Russ Ford carried a piece of emery board hidden in his glove, and with it he rewrote the American League record book. The Canadian right-hander's 1910 rookie season produced 26 wins, a 1.65 ERA, and 8 shutouts -- numbers so dominant they still stand as the AL rookie wins record more than a century later. His secret was a pitch nobody understood: the emery ball, created by roughing up one side of the baseball to produce unpredictable, devastating movement. Ford pretended he was throwing a spitball. Hitters spent the entire season guessing wrong.
The First Start
Ford's first major league start announced what was coming. On a spring day in April 1910, he faced the Philadelphia Athletics -- the best team in the American League -- and struck out nine batters in a complete game shutout. The final score was 1-0. The Highlanders' offense gave him almost nothing, and Ford didn't need anything more. He was 26 years old, a late bloomer by any era's standards, and he pitched like a man who'd been waiting for this moment his entire life.
The Athletics were baffled. Ford's pitches broke in directions they didn't anticipate, darting and sinking with movements that didn't correspond to any known delivery. Some hitters thought he was throwing a spitball. Others thought it was a curveball with extra bite. Nobody suspected the emery board -- a small, rough surface hidden in the padding of Ford's glove, used between pitches to scuff one side of the baseball.
The Emery Ball
Ford's innovation was simple in concept and brilliant in execution. By roughing up one side of the baseball while leaving the other smooth, he created an aerodynamic imbalance that made the ball behave erratically. The scuffed side created drag, pulling the ball in unpredictable directions depending on how Ford gripped and released it. He could make it sink, slide, or dart -- sometimes all three in the same at-bat.
The key to the deception was Ford's cover story. The spitball was legal in 1910, and pitchers who threw it were common. Ford mimicked the mannerisms of a spitball pitcher -- touching his fingers to his mouth, wetting the ball -- while actually using the emery board to doctor it. Hitters and umpires believed they were facing a spitball specialist. The real weapon was hidden in plain sight, sewn into a glove.
July 19: The Near Perfect Game
Ford's most dramatic moment came on July 19, when he carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning. With two outs and a perfect game in reach, a fly ball was misjudged by an outfielder, falling for the game's only hit. Ford lost the no-hitter on a play he couldn't control -- the ball was hit to the right place, but the fielder read it wrong.
The near-miss didn't rattle Ford. He finished the game with another dominant performance, adding to a season that was becoming historically significant with every start. By midsummer, the Highlanders were in second place and Ford was the primary reason why.
The Numbers
Ford's 26 wins placed him among the AL's elite. His 1.65 ERA ranked among the league's best, though Ed Walsh led the AL at 1.27. His 8 shutouts tied for second in the league. But the numbers didn't capture the fear he instilled in opposing lineups. Hitters couldn't figure out what Ford was doing, and their inability to adjust was reflected in their futility at the plate.
The Highlanders built their season around Ford's starts. When he pitched, they usually won. When he didn't, the rest of the rotation struggled to replicate his dominance. The gap between Ford and the team's number-two starter was the gap between a historically great season and a mediocre one.
| Record | 26 wins (AL rookie record) |
| ERA | 1.65 |
| Shutouts | 8 |
| First Career Start | Complete game shutout vs. Philadelphia, 1-0 |
| Near No-Hitter | July 19 -- lost with 2 outs in 9th |
| Secret Pitch | Emery ball (scuffed baseball) |
| Cover Story | Pretended to throw spitball |
| Nationality | Canadian |
The Legacy and the Ban
Ford's emery ball didn't stay secret forever. As opposing teams began to suspect something beyond a spitball, scrutiny increased. By 1915, MLB had banned doctored pitches -- emery balls, scuff balls, and similar modifications. The rule change was traced directly to Ford's innovation. He'd been so good that baseball changed its rules to stop him.
Ford's career after 1910 was a study in diminishing returns. He went 22-11 in 1911, still excellent but down from his rookie numbers. As hitters began to understand what he was doing and as the league cracked down on ball doctoring, Ford's advantage eroded. He eventually jumped to the Federal League in 1914 and retired soon after.
The emery ball's legacy extends beyond Ford. Every generation of pitchers has found ways to modify the baseball -- pine tar, sunscreen, Spider Tack -- and every generation of rule-makers has tried to stop them. Ford was the original innovator in baseball's longest-running arms race, a Canadian who changed the American pastime by hiding a piece of sandpaper in his glove.
First Career Start
Ford strikes out nine and shuts out the Philadelphia Athletics 1-0 in his first career start.
Near No-Hitter
Ford carries a no-hitter into the ninth inning before losing it on a misjudged fly ball with two outs.
26-Win Rookie Season
Ford finishes with 26 wins, 1.65 ERA, and 8 shutouts -- the greatest rookie pitching season in AL history.
22-Win Follow-Up
Ford goes 22-11 with a 2.27 ERA in his second season, still excellent but below his historic rookie pace.
Emery Ball Banned
MLB bans doctored pitches, directly traceable to Ford's innovation. The emery ball era ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Russ Ford's emery ball?
Ford hid a piece of emery board in his glove and used it to rough up one side of the baseball between pitches. The scuffed surface created aerodynamic drag that made the ball break unpredictably. He disguised the technique by pretending to throw a spitball.
Does Russ Ford still hold the AL rookie wins record?
Yes. Ford's 26 wins in 1910 remain the American League record for victories by a rookie pitcher, a mark that has stood for more than a century.
Why was the emery ball banned?
Ford's success with the emery ball in 1910 -- and his continued use of doctored pitches afterward -- prompted MLB to ban emery balls, scuff balls, and similar modifications in 1915. The rule change was directly connected to Ford's innovation and its devastating effectiveness.