Customer Reviews

The Spitball Knuckleball Book

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In his first two non-fiction books, historian Tom E. Mahl wrote about espionage. His third dealt with covert operations of a different sort - baseball's "trick pitches."

"The Spitball/Knuckleball Book: How They are Thrown, Those Who Threw Them" (Elyria, Ohio: Trick Pitch Press) has the shape and typography of a coffee-table book. However, it is jammed with so much information it qualifies as a serious history of the men who threw the spitball, knuckleball and its many variants - and shows how they did it.

Mahl, who earned a doctorate in diplomatic history from Kent State and teaches at Lorain County (Ohio) Community College, presents dozens of mini-biographies of trick-pitch practitioners, including Red Faber, about whom this author wrote a full biography.

Faber was one of 17 major leaguers grandfathered into the 1920 rule otherwise banning the spitter and trick pitches (such as the emery ball, grease ball and the like). When Faber retired after the 1933 season, he the last American League regular to legally throw the spitball in the majors.

Mahl hit a couple of bumps in the Faber chapter, falling prey to an error first published in the 1930s regarding Red's middle name (it is Clarence) and stating that the White Sox star had three 20-win seasons (he had four, not three). Still, those bobbles hardly detract from a nicely paced, compelling volume.

An interesting feature of the book is that it goes beyond WHO threw trick pitches, but shows HOW they threw them. Several pages of illustrations and diagrams show the techniques pitchers used to cause the ball to flutter and dive away from frustrated batters' furious swings.

Readers who love baseball history, with a particular interest in pitching, will enjoy Mahl's book.

Review of The Spitball/Knuckleball Book
Author-Tom E. Mahl
Elyria OH, Trick Pitch Press, October 2008


This book covers the subject of the spitball and its successor pitch the knuckleball. The history of the origin and use of the spitball and its importance in the Deadball Era has been thoroughly researched. The story in the book pivots around the banning of trick pitches (including the spitball) before the 1920 season. It was this decision by the major leagues along with the new practice of using a clean ball throughout the game that led to the Lively Ball Era and the game as we know it today. The most interesting historical point made in the book was that the spitball was banned not so much on its merits, but because the use of the spitball made it impossible for umpires to detect and eliminate the use of other illegal trick pitches. The situation before the 1920 season was that many pitchers threw illegal pitches (the emery ball and the shine ball where the ball was defaced). Umpires could not determine when the illegal pitches were being thrown. The illegal pitches broke in unpredictable fashion the same as the spitball. Pitchers throwing the illegal pitches would fake preparing a spitball by holding their gloves in front of their face and pretending to load up the ball with spit. When the spitball became illegal, home plate umpire seeing an unusual breaking pitch cross the plate now knew it was an illegal pitch and could eject the pitcher.

This nicely organized book reveals to the reader the plans for the banning of the spitball as a means to increase hitting and therefore attendance. When the spitball was banned before the start of the 1920 season an exception was made for limited number of major league spitball pitchers. This exception was to end after the season. However, in the 1920 season some of exempted spitball pitchers were among the top major league pitchers. The owners did not want to lose these valuable players and the exempted spitball pitchers were allowed to continue throwing the spitball for the rest of their careers.

The book details the careers of the legal spitball pitchers and in addition examines the role of the illegal spitball pitchers (Gaylord Perry being the best known) in the post WWII period. The end of the spitball, except for its occasional illegal usage, led to the development of the knuckleball.

A fascinating final chapter shows how these pitches (both the spitball and the knuckleball) were thrown and how they work. This chapter draws upon contemporary scientific studies as to what makes a breaking ball break.

Included throughout the book are more than 100 photos as well as a number of very rare illustrations showing how the ball is gripped to throw these unusual pitches.

Overall this book is a nice treatment of a little-known aspect of pitching and its part in baseball history. The Spitball/Knuckleball Book wi1l be a welcome addition to one's baseball library.


Review by Ron Selter author of Ballparks of the Deadball Era; December 17, 2008

When I first saw this book my first thought was "coffee table book".

Then I opened it up.

True, there are a bunch of great pictures that you would normally find in that style of book. What makes this book stand out is the content which, as others have already mentioned, is superbly detailed, informative, and downright interesting. The author has put together a unique collection of facts and expertly blends the stories and anecdotes of a good biography with the "how-to" instruction of a cookbook.

Quite simply, this is a fun read--I highly recommend it.

I see I'm the fifth person to review this book, and I don't have a lot to add to those who have.

The author has done an excellent job here of describing the various trick pitches that have been used over the years, and placing them in the context of their times. It was fascinating to learn that of the 17 pitchers who were 20-game winners in the year 1920, seven of them were spitballers. Mr. Mahl goes into detail, even noting the heights of the mounds in various major league parks before a standard height was prescribed.

There are individual profiles of over 75 pitchers who have used the knuckler, the spitter, the emery ball, and some other pitchers I don't think I'd heard of. There is a wealth of photography, too, several vintage pictures of players from the past, and some that have been taken in very recent years to help illustrate the various ways pitchers place their fingers to, for instance, throw the knuckler.

Even a casual fan who just enjoys exploring the depths to which ballplayers will go to get an edge will enjoy this book and find it enlightening.

Outlawed for being un-sportsman like and dangerous, the spitball was professional baseball most famous (or infamous) pitching form and baseball enthusiast Tom E. Mahl has dedicated an entire 256-page illustrated book to their history. "The Spitball/Knuckleball Book: How They Are Throw, Those Who Threw Them" is an original and unique baseball history begins by addressing the origin of the spitball and the early 1901-130 decades of professional baseball. Then Mahl identifies and provides biographical sketches of the players who used it when the spitball was legal during those early years. Next to be identified and addressed are the pitchers who continued to use the spitball pitch after it was banned from play. Of special note are the chapters on the 'Dry Spitter' as the knuckleball was originally known, as well as on how the outlawing of the spitball brought about the use of the knuckleball. Concluding this fascinating sports history is a chapter on the physics of how the spitball and the knuckle ball work. Enhanced with the inclusion of an extensive bibliography and an index, "The Spitball/Knuckleball Book" is an enthusiastic recommendation for community library Sports History collections and the supplemental reading list for all professional baseball fans.

The pictures alone make this Baseball book a must for longtime fans of the game. I particularly enjoyed learning how the pitch (both knuckleball and spitball) have endured over the years simply by one pitcher teaching another how to throw it. Fascinating historical prospectus on the art of pitching. Mr. Mahl obviously devoted a lot of time and energy digging up the facts and figures for his book with countless entertaining interviews with famous and infamous pitchers of the past.

There were two things that surprised me about this book; that it could be scholarly, and at the same time, fun to read. Still, Tom Mahl has put one in the win column with the Spitball Knuckleball Book! It's divided into sections, pitcher by pitcher through history from when the spitter was legal, to those who threw it illegally, to the knuckleball artists of today. In this way, it's a great book to put on the nightstand and read just a bit each night before I drift off and dream about opening day! My favorite feature of the book was reading about pitchers I actually saw in Cleveland like Gaylord Perry (one of the best at hiding the grease) or the year the Tribe acquired Phil Niekro, pretty much for the purpose of teaching Tom Candiotti how to throw the knuckleball.

This is an amazing book for any baseball fan, a great read to get you through until pitchers and catchers report.