Rate the spitballers

[1905 Giants]

One of my favorite baseball books is "The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers". In it, the top ten spitballers are ranked thusly:

1) Ed Walsh
2) Stan Coveleski
3) Gaylord Perry
4) Red Faber
5) Jack Quinn
6) Burleigh Grimes
7) Jack Chesbro
8) Phil Douglas
9) Jeff Tesreau
10) Frank Shellenback

Honorable Mentions went to: Walter Ball, Lew Burdette, Bill Byrd, Ray Caldwell, Larry Cheney, Phil Cockrell, Bill Doak, Dutch Leonard (Hub), Marty O'Toole, Bugs Raymond, Allan "Rubberarm" Russell.

So what do you guys think?

Personally, I wonder where Preacher Roe is.

[westsidegrounds]

Burdette denied it.

[brett]

One of my favorite baseball books is "The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers". In it, the top ten spitballers are ranked thusly:

1) Ed Walsh
2) Stan Coveleski
3) Gaylord Perry
4) Red Faber
5) Jack Quinn
6) Burleigh Grimes
7) Jack Chesbro
8) Phil Douglas
9) Jeff Tesreau
10) Frank Shellenback

Honorable Mentions went to: Walter Ball, Lew Burdette, Bill Byrd, Ray Caldwell, Larry Cheney, Phil Cockrell, Bill Doak, Dutch Leonard (Hub), Marty O'Toole, Bugs Raymond, Allan "Rubberarm" Russell.

So what do you guys think?

Personally, I wonder where Preacher Roe is.

Can you highlight which of these guys was legal? I know Walsh was. I'll add that there was a difference between what he was doing in terms of the physics. Every ball was scuffed back then. He used the lubricant to basically throw a knuckler. Walsh is a great pitcher deserving of the hall of fame. I would rate Walsh higher than Mordecai Brown for example just on a pitcher list.