What did a spitball do?

Question

Other than the fact that the spitball was deliberately wetted down with countless pounds of saliva, and was scuffed, marred, what have you, what exactly did it do that differed from any other pitch, say, the curveball, or the split-finger fastball (maybe those weren't around in the dead-ball era. What kind of movement did it have? Ed Walsh was a big spitballer, and was very successfull with it, for not-so-obvious purposes. The only thing I can think of it being worthwhile throwing for is the fact that it was extremely hard to see.

Answer 1

Actually, a spitball made hitting extremely difficult because it caused the ball to move abnormally during its approach due to the altered wind-resistance and weight on one side of the ball.

You're correct in stating that it was extremely hard to see. There were many safety issues with the spitball, as at times pitchers would use tobacco spit from chewing tobacco as their spit. Many consider the death of Ray Chapman in 1920 partially as a result of the spitball, since Chapman could not see the ball coming before it struck him in the head, killing him.

To this day, he is the only player who has died due to injuries suffered during a baseball game. This last season (2007), a first base coach in the minor leagues died as a result of being struck in the head by a foul ball.

Descriptions of how to throw the spitball vary enough that it seems likely that the term actually refers to at least two different pitches. Some pitchers described a pitch in which saliva was placed on one side of the ball, which was then thrown conventionally. Such pitches would tend to break sideways, with the direction of break controlled by which side of the ball was modified. The same general approach works with a ball that was defaced in any way, either by adding any kind of foreign substance or by scuffing the ball's surface.

In a second approach, the pitcher would grip the ball so that his fingers didn't touch the seams, and use saliva or another slippery substance to lubricate the area where his finger tips touched the ball. He would then squeeze his fingers and thumb together as he threw so that the ball squirted out of his hand rather than rolling off the ends of his fingers. This negated most of the spin on the ball, causing it to drop more than expected, much like a modern splitter. Pitchers who threw this style of spitter often chewed a substance such as slippery elm when pitching in order to improve the lubricating properties of their saliva.

Answer 2

The aerodynamics behind a spit ball, or scuff ball is based on creating a difference in air resistance between one part of the ball and another. This will cause the force of air to act differently on different parts of the ball, and in the hands of a skilled pitcher, can cause the ball to alter its direction on its way to the plate.

It should be noted that it takes a bit of skill to make use of a doctored ball; (ok, admission time here), as a catcher in high school and college, I got pretty good at taking pitches in the dirt, scraping them against the buckles on my shin guards, and throwing the ball back to the pitcher without the umps or other team catching me. And what did it do...nothing...an adequate high school or college pitcher just doesn't have the skill or experience to know how to hold or release a ball to make use of the differential friction created by scuffing one side of the ball.

If thrown correctly, a scuff or spit ball will vary direction each time the ball rotates, since the side of the ball with the "Defect" is always changing direction. So the ball looks like it is making crazy changes of direction, especially in the last fifteen feet of motion.

Answer 3

I never saw a good one, but I think it would be like a split-finger fastball or a really hard knuckleball. Vaseline was sometimes (allegedly) used and it would make the ball slip out of the fingers when thrown for very little spin like a knuckler.

Answer 4

A spitball changes the physics of a pitch. It adds more weight on one side. As far as I know it acts kind of like a knuckler. Unpredictable movement.

Answer 5

My dad could, and did, throw the spitball. I used to play catch with him and it was almost impossible to catch when it was really working. Spit ball pitchers who acknowledged their use were allowed to use it the rest of their careers and some used it openly into the late 40's.

Answer 6

Player had a better grip and more movement on the ball. Pitchers could make the ball dance.

Answer 7

it works more like a knukleball, the movement is different with the pitcher and it is also a speed change.

Answer 8

well i only know that it's difficult to contact cause it's so slippery and it killed some mlb player that's why it was band from baseball