Cheating and controversies. Two words that come up often in the chapters of major baseball history. And it does not date from the last rain.
Even well before the first baseball game on the small screen. A throwback to 1902. At that time, major baseball authorities allowed gunners to use a wet ball to face batters.
The fielder spit into their hands and rubbed the induced ball with their saliva before returning it to the mound. The pitcher had in his hand a wet ball covered in dirt that was impossible to hit with power because it was too heavy.
Applying foreign substances to the ball adds weight to the surface causing it to spin irregularly, making it harder to hit.
In 1908, pitcher Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox had a 40-game winning season using the wet ball technique. And the doors of the Hall of Fame opened before him at the end of his career!
With only two throwers
For the 1920 season, major league baseball voted a partial wetball ban, limiting its use to just two pitchers per club.
On August 16 of the same season, Ray Chapman, the Cleveland shortstop, was hit in the head by a wet ball. He is the only player in the history of major league baseball to lose his life after being shot in the head.
From the following season, the wet ball is no longer allowed, except for 17 pitchers who benefit from a grandfather clause until the end of their career.
Following this tragedy, the authorities changed the rules. The artillerymen could thus use shoe polish, tobacco juice or simply dirt to have a better grip on the bullet.
In Cooperstown
Star pitcher Gaylord Perry was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991.
In his autobiography published in 1974, he lists the substances used including saliva, powdered pine resin to change the trajectory of the ball. Funny character, he made his confession when he was throwing in the majors!
Another pitcher inducted into Cooperstown, Don Sutton scratched the ball. Here are other illegal products used at the mound: a bug to scratch the ball, pine tar, petroleum jelly, sunscreen and I could easily add 10 other products.
I find it a complete disrespect for hitters to criticize pitchers when they are possibly the biggest cheaters in their sport.
Former Blue Jays player Josh Donaldson, who accuses pitchers of using questionable manners, rightly or wrongly, needs to do a soul-searching.
He should clarify that all hitters who have used steroids, including Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez, should be declared ineligible for the Hall of Fame. Many hitters seem to have forgotten that part of their success has been achieved through unorthodox ways.
We remember that the hitters of the Astros and the Red Sox were caught in an attempt to improve their performance.
Unless I’m wrong, no player has been suspended and they have never been taken away from the World Series title.
The hunt is on
Hunting season comes later in the year, but right now in Major League Baseball it’s the hunt for cheaters. Referees should monitor whether the pitchers apply illegal substances to promote their shots. Why ?
Batters complain that the spinning of the ball increases the number of strikeouts.
As my former coach at Loisirs Saint-Eusèbe would say, it’s porridge for cats. As soon as baseball officials looked into changing the strike zone, several umpires said the new zone will dramatically increase strikeouts.
In conclusion, pitchers and hitters will always find new ways to improve their stats and not the number of wins for their team. They are paid handsomely for their stats and not for their team’s performance.
Abolish the special defense
The thinkers around Commissioner Rob Manfred must find a solution so that every hit is well deserved.
As a first step, special defense in the infield should be prohibited.
Each infielder should have their feet inside the infield zone. Major League Baseball is not a garage league with four outfielders, including one in the field. Left-handed hitters are disadvantaged by this special defense. Do you doubt it? Since 2011, no left-handed hitter has won the American League batting championship.
