Umpire Substance Checks Put Pitchers in Awkward Positions

The scene takes place in Major League Baseball stadiums but more closely resembles an airport security check: It’s mandatory, it’s a little awkward, and please be prepared to surrender your belt.

Since Monday, when baseball began enforcing stricter guidelines on ball-doctoring, pitchers on their way back to the dugout have occasionally been intercepted by umpires. As part of M.L.B.’s crackdown on sticky stuff on the balls pitchers throw, they have been asked to submit for inspection their hats, gloves, fingers and, if requested, more. (At least one has dropped his pants in frustration.) If any illegal substances are found, the new policy calls for an immediate ejection and 10-game suspension.

Of course, any gripping agents beyond rosin have long been against baseball’s rules. But M.L.B. had largely turned a blind eye to the issue, allowing concoctions made of things like pine tar or rosin mixed with sunscreen that, pitchers said, made it easier for them to better grasp a ball that has been particularly inconsistent in recent seasons. In recent seasons, though, that practice had morphed into a performance enhancer, according to M.L.B., thanks to super pastes or other substances being used to not only improve the grip but increase the spin, and thus the movement, of pitches.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/sports/baseball/umpire-substance-checks.html