Burleigh Grimes was the last legal spitball pitcher, being "grandfathered" in and allowed to throw the pitch when it was banned in 1920.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.

His nickname comes from his habit of not shaving on days when he pitched.

He chewed slippery elm when pitching to improve the lubricating properties of his saliva, and the stubble helped to protect his face from the irritating effects of the slippery elm.

Some of Grimes' best years came after 1920. He learned the spitball when watching Hank Gehring pitch for the St. Paul Apostles as a young boy. 

Grimes hit .316 in World Series play, including going 4-for-12 against Lefty Grove and George Earnshaw in the World Series games he pitched against them. He finished his major league career with a .248 batting average.

The prickly Burleigh played for several major league teams, having been traded away by several, including the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade involving Casey Stengel.  Their owner's quote at that time:

"I know we dealt away a fine young pitcher, but that Grimes just fights with everyone, friend or foe." - Barney Dreyfuss, 1918

Grimes and Frankie Frisch had a long feud while they were players, with Grimes sometimes knocking him down with pitches and Frisch once spiking Grimes seriously when Grimes covered first base.

The pitcher played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Robins, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees.

After his playing career ended, Grimes was manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937-1938.  He was a Kansas City Athletics coach in 1955.

Grimes also scouted for the New York Yankees, Kansas City A's, and Baltimore Orioles until 1971.

This is a excellent quality Renata Galasso 1933 Goudey reprint, number 64, signed when it was issued in the 1980's.  Burleigh Grimes' signature is in blue Sharpie.

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