PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Monday marks the start of Major League Baseball enforcing the rule of pitchers not using excessive foreign substances on the ball. While it has sparked controversy, the Pirates are behind the decision.
“I think the Pirates position would be, and certainly my position would be, to support the league’s efforts to create an even playing field,” said Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington. “I think it’s important for the integrity of the game that we are all a part of. We need to protect that integrity of the game.”
Pitchers have used rosin for years. The rosin bag sits in plain view behind the mound. Over time, Cherington explained Sunday, pitchers have used different substances, like sunscreen, pine tar and the now infamous ‘Spider Tack’. Either in combination with rosin or by itself to get a grip on the ball or get the ball to do what they want it to do.
“I think what has happened is we are now able to measure more accurately what happens with the baseball,” Cherington said during his show on 93.7 The Fan and the Pirates Radio Network. “We know how fast it spins. We know the movement of the pitches. We are just able to understand more about the potential effects of getting different levels of grip on the baseball. We didn’t really know that as precisely 15 years ago, 10 years ago, even 5 years ago.”
The major pushback from pitchers is not denial, rather the question of why change in the middle of the season. Former Pirates starter Tyler Glasnow believes the new rule led to a partial UCL tear and flexor tendon strain trying to grip the ball without extra help. Former Pirates ace Gerrit Cole also outspoken about the midseason change.
“I’ve heard the argument that is should have happened in the off-season or you can’t do it during the season,” Cherington said. “I would say if you are in the league’s seat and you are thinking of it in terms of even playing field, competitive even playing field, integrity of the game. I don’t think you can wait on that.”
“Timing is everything, when is the perfect time? There is no such thing. Because this is happening in the middle of the season, it is going to force some adjustments. We are going to learn together what those adjustments look like.”
Likely it will lead to a tick down in velocities as pitchers won’t have the same grip to be able to throw as hard and maybe not as much bite on breaking pitches. For pitchers who continue to try and throw as hard without the edge of foreign substances, expect fewer strikes and potentially more hit batsmen.
The Bucs and former Red Sox GM wants to be clear, this isn’t like other issues with baseball, like steroids. They are not trying to redefine history or bring down pitchers of the modern era for cheating.
“To me it’s not a matter of judging what anyone has done in the past,” Cherington said. “It really felt like something that grew organically and this is something pitchers do.”
Cherington acknowledges the game has turned a blind eye to what pitchers were doing, but reiterated. It’s time to stop.
“I think there is a higher level of awareness that some of these things can potentially be an advantage if they allow pitchers to create a certain kind of spin or movement,” Cherington said. “If there is something that we can now measure (which they can) and be aware of that could potentially create an advantage, that’s something the league ought to be focused on and is focused on.
“We support that.”