MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances is supposed to begin in earnest on Monday, and it just so happens that when the Yankees return Tuesday after Monday’s off-day, their starting pitcher will be Gerrit Cole – one of the central figures in the entire sticky substance situation.
Cole, however, told the media in his usual day-before on Sunday that he “has no expectation” of being singled out or scrutinized further because of that.
“I think I’m in the same boat as everyone else, waiting to see how this plays out. Certainly, we’re not trying to be ejected,” Cole said. “We know the ramifications on the roster and what not moving forward from that. It will be interesting to see and we’ll be prepared to adjust and all that and be within the rules.”
Cole’s spin rates have been down over his last couple starts since the situation exploded, although he pinned his struggles last start on the cold, windy weather in Buffalo before making an impassioned plea for the Commissioner’s Office to “just please work with us” on coming up with some legal substance that would be universal for all pitchers.
That process, he said, is ongoing, but it’s not as simple as it seems.
“We got some clarification on some areas, but obviously, the new protocol is new, so we continue to talk and hammer some things out,” Cole said. “I don’t want to sit here and ramble about random ideas, I’d like to apply some critical thinking to it maybe when I see some data or have some conversations with people who have more expertise in terms of what adjustments they anticipate could make the changes they’re looking for.”
Of course, Cole notes that “feedback from the players at a certain extent when we do grab the ball” would also be an important step, to make sure that pitchers are comfortable with whatever is approved.
Carton & Roberts did a bit of an expose on Friday on what effect Spider-Tack, as just one substance, can have on spin rates, which you can watch below:
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