. This yarn was related to Christy Mathewson the other day, and the veteran pitcher of the Giants had one of the best laughs in his life.

“I believe Seaton is the same fellow who thought he could get away with an emeryless-emery ban by scarring the horsehide with his hard finger nails,” said Big Six. “I wonder what his finger nails are made out of if they are strong enough for that Perhaps his brain is composed of the game substance. But even he ought tn know that the “licorice ball” would be WVMi'TOr the gamer reason that the emery ball is—defacing it. Even if it were allowed, the only effect I can imagine it having is putting ths etcher’s glove on the bum.”

Tom Seaton.