"I used to chew slippery elm - the bark, right off the tree. Come spring the bark would get nice and loose and you could slice it free without any trouble. What I checked was the fiber from inside, and that's what I put on the ball. The ball would break like hell, away from right-handers and in on lefties." – Burleigh Grimes
Burleigh Grimes
Pitcher
Class of
1964
Burleigh Grimes
Pitcher
Class of
1964
Burleigh Grimes, baseball's last legal spitballer, recorded five 20-win seasons.
Games
Birth year
About Burleigh Grimes
The Basics
Birth Year
1893
Died
1985, Clear Lake Wisconsin
Career at a Glance
Played For
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1916-1917
Brooklyn Dodgers, 1919-1926
New York Giants, 1927
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1928-1929
Boston Braves, 1930
St. Louis Cardinals, 1930-1931
Chicago Cubs, 1932-1933
St. Louis Cardinals, 1933-1934
New York Yankees, 1934
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1934
Career MLB Stats
Games
616
Wins
270
Losses
212
Winning %
.560
Saves
18
Hits
4,412
Walks
1,295
Runs
2,050
Games Started
497
Innings Pitched
4,180
Completed Games
314
Shutouts
35
Earned Runs
1,638
Strikeouts
1,512
ERA
3.53
WHIP
1.365
