'the Outlawed Spitball Was My Money Pitch'

"I said, 'What you talking about?' I tried to think of the ones I might have thrown him. But he said:

" 'Well, in case you are, you better get a new sign. Everybody in the league knows it!'

"I didn't say yes, and I didn't say no. But when I got to camp that spring, I told Campy about it.

" 'Hell, just throw it,' he said. 'I don't need any sign. I caught spitters in the Negro league for years. You don't have to tell me it's coming.'

"It didn't take me long to find out that Campy wasn't just bragging. He was great at catching it. He'd handle most of them just as smooth as if I was throwing a fast ball. Once in a while, one of them would do a whole lot and get away from him. But Campy was always ready. He figured the umpire would ask for the ball, or the batter would call for the umpire to look at it. Campy'd toe the ball, sly-like, as he bent over to pick it up, and that would roll it dry. He'd do that if nobody was on base. If there were men on, he'd step on it, and grind it into the dirt, hard like, where he could grab it if he had to.

"But don't get Campy in Dutch. He had nothing to do with my throwing a spitter. I mean he never called for it. I decided when I'd throw it. He'd just catch it. In case the Commissioner reads this, I want that understood, hear? After all, what could Campy do? He couldn't shake me off.

"But the Commissioner, I don't think he'd mind. Fact, I hear he wants the spitter back. I'm sort of pleased that Mr. Frick has got that healthy attitude about my pet pitch. Makes me feel I was right all along."

Roe shifted his big panatella from one side of his jaw to the other.

"I started foolin' around with the spitter when I was at Columbus. Red Barrett and Harry Brecheen were there too. All three of us used to throw it around on the sidelines but I never threw it in a game. I could throw hard then. I didn't need another pitch.

"There was a left-handed boy with Indianapolis at the time, named Trimble, or Trinkle, or something like that. He threw a good spitter. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone he was using it if he'd show me how to throw it. He told me he used slippery elm to make the slick water. He'd take a piece of the elm bark, just about a quarter-inch square, and roll it up in his chewing gum to keep it hid. Then he taught me the technique.