No Sunscreen, No Rosin, No Grip

Leave it to baseball to get itself in a sticky situation, just as interest in the sport is on an upswing. Puns intended. MLB notified teams this week about how it will be enforcing and cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances on the baseball. Starting Monday pitchers will be subject to random checks and could face ejections, fines and suspensions if found with a substance on the ball or their glove. 

Teams were notified in Spring Training, but MLB didn’t seem to be in a rush to actually reprimand anyone. Until now. Nearly 3 months into the season baseball all of the sudden will be suspending pitchers for 10 games (with pay) if they are found to be doctoring the ball. A bit of an overreaction? Yes. Considering, as many players have pointed out, the hypocritical nature of the mandate, by a league that didn’t even suspend one single Houston Astros player for actually cheating the game. 

 

Even worse, now umpires like Joe West, who doesn’t need a further spotlight shone on him, will be the ones looking to enforce the rules. West already overreacted to a Cardinals pitcher entering a game with a hat that looked worn and appeared to have something on it. Cardinals' manager Mike Schildt was ejected for arguing with West. The only thing that resulted was the pitcher had to change hats. This is unfortunately shades of things to come. Umpires have already had an awful year enforcing actual rules of the game. See Marty Foster’s created, made up “interference” call or Angel Hernandez’s strike zone during a game. Ugh.  

 

Rays’ pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who pitched against the White Sox Monday and left with an elbow injury thinks the impending enforcement led to his malady. He told reporters via Zoom, “I switched my fastball grip and my curveball grip. I had to put my fastball deeper into my hand and grip it way harder. Instead of holding my curveball at the tip of my fingers, I had to dig it deeper into my hand.” Glasnow said.

Tyler Glasnow (MLB.com)

Glasnow also echoed a sentiment shared by many pitchers in baseball. "Do it in the offseason. Give us a chance to adjust to it. But I just threw 80 innings, then you tell me I can't use anything in the middle of the year. I have to change everything I've been doing the entire season. I'm telling you I truly believe that's why I got hurt."

 

The point being made by MLB is strikeouts are up and it’s because of the pitcher’s spin rates are up. Power numbers are still there, as the White Sox Dallas Keuchel pointed out after last night’s game. Is it possible that as baseball has evolved over the last decade plus, the taboo of the strikeout by a hitter has all but vanished? It’s possible that pitchers have managed to figure out weak spots in a hitter’s game, with all the video and heat maps that are available to them now. 

 

According to a chart in the Baseball Almanac, in 2000 the combined strikeout numbers between the AL and NL was 31,356. In 2019 the number soared to 42,823. There has definitely been more attention paid to “StatCast” numbers from MLB, which focus on launch angle, exit velocity, spin rates and strike out rates more than most other stats. This to me is more of an explanation to the increased numbers, because organizations aren’t looking at strikeouts as a bad thing. That message is being conveyed in the minors and younger players are learning as they go through the system to accept the “K” as a necessary evil. 

 

Don’t misunderstand me, altering a baseball should be illegal. Pitchers caught with substances like sandpaper, spider tack and cutting the ball, deserve the punishment. Those that are using, rosin (there’s a rosin bag on the mound for each pitcher, it’s right there to see for everyone) and sunscreen, to me, aren’t doing anything put ensuring a grip on a baseball. The ball itself has been manipulated by MLB over the years, that more and more pitchers had to use substances. When the league decided using a “superball” a couple of years ago, pitchers would say they couldn’t feel the seams. Pitching is all about feel and touch on the baseball. With the live arms in the game now, routinely hitting 95+ mph, I’m not sure I’d like to face a guy throwing that hard with no control or feel of the baseball. 

Baseball looked the other way during the “Steroid Era” because fans loved watching home runs being hit. Pitchers suffered because of the amounts of long balls being hit and as a result, they were looking for the equalizer. Now that the pitchers have a bit of an edge this season, baseball is choosing to overreact and enforce rules in the middle of a season. So, what if players were stealing bases at a record pace, would MLB eliminate leadoffs midseason? Let the players, play the game. Hitters worth their salt, don’t care what a pitcher is using on a baseball, they’re going to hit it eventually. Stop tinkering with the game already MLB, what’s next, home run derby instead of extra innings? Oh wait, they’re already experimenting with that. See what I mean? 

MLB Power Rankings Week 2, April 16, 2017

Now nearly two weeks into the baseball season, there have been a lot of surprises, both good ones and bad.  The Cubs still hold the top spot in this week’s rankings, but have a slim lead over the hot Astros.  The Marlins were the biggest mover in the positive direction (up 12 spots from last week), while the Cardinals dropped like a stone in a river falling 21 spots…Here’s this week’s Power Rankings…

1. Chicago Cubs                                            LW: 1                                     

Bullpen is a bit of a mess these days, but Cubs still have the best team in baseball, only a matter of time before offense gets consistent.  

Courtesy Daily Herald 

2. Houston Astros                                          LW: 6

Astros have won four in a row and most importantly for them Dallas Keuchel is back healthy (2-0, 0.86 ERA).  Still love their young offensive talent. Had a good week. 

