On February 9 1920 — The Joint Rules Committee bans all foreign substances or other alterations to the ball by pitchers, including saliva, resin, talcum powder, paraffin, and the shine and emery ball. A pitcher caught cheating will be suspended for 10 days. The American League allows each club to name just two pitchers who will be allowed to use the pitch for one more season. The National League allows each club to name all its spitball pitchers. There were 17 known spitball pitchers. No pitchers other than those designated will be permitted to use the banned pitch, and none at all after this season (however, the designated pitchers will eventually be allowed to use the pitch for the rest of their careers). Other rules changes: the adoption of writer Fred Lieb’s proposal that a game-winning home run with men on base be counted as a home run even if the batter’s run is not needed to win the game. Also, the intentional walk is banned, and everything that happens in a protested game will go in the records.
Complete list of pitchers that were allowed to throw the “spitter”:
American League (1920)
Doc Ayers Detroit Tigers
Ray Caldwell Cleveland Indians
Stan Coveleski Cleveland Indians
Red Faber Chicago White Sox
Dutch Leonard Detroit Tigers
Jack Quinn New York Yankees
Allen Russell Boston Red Sox
Urban Shocker St. Louis Browns
Allen Sothoron St. Louis Browns
National League (1920)
Bill Doak St. Louis Cardinals
Phil Douglas New York Giants
Dana Fillingim Boston Braves
Ray Fisher Cincinnati Reds
Marv Goodwin St. Louis Cardinals
Burleigh Grimes Brooklyn Dodgers
Clarence Mitchell Brooklyn Ddogers
Dick Rudolph Boston Braves