Major League Baseball Is in Another Sticky Situation

Major League Baseball will finally have to address foreign substances on baseballs.

For a century at least Major League pitchers have been rubbing foreign substances on baseballs including Vaseline, baby oil, pine tar, spray sticky substances and anything that will help them get a better grip on the ball.

The spit ball was outlawed in baseball many years ago, but pitchers still try to get an advantage with anything they can use to put on the baseball.

Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry made a living out of doctoring baseballs for many years. Pitchers have used fingernail files or sandpaper to put grooves in the ball for a better grip too.

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But now this is of epidemic proportion in Major League Baseball. Rob Manfred, the Major League Commissioner, has to get ahold of this problem. Umpires are going to have to enforce this. Just a couple of years back sign-stealing with a loud noise was controversial. Now, a majority of pitchers are cheating with a foreign substance on the ball.

As of last week, the cumulative batting average for all of Major League Baseball was .226. That’s the lowest ever since 1968. So, obviously, this goo-on-the-ball stuff is rampant with pitchers.

What I was told by former Major League pitcher Lary Sorenson was that most pitchers put pine tar on their fingers or fingernails. Then they cover it on their hands with rosin from the rosin bag on the pitcher’s mound. This has to be fixed by the Commissioner, and quick!

This sticky situation is getting out of hand.