3. Washington Nationals                               LW: 7

Nationals are happy that Bryce Harper is playing like an MVP…hit 2 HR's including a walk-off HR Sunday. Daniel Murphy remains hot as does the pitching.

Bryce Harper 

4. Baltimore Orioles                                      LW: 11

Coming off a 4-2 week.  Dylan Bundy has 2 wins for the leaders in the AL East.  Trey Mancini leads the O’s with 4 HR’s, Chris Davis has 3 for Baltimore.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers                                 LW: 3

Dropped to 3^rd place in NL West, but still the class of the division.  Injury worries with Rich Hill and his blisters. Still have Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager.

6. Colorado Rockies                                       LW: 5

Bud Black is doing great things in Denver with this young Rockies team.  They just took 3 of four at San Francisco.  Antonio Senzatela, leads with 2 wins.

7. New York Yankees                                    LW: 18

Joe Girardi’s team has won 7 in a row, swept the Cardinals at The Stadium. Michael Pineda is pitching well, Greg Bird and Aaron Hicks are providing some offense too.

8. Cleveland Indians                                      LW: 2

Lost series to Detroit, and White Sox on current homestand.  Even as the Tribe has fallen into last place, it’s still a long season.

9. New York Mets                                          LW: 13

Swept Phillies, but lost 3 of four at Miami.  Good news for Mets, that Matt Harvey is off to 2-0 start…Yoenis Cespedes off to a 6 home run start.

Matt Harvey
(Courtesy New York Newsday)

10. Boston Red Sox                                       LW: 4

Have won last two games.  Mitch Moreland won a game with 2 run single.  Joe Kelly leads staff with 2 wins.

11. Arizona Diamondbacks                          LW: 14

2-4 week, included losses against division foes, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Zach Greinke and Shelby Miller only have one win a piece for the 8-5 D-Backs.

12. Detroit Tigers                                          LW: 15

Tigers now lead the AL Central, and took 2 of three from the Indians in Cleveland.  Matthew Boyd pitching well, leads staff with 2 wins.

13. Miami Marlins                                      LW: 25

Tied with Nationals for lead in NL East.  Over last week and a half won 5 of 7 against the Mets.  Rookie JT Riddle was no joke in hitting walk off homer v. New York.

14. Pittsburgh Pirates                                  LW: 19

Enter the week after sweeping the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Andrew McCutchen is hitting again, and young pitchers starting to come through consistently.

15. Minnesota Twins                                   LW: 12

Dropped consecutive series, to Tigers and White Sox this week. Ervin Santana threw a gem against the Sox, a one-hitter with 8 strikeouts.

16. San Francisco Giants                             LW: 8

After starting the week taking 2 of 3 from the Padres, the Giants dropped 3 of 4 from the Rockies at home.  Giants are a half game behind San Diego in NL West standings.

17. Kansas City Royals                               LW: 22

Royals have gotten hot of late, having won four straight games and moving back to the .500 mark.

18. Chicago White Sox                               LW: 21

Made major league history this week starting an ALL-Garcia outfield.  White Sox finished the week taking 2 of 3 at Minnesota.

3 Garcia Outfield for White Sox
(courtesy CSN Chicago)

19. Cincinnati Reds                                     LW: 26

Reds maintain the top spot in the NL Central, finished the week 4-3.  Will get tested this week with three game series against Baltimore in Cincinnati.

20. Atlanta Braves                                       LW: 28

Opened new home this week, taking each of the first three games against San Diego. Bartolo Colon wins his first game with the Braves.

21. Tampa Bay Rays                                   LW: 20

Lost important piece in starting rotation, Jake Odorizzi is on the 10-day DL with left hamstring tightness.

22. Texas Rangers                                         LW: 16

Three straight losses for the Rangers who are falling fast in the AL West.  The Rangers are 4-8.

23. Seattle Mariners                                     LW: 10

Mariners having trouble closing out games struggling at back end of bullpen. Felix Hernandez still King in Seattle.

👀See also "Cubs Show Class With Rings for Santo and Banks"

24. Milwaukee Brewers                                LW: 27

Brewers have won 5 of their last 6 games.  Eric Thames is providing some offense.  Thames is 1^st player in team history with 5 homers in first 10 games w/team.

25. Philadelphia Phillies                               LW: 29

Phillies are in last place in the NL East, but have scored the third most runs in the division.

26. Los Angeles Angels                               LW: 24

Falling back to reality, have lost five in a row.  The Angels are still in 2^nd place in weak AL West division.

27. Oakland A’s                                            LW: 23

See above.  The A’s have lost 3 in a row but are still in 3^rd place in AL West.

28. Toronto Blue Jays                                   LW: 17

Toronto owns the worst record in baseball after two weeks of the season. 2-10 record has the Jays in last place in the AL East.

29. San Diego Padres                                   LW: 30

San Diego lost 3 in a row to Atlanta in its new home. Padres are tied for the worst run differential in baseball (- 22).

30. St Louis Cardinals                                   LW: 9

What has happened to the Cardinals?  St Louis is the team that shares the worst run differential with the Padres.  St Louis has lost 3 in a row and are last in NL Central.