In March, Major League Baseball sent two different memos to clubs saying it would step up the monitoring and enforcement of rules prohibiting pitchers from applying foreign substances to baseballs.
Less than one week into the season, the league’s latest attempted crackdown is being put to the test. And a pitcher who has been perhaps more outspoken than any other on the subject — Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer — already is drawing attention.
The umpires in Bauer’s start against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday collected multiple balls he threw during the game, according to major-league sources. The balls had visible markings and were sticky, and were sent to the league offices for further inspection, the sources said.
Bauer declined to comment.
In 2018, Bauer wondered aloud on Twitter about how pitchers might increase their spin rates, making vague reference to the Astros. He then seemed to underscore his point, as Sarris noted, by adding spin rate to his fastball for one inning later that season. In 2020, when Bauer won the National League Cy Young Award in a shortened 60-game season, his four-seam fastball had the highest spin rate of any in baseball, and spin rates on his secondary pitches spiked as well.
Less than one week into the season, the league’s latest attempted crackdown is being put to the test. And a pitcher who has been perhaps more outspoken than any other on the subject — Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer — already is drawing attention.
The umpires in Bauer’s start against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday collected multiple balls he threw during the game, according to major-league sources. The balls had visible markings and were sticky, and were sent to the league offices for further inspection, the sources said.
Bauer declined to comment.
In 2018, Bauer wondered aloud on Twitter about how pitchers might increase their spin rates, making vague reference to the Astros. He then seemed to underscore his point, as Sarris noted, by adding spin rate to his fastball for one inning later that season. In 2020, when Bauer won the National League Cy Young Award in a shortened 60-game season, his four-seam fastball had the highest spin rate of any in baseball, and spin rates on his secondary pitches spiked as well.
