Should pitchers be allowed to use substances to get a better grip?

[jacksonianmarch]

Will Smith got ejected yesterday and we all remember Pineda getting run last year for substances aimed at getting a better grip. Hitters all seem in favor of pitchers getting a better grip on the ball for safety concerns. I remember in my playing days, on those hot and sticky nights, the ball would sail depending on how much I was sweating. It doesn't actually add any extra movement, if anything it allows the pitcher to locate better and keep balls out of hitters ear holes. I think the players association could definitely get behind a list of approved substances for pitchers. And the fact that Smith and Pineda are the only ones caught doesn't actually tell you how prevalent it is. As Freddy Freeman said, all guys do it. And unless it is egregious, managers don't usually call on it. Some of the guys I played with had pine tar under their belt buckle of in their hat. I played with a knuckleballer who had a nail file under his long sleeve, lol. Now that should remain illegal.

[Palodios]

As long as the rules are consistent, I don't have an opinion. Umpires shouldn't penalize one team, and let another team slide.

[Spudboy]

So a guy has sun tan lotion on his arm that he uses to gain a competitive advantage while pitching and he gets booted from the game for cheating. The substance was right there in plain sight.

 

Yet Tom Brady is crucified by almost everyone for allegedly tampering with inflation of the balls he throws.

 

How come no one cares about cheating in this fashion in MLB?

[a700hitter]

So a guy has sun tan lotion on his arm that he uses to gain a competitive advantage while pitching and he gets booted from the game for cheating. The substance was right there in plain sight.

 

Yet Tom Brady is crucified by almost everyone for allegedly tampering with inflation of the balls he throws.

 

How come no one cares about cheating in this fashion in MLB?

Because Brady has reached the top of his profession -- clearly the best post-season QB in history and maybe the best QB of all-time. He has reached iconic status so he must be destroyed.

[jacksonianmarch]

Spud, nobody gives a flying f*** about Will Smith. And last year, nobody really cared about an oft injured Yankee who was billed as our #5 coming into the season. Also, if Smith was found with a file or scratch pad of some sort, he'd be vilified. The fact that the substance technically made it a little safer for the hitters makes it a moot point.

[Spudboy]

Spud, nobody gives a flying f*** about Will Smith. And last year, nobody really cared about an oft injured Yankee who was billed as our #5 coming into the season. Also, if Smith was found with a file or scratch pad of some sort, he'd be vilified. The fact that the substance technically made it a little safer for the hitters makes it a moot point.

 

I understand all this Doc. I was just making an obvious observation about how these pukes that run these two sports are huge hypocrites. They talk about integrity but they have no credibility when it comes to consistently enforcing the rules.

[Kimmi]

It seems that pretty much every pitcher uses some type of foreign substance to give himself an advantage. Clearly, the rule that forbids foreign substances is not being enforced. If MLB doesn't want to enforce the rule, then why even have it? They need to either enforce it consistently, or do away with it.

 

If it's really a safety concern, then MLB should approve a few substances that give the pitcher a better grip, but don't otherwise give the pitcher an advantage. Then, if a pitcher is caught using anything else, whether it's blatant or not, he should be tossed.

[jacksonianmarch]

They have okayed rosin, which is kinda ridiculous since rosin plus a lot of sweat creates a slippery substance over time that is nearly impossible to remove. I loved rosin on 75 degree days where I'd sweat from pitching but not be drenched. The 95 degree days, I rather not use it at all. I'd allow pine tar to be honest with you.

[Spudboy]

They have okayed rosin, which is kinda ridiculous since rosin plus a lot of sweat creates a slippery substance over time that is nearly impossible to remove. I loved rosin on 75 degree days where I'd sweat from pitching but not be drenched. The 95 degree days, I rather not use it at all. I'd allow pine tar to be honest with you.

 

I used rosin in billiards competition but as you said once you start to sweat it's not worth much.

 

I had to switch to a glove.

[Northern Star]

It seems that pretty much every pitcher uses some type of foreign substance to give himself an advantage. Clearly, the rule that forbids foreign substances is not being enforced. If MLB doesn't want to enforce the rule, then why even have it? They need to either enforce it consistently, or do away with it.

 

If it's really a safety concern, then MLB should approve a few substances that give the pitcher a better grip, but don't otherwise give the pitcher an advantage. Then, if a pitcher is caught using anything else, whether it's blatant or not, he should be tossed.

 

So would the umps be swabbing arms and using My First Chemistry Sets to figure out what substances were being used in order to verify compliance?

[Kimmi]

I used rosin in billiards competition but as you said once you start to sweat it's not worth much.

 

I had to switch to a glove.

 

I used rosin when I used to bowl (until I injured my shoulder). It worked great. Of course, I didn't sweat much, and we also had the hand air blowers.

[Kimmi]

So would the umps be swabbing arms and using My First Chemistry Sets to figure out what substances were being used in order to verify compliance?

 

I'm sure they could choose some easily identifiable substances, like pine tar, and it wouldn't be difficult to recognize substances that weren't compliant. If pine tar were allowed, then perhaps pitchers wouldn't find the need to use other substances, like sun tan lotion.

[Kimmi]

Brian Matusz was ejected from the game last night for a foreign substance on his arm. He was ejected in the 12th inning of the game, in which the Os lost 1-0 in the 13th. Poor Buck.

[Northern Star]

B Matusz is yet another final hand I wind up with in Scrabble.