As MLB threatens to start enforcing its long-standing ban on doctoring baseballs, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole found himself in a very uncomfortable position on Tuesday.
Cole was asked directly if he uses a sticky substance called Spider Tack and he had a very uncomfortable pause as he looked to answer the question…sort of.
“I don’t,” Cole started before a long pause. “I don’t know if, uh … I don’t quite know how to answer that to be honest.”
Cole continued without answering the question or issuing a denial that he uses a banned substance on baseballs to gain an edge.
“There are customs and practices that have been passed down from older players to younger players from the last generation of players to this generation of players,” Cole continued. “I think there are some things that are certainly out of bounds in that regard. I’ve stood pretty firm in terms of that, in terms of the communication between our peers and what not.
“This is important to a lot of people who love the game including the players in this room, including fans and including teams. If MLB wants to legislate some more stuff, then that’s a conversation we should all have. Because ultimately we should all be pulling in the same direction on all of this.”
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It was Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson who called Cole out by name when discussing pitchers doctoring baseballs on Friday.
What these guys are doing now [is] performance enhancing to where it is an actual super glue type of [deal],’’ Donaldson said, per the New York Daily News. “It’s not about command. Now, it’s about who’s throwing the nastiest pitches.
“Is it coincidence that Gerrit Cole’s spin rate numbers went down after four minor-leaguers got suspended for 10 games? Is that possible? I don’t know. Maybe. At the same time, with this situation, they’ve let guys do it.”
From MLB Official Baseball Rule 3.01:
“No player shall intentionally discolor or damage the ball by rubbing it with soil, rosin, paraffin, licorice, sand-paper, emery- paper or other foreign substance.
“PENALTY: The umpire shall demand the ball and remove the offender from the game. In addition, the offender shall be suspended automatically for 10 games. “
