Anemery ball is an illegalpitch inbaseball, in which theball has been altered by scuffing it with a rough surface, such as anemery board orsandpaper. This technique alters the spin of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner, as more spin makes the ball rise, while less spin makes the ball drop. The general term for altering the ball in any way isdoctoring.[1] The emery ball differs from thespitball, in which the ball is doctored by applying saliva orVaseline. Vaseline or saliva smooths the baseball, while the emery paper roughens it.
Russ Ford discovered the emery ball in theminor leagues in 1907 when he saw what a scuff on a baseball did to its movement. He began keeping emery paper in his baseball glove. Though he initially kept the pitch a secret, he had to inform hiscatcher,Ed Sweeney, about it. Sweeney taught it to other pitchers, and the pitch was discovered when an umpire found emery paper inRay Keating's glove in 1914. The pitch was outlawed, which led to the banning of the spitball.
In 1907,Russ Ford, apitcher for theAtlanta Crackers of theSouthern Association, was warming up under agrandstand withcatcherEd Sweeney when a ball struck a concrete pillar. He threw the ball again and noticed that it moved differently than before.[2] Ford soon learned that by making a rough patch on one side of the ball, he could use the rough spot to get a firmer grip on the ball and increase thespin rate as he threw, making it harder to hit.[3] Ford first used the pitch in a game in 1909, hiding a piece ofemery paper in hisbaseball glove.[4]
Ford joined theNew York Highlanders of theAmerican League in 1910. He told Sweeney, who also played for the Highlanders, how he had perfected the pitch and taught him how to catch it. Ford publicly claimed to be throwing aspitball, which was legal at the time.[2][5] According to Sweeney, only two others on the team knew:Eddie Foster andEarle Gardner.[2] They were roommates when the Yankees played on the road, and Ford told them about the pitch.[6] Gardner went to theToledo Iron Men of theAmerican Association in 1912, where he taught the pitch toCy Falkenberg.[2] Other pitchers began to learn to throw the emery ball, and it was suspected that Sweeney taught them. Foster never told anybody about the pitch; when Foster played for theWashington Senators and Falkenberg pitched against them during the 1914 season, Senators'managerClark Griffith noticed that he had the same pitch as Ford and questioned Foster, who said nothing.[6]
Another origin story suggests thatGeorge Kahler of theCleveland Indians discovered the pitch and taught it toVean Gregg. When Gregg went to theBoston Red Sox, he taught it toSmoky Joe Wood.[7] InThe Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers,Rob Neyer andBill James refer to Kahler as the second pitcher to use the emery ball.[8] Other pitchers who used the emery ball includedLefty Leifield andJohnny Lush.[9]
On September 12, 1914, during a game between thePhiladelphia Athletics andNew York Yankees, Philadelphia'sEddie Collinsstruck out againstRay Keating of the Yankees in the first inning. Suspicious of how Keating made his pitches move, Collins did not swing at a pitch in his secondat bat. After Collins struck out for the second time, he asked thehome plate umpire,Tom Connolly, to inspect the ball. Connolly took the ball and found it to be scuffed. He inspected Keating's glove and found a piece of emery paper inside.[3][10]
Connolly sent two scuffed balls and a piece of emery paper toBan Johnson, the president of the American League.[10] Johnson declared that players caught using the emery ball would face a $100 fine ($3,139 today) and a 30-day suspension.[11]James A. Gilmore barred its use in theFederal League in 1915, also mandating a 30-day suspension, but with a fine of $200 ($6,216 in current dollar terms).[12] TheNational League also barred its use.[13] Umpires began taking scuffed baseballs out of play, which doubled the number of baseballs required for a game.[14]
Following the discovery of the emery ball, Griffith began to call for outlawing the spitball,[15] which occurred after the 1919 season. In therules of baseball, Rule 8.02(6) specifically bars "what is called the shine ball, spit ball, mud ball or emery ball."[16] A 2007 alteration of the baseball rules changed the punishment to a mandatory ejection and 10-game suspension.[17]
Whitey Ford was accused of scuffing baseballs in his later career.[18] He acknowledged using a custom ring and arasp to scuff baseballs later in his career,[19] and said that he sometimes used hisbelt buckle or catcherElston Howard'sshin guards. He denied doing it in 1961, the year he won theCy Young Award.[20]
Don Sutton was often accused of scuffing baseballs during his career.[21][22]Tommy John was also accused.[23]Rick Honeycutt was caught with athumbtack taped to his thumb and sandpaper hidden in his glove on September 30, 1980.[24] He was suspended for 10 games.[25]
In 1985,Jim Frey, themanager of theChicago Cubs, accusedMike Scott of theHouston Astros of using sandpaper to scuff baseballs.[26] TheNew York Mets accused Scott of using the emery ball in the1986 National League Championship Series.[27] In an interview in 2011, Scott said, "I've thrown balls that were scuffed but I haven't scuffed every ball that I've thrown."[28]
Joe Niekro of theMinnesota Twins was caught doctoring baseballs in 1987.[29] During a game, umpireTim Tschida asked him to empty his pockets and a nail file and sandpaper that had been touched up to be flesh-colored came out.[29] Niekro, who also threw aknuckleball, claimed that he used the nail file on his nails for the knuckleball.[30] The sandpaper had been glued to Niekro's hand.[29] A week after Niekro was caught,Kevin Gross of thePhiladelphia Phillies was caught with a piece of sandpaper in his glove.[31][32]Brian Moehler of theDetroit Tigers was caught with sandpaper in his glove in 1999, and served a ten-game suspension.[33]
