Spahn’s Spitter a One-Shot Deal

Warren Spahn, at a luncheon, was promoting tonight’s old-timers’ game in Arlington, Tex., when a fan asked: “Late in your career, were you pitching from off the rubber?”

According to Steve Schoenfeld of the Dallas Times Herald, Spahn said: “Where did you hear that? It must have come from the Dodgers. They used to accuse me of that. Then, Don Drysdale would start from in front of the rubber, and he threw BBs. He didn’t need any help.”

Spahn did admit to trying a spitter, however. It was against Walt Moryn, a career .266 hitter who for some reason used to give Spahn trouble.

“I had played around with a spitter and finally decided to try it,” Spahn said. “I threw it, and he hit it into the center-field bleachers. As he was coming around third, I yelled to him that he had hit my spitter. He yelled back, ‘It didn’t spit.’ I never threw the spitter again.”

From Willie McCovey, who will be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame on Aug. 3: “People ask me how I’d like to be remembered. I tell them I’d like to be remembered as the guy who hit the line drive over Bobby Richardson’s head.”

It was Richardson’s catch of McCovey’s liner that closed out the San Francisco Giants in the 1962 World Series against the New York Yankees.

Trivia Time: What four pitchers have pitched no-hitters for the Angels? (Answer at right.)

Dallas Cowboy linebacker Jeff Rohrer is from Manhattan Beach and graduated from Yale, which should make him laid back and scholarly, but he told Jim Dent of the Dallas Times Herald: “What I like about pro football is that you get to play in Washington and New York where they’ve got ugly fans. It’s fun when an 86-year old woman gives you the finger. It’s like 80,000 people getting together to throw a party and you’re right in the middle of it. I don’t know what I’ll do when it’s over. I’m addicted to the adrenaline.”

Wait a Minute: Said Detroit Lion General Manager Russ Thomas, after the retirement of Billy Sims: “I don’t think anyone has made a bigger impact on this town in sports than he did.”

How about Ty Cobb? Or Hank Greenberg? How about Joe Louis? Or Gordie Howe? How about Bobby Layne, Denny McLain, Charlie Gehringer, Doak Walker, Schoolboy Rowe, Al Kaline, Alex Karras, Mickey Cochrane? How about Mark Fidrych?

Geez.

16 Years Ago Today: On July 26, 1970, Johnny Bench of Cincinnati hit three straight homers off Steve Carlton of St. Louis as the Reds beat the Cardinals, 12-5. That year, Bench led the National League in homers with 45 while Carlton led the league in losses with 19.

Just Asking: When Tommy John goes to work next year as the pitching coach of the University of North Carolina after retiring as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, will he be taking the biggest salary cut of any human being in history?

The Minnesota Twins lead the majors in home runs, and first baseman Kent Hrbek was asked if the ball is juiced up.

“Lively ball, that’s bull,” he said. “Tony Armas has four home runs. What did they do, send all the dead balls to Boston?”

Note: Jesse Barfield leads the majors with 25 homers. On this date in 1961, Roger Maris had 40.

Trivia Answer: Bo Belinsky, Clyde Wright, Nolan Ryan, Mike Witt.

Quotebook

Tim Mayotte, on the hostility of fans in Mexico City for the Davis Cup match between the United States and Mexico: “I got an appreciation of how the Celtics must feel going into Houston.”