Elmer Stricklett

Elmer Griffin Stricklett (August 29, 1876 – June 7, 1964) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox and Brooklyn Superbas from 1904 through 1907. Including his time in minor league baseball, Stricklett pitched professionally from 1897 through 1912.

Stricklett is considered one of the pioneers of the spitball. He learned the pitch while playing in the minor leagues. He later taught the spitball to Ed Walsh and Jack Chesbro, both of whom were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Career Stricklett attended Santa Clara University, where he played college baseball for the Santa Clara Broncos baseball team.

Stricklett split the 1900 season with Wheeling and the Toledo Mud Hens, also of the Interstate League, pitching to a 13–8 record.

The Chicago White Sox of the American League (AL) invited Stricklett to spring training in 1904, where he roomed with Ed Walsh. Stricklett taught Walsh the spitball. After pitching in one game for the White Sox, allowing eight earned runs in seven IP, he received his release, and pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers of the Class-A American Association for the remainder of the season, where he pitched to a 24-11 record in 267 innings pitched (IP).

The Brooklyn Superbas of the National League (NL) chose Stricklett from Milwaukee after the 1904 season in the Rule 5 draft. He debuted with the Superbas in the 1905 season, pitching to a 9–18 record and a 3.34 earned run average (ERA) in IP. In 1906, Stricklett went 14–18 with a 2.72 ERA in IP, the ninth most losses and IP in the NL that season.

Stricklett pitched on Opening Day for the Superbas in 1907, a game the Superbas lost. That year, Stricklett had a 12–14 record and a 2.27 ERA in IP. In four MLB seasons, Stricklett went 35–51 with a 2.84 ERA and 10 shutouts. Though he applied for reinstatement, his banishment was upheld. Stricklett continued to pitch for San Jose through 1910, pitching to a 23-12 record in 1909 and a 19-14 record in 1910. However, he applied for reinstatement in 1912, which was granted by the National Baseball Commission. Stricklett was fined $100 ($ in current dollar terms) for playing outside organized baseball for the previous three years. The Superbas sold his rights to the Binghamton Bingoes of the New York State League, and he pitched for the team. In minor league baseball, Stricklett won 20 games in a season at least five times, compiling a 169-99 record across nine seasons. The pitch would act "exactly the same way as reverse English does on a billiard ball". who learned about it from Frank Corridon. Stricklett played an important role in popularizing the spitball. Stricklett taught the spitball to Jack Chesbro, who saw him use the pitch while pitching in minor league baseball. Though Chesbro had experimented with the pitch in the minor leagues, Stricklett showed him how to master it in 1904. Stricklett taught it to Ed Walsh while they roomed together with the White Sox.

Later life Stricklett retired to Mountain View, California, where he grew apricots on a ranch. He died in Santa Cruz, California, at the age of 87.

Stricklett was interred at Alta Mesa Memorial Park.