And on the hot topic of foreign substances, Scherzer argued that there is a mutual interest between pitchers and hitters in something that allows pitchers to have a strong grip on the ball. Otherwise, he explained, sport could see more examples like that of June 6, when Washington pitcher Austin Voth hit in the face by 90 mph fastballbreaking his nose.
“Pitchers want to have that turn and hitters want pitchers to have that turn to avoid serious injuries. That’s the delicate balance we have to play with,” Scherzer said Monday, using the word “tack” to refer to grip. “We understand that this goes beyond pine tar, that there have been bad actors throughout the game. Teams have been bad actors in trying to find ways to create substances that go beyond pine tar. beyond pine tar to try to actually influence the spin rate instead of trying to use a substance to keep the ball from slipping out of the pitcher’s hands.
“In the minds of many players, there is a big difference between the two. So this is where the problem lies.
Tuesday, MLB announced that a crackdown would begin next Monday. To eliminate the use of foreign substances, umpires will regularly check starters and relievers whether there is suspicion or not. Any player caught using foreign substances will be sent off and subject to a 10-game suspension, which is consistent with precedent. Pitchers will be allowed to use rosin on the mound but may not combine rosin with any other substances.
But even before the new rules were announced, Scherzer didn’t think players would have any say in how the situation would be resolved.
“The players should have their say. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will,” he said Monday. “It just seems like MLB is going to do what they want with this.”
On Monday morning, Scherzer was named in a Sports Illustrated story on Bubba Harkins, a former visiting clubhouse manager for the Los Angeles Angels who supplied foreign substances to pitchers before being fired in March 2020. Star pitchers Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright were also named in the report. The article alleged that Harkins received several text messages from a Nationals staff member’s number, asking for tacky stuff on Scherzer’s behalf.
In a text sent in February 2017, the employee wrote: “Bubba, Max needs 2 batches please. » In another text from February 2018, the employee wrote: “Bubba, Max needs this ASAP. He will pay for next day shipping, please. SI reported that a response from the staffer’s phone number included the address of the Nationals’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Harkins filed a defamation suit against Major League Baseball that a judge dismissed. Harkins is appealing this decision. Scherzer declined to comment for the article Monday.
“The Nationals have asked me not to comment on this until this is resolved,” said Scherzer, whose name appears in the lawsuit along with some of the details reported by SI this week. “When it does, then we can have a conversation.”
As a prominent member of the players’ union, Scherzer discussed foreign substances with his teammates and many players around the league. Through these conversations, he sensed a common goal: identifying grip-enhancing substances. His manager, Dave Martinez, pushed for this kind of resolution in recent weeks.
The Nationals felt added urgency when Voth was hit in the face on a hot day in Philadelphia. When asked how to tell the difference between substances that increase spin rate and those that help with grip, Scherzer paused, thought about it, and returned to hitters publicly vouching for better grip to avoid errant fastballs. MLB did not differentiate in its memo, promising to regulate all substances other than rosin.
On the subject of batting safety, MLB noted in its memo: “Evidence does not suggest a correlation between improved batting safety and the use of foreign substances. In fact, the hit-by-pitch ratio increased alongside the prevalence of foreign substance use.
“There are definitely elements of the balls that affect different guys. Plus, we play in different elements,” Scherzer said Monday. “We play in hot weather, in cold weather, in dry weather, in wet weather – all different types of elements affect grip. That’s one thing that pitchers as a whole have said, why you want to tack. You’re constantly making different starts in different climates throughout the year, which affects the type of grip you have on the baseball.
“If we all played in indoor domes, like in Tampa, and we had 72 degrees, fine. Different story. But this is not the case. We are constantly in different environments throughout the year. So for the safety of the hitter, that’s why the practice has been to have a substance to provide grip to prevent the ball from slipping out of your hand. It’s not about getting better control or better command. This is so that the ball does not slip.
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