Frank Corridon

Who was Frank Corridon?

Frank Joseph Corridon [Fiddler] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between the 1904 and 1910 seasons. Listed at 6 ft 0 in 170 lb., Corridon was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island.

The invention of the spitball has been credited to several pitchers. Corridon is one of them. He claimed to have originated the pitch while playing for the Providence Grays of the International League, when discovered that a ball which had landed in a puddle and was wet on one side did an unexpected effect on its flight when he threw it. He later wet the ball during games and went on to have a respectable major league career.

Corridon entered the majors in 1904 with the Chicago Cubs, appearing for them in 24 games before joining the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals. His most productive season came with the 1907 Phillies, when he posted career-numbers in wins, starts, complete games and innings pitched, while collecting a 2.46 ERA. He finished 14–10 with a 2.51 ERA the next season, and went 11–7 with a career-high 2.11 in 1909. He faded to 6–14 with the Cardinals in 1910, his last major league season.