Max Scherzer swore up and down that he was only using rosin during Wednesday’s start, which was cut short when umpires ejected him from the game following a thorough examination of his glove and hands during a banned substance check.
After the game, home plate umpire Dan Bellino made it clear that the stickiness on Scherzer’s hands was unlike anything he has seen so far since the league started mandating substance checks.
“As far as stickiness, this was the stickiest that it has been since I have been inspecting hands,” Bellino said, via Mike Puma of the New York Post. “Which goes back three seasons.”
Yankees starter Domingo German was grilled for the use of rosin during Saturday’s start against the Twins, but was ultimately told to wash his hands and was allowed to continue pitching, leading to Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli being ejected from the game. On Wednesday, it was Scherzer getting the hook, as umpires told him to change his glove, but even after, it was deemed that his hands were too sticky, sparking a tirade from Scherzer, who could be seen clamoring to the crew that it was just rosin on his hands.
But the umpires clearly weren’t buying it.
“It was far more than we have ever seen before on a pitcher in live action and we understand the repercussions of removing a pitcher from the game,” Bellino said, via Puma. “This is clearly something that went too far. It went over the line.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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