Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1916 — SPITBALL HAS PASSED [ARTICLE]

SPITBALL HAS PASSED

Spitball pitching seems to be going out. There are now very few successful hurlers who use the moist delivery, and even those who cling to it do not depend upon it as they once did. A few years ago spitbailers were all the rage, and no team was complete without one, but there are now few pitchers of class who use the saliva ball to any extent. The main reason for this is that the constant use of the spitball has proved to be disastrous, in many cases, to the pitching arm of the man using it. To control the spitter requires a great strain on certain muscles of the forearm, and very few steady users of it have lasted long.-- 2