Did Valverde throw a spitball?

[Mr. Baseball]

Major League Baseball doesn't enforce the spitball rule very well. Almost every pitcher I've ever observed goes to his mouth between pitches, and the umpires generally just ignore it.

[The Edge]

I think there is a difference in the pitcher licking his fingers, i mean as much as most pitchers sweat the could probably do better by wiping the sweat with their hand and utilizing it as a lubricant.

[Mr. Baseball]

I think there is a difference in the pitcher licking his fingers, i mean as much as most pitchers sweat the could probably do better by wiping the sweat with their hand and utilizing it as a lubricant.

You could build up a decent amount of saliva and hold it on your tongue before you lick your fingers, essentially creating the same effect as spitting on the ball. There really isn't much difference.

[AhCrap]

The rule as I understand it is that the pitcher can bring his fingers to his mouth all he wants as long as he isn't on the mound. That's why you see so many guys step off the mound and then go to their mouth.

Seems to me that the spitball ban was part of the reaction, maybe even overreaction if that's possible in the wake of such a tragedy, to the death of Ray Chapman in 1920. Which brings me to another point...anyone who hasn't read The Pitch That Killed, I highly recommend it. There is so much to that story, it just gets sadder and sadder. But it's a very good book about a very important event in baseball history. Read it!

[RickD]

Guys like Valverde need to hire Gaylord Perry for Spitball tips!

[RickD]

I like Valverde's response here:

There's nothing to deny, Jose Valverde said."I never did it," he said. "It's illegal, I think."

[Baseballnum3er0]

The rule as I understand it is that the pitcher can bring his fingers to his mouth all he wants as long as he isn't on the mound. That's why you see so many guys step off the mound and then go to their mouth.

Pretty sure you are right on that, in addition if I remember correctly as long as you are not in contact with the rubber you can bring your hand to your mouth as well but you need to wipe your hand off or something. Now that I type it out it seems a little odd, but then again a lot of my remembering of random rules comes from umpiring little league where we use the MLB rules(with a few changes) but even the ones that aren't changed we will sometimes adapt them to the situation. So on a cold day we tend to let pitchers going to their mouth slide, same thing as if they were wearing white under armour while pitching(unless a coach says it is distracting their hitters, then obviously something needs to be done)

[Old Sweater]

Like one player said 'I don't know if he threw a spitball' but 'I know he spit on the ball.'....LOL

[Old Sweater]

Like one player said 'I don't know if he threw a spitball' but 'I know he spit on the ball.'....LOL

Here it is by Casey Stengel.............

I don't know if he throws a spitball but he sure spits on the ball.> Casey Stengel