Major League Baseball is rolling out a new penalty in its apparent crusade against players using foreign substances.
The league announced new rules Tuesday that would make any player who is caught with "sticky stuff" and other outside substances subject to a 10-day suspension. It goes into effect on June 21 and players will be subject to random in-game checks by umpires.
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The rule states, “no player shall intentionally discolor or damage the ball by rubbing it with soil, rosin, paraffin, licorice, sand-paper, emery-paper or other foreign substance.”
"“I understand there’s a history of foreign substances being used on the ball, but what we are seeing today is objectively far different, with much tackier substances being used more frequently than ever before," stated commissioner Rob Manfred. "It has become clear that the use of foreign substance has generally morphed from trying to get a better grip on the ball into something else – an unfair competitive advantage that is creating a lack of action and an uneven playing field."
The new rule will include:
• Starting pitchers will have a mandatory check at least once per game. All relief pitchers will also be checked between innings after entering the game.
• Catchers will also be subject to routine inspections.
• Position players will not be ejected for having a foreign substance on their glove or uniform unless the umpire determines that the player was applying the substance to the ball in order to aid the pitcher.
• Players may not intentionally combine rosin with other substances (e.g., sunscreen) to create additional tackiness or they risk ejection and suspension.
The move comes after months and years of intensifying debate, mostly around pitchers using any number of substances to enhance their grip on the ball. Analysis shows stickier grips can help a pitcher increase the spin rate on both fastballs and breaking balls, making both harder to hit.
The debate in recent years seems to have been focused on a particular brand-name substance, called Spider Tack, an industrial-strength adhesive. Other pitchers have used pine tar, which is permitted for hitters to dab on their bats, while others still are said to use a combination of rosin, which is supplied to pitchers on the mound, mixed with sunscreen.
MLB apparently began quietly monitoring foreign the use of substances sometime earlier this season. Late last month, Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos was made to switch his cap by veteran umpire Joe West, when it was decided he had too much pine tar on the bill. Since around that time, batting averages have been up by about 10 points, while spin rates on pitches have been markedly down, Passan reported.
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