OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Need to know more about 2 kinds of pitches.

Renner · 05-03-2008, 09:28 AM

Shine Ball - from The Dickson Baseball Dictionary

"A ball that the pitcher renders especially smooth by rubbing it hard on his glove or doctoring it with a foreign substance such as talcum powder. Such shining or polishing, which helps the ball curve when thrown, has been illegal since 1920. Eddie Cicotte is said to have developed the shine ball in 1915 when he discovered that the ball did funny things after he rubbed to a shine on his uniform. Gerald Secor Couzens reports in his Baseball Album: 'probably invented by Dave Darforth (sic - Dave Danforth) in 1915 while pitching for Lousiville in the American Association. Oil was used on the field to control the dust problem, and the innovative Danforth discovered that by rubbing the oil-and-dirt-covered ball on his trouser leg the ball became smooth and shiny and hopped when he pitched it.'"

From my own research it seems that such types of pitches were against the rules even pre-1920. In this New York Times article from October 3, 1919, Reds Pitcher Slim Sallee comments on the statement that he throws the shine ball, "You will never see me getting fined five dollars for dirtying a new ball."
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...669D946896D6CF

From the Spalding Guide 1917, "Rule 67, Section 2: The umpire shall assess a fine of $5.00 against each offending player in the following cases: (1) If the player intentionally discolor or damage the ball..."
Sounds like a fine, but not an ejection under the rules of the time...sorry for the digression.
Spalding Base Ball Guides, 1889 - 1939

05-03-2008, 09:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
Renner Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 317	Shine Ball - from The Dickson Baseball Dictionary "A ball that the pitcher renders especially smooth by rubbing it hard on his glove or doctoring it with a foreign substance such as talcum powder. Such shining or polishing, which helps the ball curve when thrown, has been illegal since 1920. Eddie Cicotte is said to have developed the shine ball in 1915 when he discovered that the ball did funny things after he rubbed to a shine on his uniform. Gerald Secor Couzens reports in his Baseball Album: 'probably invented by Dave Darforth (sic - Dave Danforth) in 1915 while pitching for Lousiville in the American Association. Oil was used on the field to control the dust problem, and the innovative Danforth discovered that by rubbing the oil-and-dirt-covered ball on his trouser leg the ball became smooth and shiny and hopped when he pitched it.'" From my own research it seems that such types of pitches were against the rules even pre-1920. In this New York Times article from October 3, 1919, Reds Pitcher Slim Sallee comments on the statement that he throws the shine ball, "You will never see me getting fined five dollars for dirtying a new ball." http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...669D946896D6CF From the Spalding Guide 1917, "Rule 67, Section 2: The umpire shall assess a fine of $5.00 against each offending player in the following cases: (1) If the player intentionally discolor or damage the ball..." Sounds like a fine, but not an ejection under the rules of the time...sorry for the digression. Spalding Base Ball Guides, 1889 - 1939 __________________ Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.