Related Searches   Live-ball era   Prior to that time, the same
ball would be used throughout the game and foul balls would be
thrown back on the field and reused. The ball would only be
replaced if it started to unravel. As games progressed, the ball
would become increasingly dirty and worn, making it difficult to
see, and its movement erratic. Pitchers were able to help this
process along by scuffing it, spitting on it, and since Russ
Ford's discovery in 1913, cutting into it with an emery board.
The spitball was widely used as well. All of these effects gave
the pitcher a major advantage. The physical wear on the ball
from being repeatedly hit also made it less elastic as the game
progressed, making it increasingly difficult to hit for
distance.  There were also rule changes that contributed to the
low-scoring games. In 1901 the National League adopted the "foul
strike rule," which counted foul balls as strikes. Prior to this
rule, batters could safely swing at many marginal pitches, which
not only tired o