Why would you use an emery board in baseball?

Enter the emery board, or nail file, a tool so devious baseball players named a pitch after it. Invented over a century ago, the pitch involves scuffing the ball’s surface to help it dramatically change course mid-air, making it much more difficult to hit.

Why did Niekro Use an emery board?

He said he always kept an emery board in his pocket to keep his nails in proper shape for a better grip on the knuckleball (P.S. He also had sandpaper). The league found that a flimsy excuse and suspended him for 10 games.

How do you scuff a baseball?

To scuff a ball, the pitcher marks one side with whatever’s handy. (Some pitchers rub the ball against the ground or grate it on a sharpened belt buckle. Joe Niekro was caught with an emery board and a square of sandpaper stuck to his finger.)

What was in niekros pocket?

On this day 30 years ago, Twins pitcher Joe Niekro got tossed from a game against the Angels after he was discovered scuffing the ball with an emery board and sandpaper in his pockets—and after a decidedly lame attempt to get rid of them without anyone noticing.

How is the emery board used in baseball?

Enter the emery board, or nail file, a tool so devious baseball players named a pitch after it. Invented over a century ago, the pitch involves scuffing the ball’s surface to help it dramatically change course mid-air, making it much more difficult to hit. You can see that phenomenon in action with whiffle balls here.

What’s the difference between a spit ball and an emery ball?

The emery ball differs from the spitball, in which the ball is doctored by applying saliva or vaseline. Saliva or vaseline smoothes the baseball, while the emery paper roughens it. Russ Ford, a pitcher for the Atlanta Crackers of the Southern Association, a minor league, discovered the emery ball in 1907.

Who was scuffing the baseball in the NLCS?

In that year’s NLCS, allegations surfaced that the Astros’ Mike Scott was scuffing the baseball against New York, but the Mets’ Keith Hernandez said the suspicions were there the entire year.

What does sandpaper do to a baseball ball?

Sandpaper acts in much the same way as an emery board, as it mars a ball’s surface to induce unconventional flight patterns. Former Tigers pitcher Brian Moehler once brazenly stuck sandpaper on his thumbduring a game which, when found, immediately resulted in his ejection.