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Even the Mets broadcast booth was disgusted by this.

MLB needs to take quick action to make the players intention here reviewable. Ridiculous.

On a happier note, MLB is collecting and examining possibly doctored baseballs thrown by Trevor Bauer.

polo007 · Post #1071 » by **polo007** » Fri Apr 9, 2021 1:28 pm

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The_Hater · Post #1072 » by **The_Hater** » Fri Apr 9, 2021 5:01 pm

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This is the same umpire who once declared ‘I can do anything I want out there’ to Hinch. A complete narcissist.

So I’m not surprised that he didn’t alter his opinion on the field but I am surprised that he admits to making a mistake now.

Post #1073 » by **Schad** » Fri Apr 9, 2021 6:02 pm

I'm hopeful that a major crackdown on ball tampering, alongside the less-springy ball, will restore some semblance of balance. It's well-known that most/all pitchers use a little bit of stick (usually a combination of sunscreen, rosin and sweat that creates a tacky substance), while others are taking it much further. Lower the otherworldly spin rates and you'll get fewer strikeouts...you might also get a rash of players getting plunked because it'll be that much more difficult to control high-90s.

Skin Blues · Post #1074 » by **Skin Blues** » Fri Apr 9, 2021 6:09 pm

I don't see how they can stop ball tampering since many (most?) players use legal substances to do it. If they're not now, they could easily switch to it. They can't ban sunscreen. They need to embrace it and let everybody use the best stuff available. Lower the mound if you want. Or move it back. Or make the strike zone smaller.

Post #1075 » by **Schad** » Fri Apr 9, 2021 6:54 pm

Skin Blues wrote:I don't see how they can stop ball tampering since many (most?) players use legal substances to do it. If they're not now, they could easily switch to it. They can't ban sunscreen. They need to embrace it and let everybody use the best stuff available. Lower the mound if you want. Or move it back. Or make the strike zone smaller.

It's only certain types of sunscreen, from what I understand, and it requires a pretty specific sequence of events to end up with a tacky substance that'll improve grip (IIRC, it's "grab rosin bag, wipe brow, wipe spot on arm that inexplicably needs 10x the sun protection"), so it's not like players will get pulled up for doing it accidentally, because if you *just* wipe your brow or your arm, you'll instead end up with a slippery ball that'll fly off into the stands. If the umpire finds that the ball has a tacky substance on it after a pitch, it's 100% because the pitcher caused it to have a tacky substance on it.

Moving the mound back is the one option that might work. I'm in favour of lowering the mound because I think it might lead to a bit more east-west pitching rather than the north-south dynamic that has developed, but People That Know Things have suggested that it won't do much to curb velocity or spin rate. Shrinking the zone is a possibility, but it may also just make the game even more TTO-heavy. It isn't an easy one.

The_Hater · Post #1076 » by **The_Hater** » Fri Apr 9, 2021 9:09 pm

Skin Blues wrote:I don't see how they can stop ball tampering since many (most?) players use legal substances to do it. If they're not now, they could easily switch to it. They can't ban sunscreen. They need to embrace it and let everybody use the best stuff available. Lower the mound if you want. Or move it back. Or make the strike zone smaller.

They can still put the onus on the pitchers. If there’s suntan lotion on the ball, you’re responsible. It’s your responsibility to have the umpire replace that ball before you throw it. And they can also keep cameras zoomed in on the pitchers and their actions because it shouldn’t be hard to track.

I don’t think changing the strike zone is the solution though.

polo007 · Post #1077 » by **polo007** » Sat Apr 10, 2021 1:42 pm

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polo007 · Post #1078 » by **polo007** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:30 pm

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Fairview4Life · Post #1079 » by **Fairview4Life** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:38 pm

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Only viewing this via gif, but are catchers allowed to slide over and push someone's foot around the plate? If not, then he's safe.

The_Hater · Post #1080 » by **The_Hater** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 5:50 pm

So did the umps rule that he touched the plate, or did they rule that the catcher illegally blocked the plate? Because the catcher clearly knocked the slide off line before he could touch.

I just don’t know enough about this new-ish blocking the plate rule to know what catchers can and can’t get away with anymore.

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