NEW YORK — Where and what is the line not to cross in Major League Baseball? What is sticky and what is not?
Major League Baseball’s foreign substance rules, implemented in the regular season of 2021 by MLB and the MLBPA; with the hopes and plans to help level out and even up the playing field amongst pitchers and hitters, continues to cause quite the debate in circles across the baseball industry with certain pitchers getting a pass (asked by umpires to wash off or use a towel prior to pitching), while others, are ejected on the spot, and soon after, given a ten-game suspension…
The umpire crew discuss with San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove that they will perform a substance check in the sixth inning of Game 3 of the 2022 NL Wild Card series. After a thorough check, the umpires did not discover any substance on Musgrove – Image Credit: George Napolitano/Latino Sports
May I add, a ten-game suspension that can get appealed by the respective player, yet 99.9% of the time, nothing comes of it, due to the independent arbiter who is hired by MLB, consistently siding with MLB in the hearings.
Anyways, the latest example from the confusing sticky substance rules, came last night in the Chicago Cubs’ 9-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, as Cubs’ left-handed starter Justin Steele strolled out to the mound from Chicago’s dugout in the middle of third inning. At that moment, before starting the third, the 29-year-old was thoroughly inspected by the umpiring crew, and after a brief conversation, Steele proceeded to go back to the dugout to wash off his hands, halting the game, and re-appeared a few minutes later.
Umpires sent Justin Steele to the dugout to presumably wash his hands after a long meeting on the field.
pic.twitter.com/ZTeFiJQft5— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 27, 2024
Not a problem? All good?
Just over two months ago, the same inspection (situation) occurred to Edwin Díaz, New York’s All-Star closer, during a nationally televised game on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, between the Mets and Cubs. But for the 30-year-old Puerto Rican Díaz, he was never given the opportunity to wash his hands or use a towel upon inspection.
Instead, the umpires ejected him on the spot, resulting in the following: the Mets having to use another arm from their deflated bullpen, a 10-game suspension for Díaz, and an uproar of false accusations on social media.
Statements on social media revolved around: “Edwin Díaz just got ejected for cheating,” and “Edwin Díaz is so washed, he’s now cheating.”
Edwin Díaz ejected without throwing a pitch. pic.twitter.com/AlVya8J3aX
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 24, 2024
Is this what Major League Baseball wants? Fans ridiculing the top players in their sport on social media thanks to a certain umpiring crew’s decision when not even knowing for sure if the respective player was using a foreign substance? Also, not to be the one calling it out, but have umpires ever heard of sweat?
To make matters even more of a black eye on MLB’s foreign substance rules, the same umpire who ejected Díaz back in June, Vic Carapazza, was in the fold last night as part of the crew that told Steele to wash his hands.
So, in totality, where is that fine line? What is that fine line? Hopefully MLB and the MLBPA can find it sooner rather than later for the betterment of our game.
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Julio Pabon
August 28, 2024 at 4:07 pm
Excellent article. Saying it like it is. Congrats for eying this for many who would never see the dichotomy.