There has been plenty of backlash form pitchers across the league in response to MLB’s new protocols to police the use of illegal substances, and Zack Britton says the handling of the issue “embarrassing” for the sport.
The lefty reliever told reporters before Wednesday’s game that Tuesday’s regular checks of pitchers on the field could be handled differently, as Max Scherzer and Sergio Romo were among pitchers visibly frustrated with the routine checks, with Scherzer showing added frustration when former Yankee manager Joe Girardi requested he be checked for substances shortly after a routine check.
“I just think the optics of it are so bad for Major League Baseball,” Britton said. “We’re talking about that, we’re not talking about Wander Franco’s debut, we’re not talking about how well Gerrit Cole threw and how well Max Scherzer threw, and all this other stuff around the game. We’re talking about guys getting checked on the field, guys dropping their pants on the field, guys throwing their belts off. I just think the optics are absolutely embarrassing for our game.”
Britton said he would like to see the checks done in the dugout or away from camera view, so situations like Scherzer and Girardi aren’t front and center of an issue that is currently the most talked about topic around the sport.
“We can get checked in the bullpen prior to entering the game,” Britton said. “Guys can get checked in the dugout away from cameras, away from fans. I just think the optics looked awful last night. As somebody who loves the game, I was watching other teams, and I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed because that’s what our game looks like right now. I think getting it off the field would look cleaner.”
But Britton would also like to hear from Rob Manfred, who has been leading the charge against sticky substances but has not spoken publicly in a press conference since February of last year. Players have called out the league’s handling of this issue, even going as far to say that the league has intentionally altered the baseballs in recent seasons, and are asked questions about sticky substances daily, and Britton would like to see the league, specifically Manfred, answer some questions as well.
“I would like to hear from Manfred,” Britton, the Yankees’ union representative, said. “He’s the commissioner of the game. I’d love to hear Manfred answer questions and not just players. If you're the head of a sport, I think part of the job description is to answer questions and speak to the media occasionally. It's frustrating for the players that we haven't heard from him yet.”
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