Spitball
A spitball is a baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of spit, petroleum jelly, or another foreign substance.
Such a pitch presents an additional challenge to the hitter in that it causes the ball to have movement in its approach which is not typical, due to the resistance on one side of the ball being altered.
Alternative names for the spitball are mud ball, shine ball and emery ball.
The spitball was permitted in the major leagues until 1920. When the prohibition was introduced, it was recognised that there were some professional players who had built their careers in large part on the spitball. A special exception was made for these 17 named players, and they were permitted to throw spitballs for the rest of their careers.
The spitball is still sometimes thrown in violation of the rules. Typically, a lubricant is hidden behind the pitcher's knee or under the peak of his cap. Others will place the ball in their mitt and then cough onto it. Another tactic pitchers use is to soak thier hair in water before going out to the mound, and then rubbing their hand in their hair before a pitch. Some pitchers have even glued a piece of sandpaper to one of their fingers, and scuffed a part of the ball to achieve a similar effect to the spitball.
One of the most famous spitballers was Preacher Roe, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s. Roe was renowned for his ability to control the spitball, and for his ability to throw it illegally without getting caught. Another famous user of the pitch was Gaylord Perry, who went so far as to title his autobiography Me and the Spitter.
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