Baseball History: Spudders Hijinks Cost Team Victory
The Wichita Falls Spudders had won 24 games in a row in the Texas League. On this day in 1922, their attempt to ensure their 25th consecutive victory failed for one of the more bizarre reasons in baseball history.
No one wants an extended winning streak to end. As the wins keep coming, the pressure increases to keep the good times going. That pressure was there on this day for the Wichita State Spudders in the Texas League, who had won 24 games in a row.
As they were closing in on the longest winning streak in baseball history, the Spudders were set to face a difficult opponent. Snipe Conley, who had spent parts of three seasons in the majors and was one of the few grandfathered spitballers in the game, was set to take the mound Dallas Steers. Given his pedigree and spitball, victory was not assured.
As the game wore on, Conley began to notice something strange. About halfway through the game, he began to complain of a burning sensation on his lips and mouth, which was hindering his ability to throw the spitter. Deprived of his greatest weapon, the Spudders eventually took a 4-3 victory over Dallas, extending their winning streak to 25 games.
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With their suspicions aroused, the Steers examined the balls after the game. They found a creosote compound had been rubbed into the seems, resulting in the burning that Conley suffered from. Creosote is essentially a tarlike substance, which had been used to coat the outside of ships, railroad ties, and inside chimneys, while also serving as a preserve for different meats.
Naturally, the Steers protested the game, as Wichita Falls had messed with the balls. Given the evidence, the protest was upheld, ending the Spudders winning streak at 24 games. While it was one of the longest in baseball history, the streak still ended three games from the all time record.
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Teams will do anything to win. On this day in 1922, the Wichita State Spudders used a creosote compound on the ball to counter their spitballing opponent.