(670 The Score) MLB on Monday instituted its new rules on checking pitchers for the use of foreign substances on the baseball.
Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay was the first member of his team to get checked, as umpires now frisk pitchers coming off the field between innings for any illegal substances. Uniforms, hats, gloves and belts are all subject to being inspected.
"It was all pretty normal,” Alzolay said. “I guess that is what MLB wants to do. So they checked my hat and checked my glove to make sure everything was OK. It was normal, it was easy and not too much trouble.”
Pitchers found to have doctored the baseball with a foreign substance will be ejected, and their first offense carries a 10-game suspension. The team will also be punished in that they will lose that roster spot for 10 games. The team can’t replace the suspended pitcher during that time period.
“New rules and new protocols are on your radar a little bit,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “If something goes down or awry, there is an appeals process. It's like any other ejection. So there is a safety net. We also have to trust in the umpires. The veteran umpires (crew chiefs) are going to be doing this. They will err on the side of what's best for baseball.”
Although Cubs catcher Willson Contreras has a few concerns about how pitchers will be impacted by the in-season crackdown on illegal substances, he supports the change, as hitters have struggled in a way they haven’t for decades.
“It's going to be a fair game now,” Contreras said. “Sticky stuff has made the spin rate really nasty. It was way more than years before. It will be a fair game now and no excuses.”
Ross added that MLB has already seen a decline in pitchers’ spin rate and an uptick in offense since MLB sent out its initial memo recently, and he believed the first day of inspecting pitchers went well for his club.
"Guys are all aware how it will be done,” Ross said. “We handed out the memo and had discussions. The information so far over those 10 days is that batting averages are up, slugging percentages are up, on-base percentage is up. Spin rates are down on both fastballs and breaking balls. Hit by pitches are exactly the same. So you can draw your own conclusion.
“It went smooth. They checked the gloves and the hats of the pitchers. They were very appreciative of the pitchers taking the time. They helped us to understand that this is not always the perfect moment. It all went really smooth.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.