In the bigs anything wrong with the ball and a new one is in. Even the batters pay attention and ask the ump to check the ball.And, if they're not sure themselves and don't ask the ump to check, they just do what former pitching coach Ray Miller reminded people: Hit it on the dry side---or, wait for the one that doesn't break. Because a spitter that doesn't break is just a batting practise fastball begging to take a trip over the fence.
Bo Belinsky once said that when you played the Yankees and Whitey Ford got away with his mud ball, the opposing pitcher prayed to find it waiting for him at the mound when the sides changed. Belinsky himself would learn a proper spitter in due course from Lew Burdette, but he'd say of Ford's mud ball, "If I saw that little spot of mud on it when I got back to the mound, it was three outs I didn't even have to try for. If the spot wasn't there, I was dead."
Then there was Don Sutton, who once inspired Ray Miller to say this: Sutton has shown such a fine example of defiance that I expect him to throw a ball up to the plate with bolts attached to it.
Sutton himself had his own way of dealing with things when the umpires wanted him frisked. He was said to have little notes in the fingers of his glove, one of which said: YOU'RE GETTING WARMER. BUT IT ISN'T HERE.
Did you know: Sutton as an Angel once started a game against Tommy John, then a Yankee, and also suspected himself of a little fine tuning on a ball. During the game, George Steinbrenner---who was watching from his Tampa home---called the Yankee dugout and badgered manager Lou Piniella to have Sutton checked and, if necessary, ejected.
"George," Piniella pleaded, "if I have Sutton checked they'll have T.J. checked. Whatever they're doing, T.J.'s doing it better. So let's just let them be."
The Yankees won the game, but the best line about the game came from a scout watching from the press box: "Tommy John and Don Sutton? If you can find one smooth ball from that game, you ought to send it to Cooperstown."
LOL hadn’t heard that story.
Here’s my Belinsky story.
I was working the bases in spring training game in St. Pete between the Cardinals single A and double A teams. The triple A and bigs had games in other towns on the gold coast. All of a suddeen out of the club house comes a gaggle of people. Belinsky and his girl friend (brunette Playmate) and Bob Gibson and about 20 reporters and hangerson.
Their games had been rained out and they needed to pitch a few innings to get their work in.
In two innings each they struck out 11 batters. And one weak ground out to the second baseman.
They they picked up their gear and the entire group went back to the cliub house, gone by the time we went in.
One of my few brushes with Gibson. The entire time I saw him walking and pitching not one smile, while Belinsky was cracking everyone up even while warming up.
Spahn and Schoendinst (sp) and a few other greats there during my couple of weeks. Single A umpire in wonderland.