Uh oh friends, looks like we have a sticky situation on our hands. Our pitchers in the MLB are putting substances on the baseballs. What are you doing? Yeah, that’s right Gerrit Cole. The MLB is taking about you, and others.
What Is This Substance Called?
Pitchers in today’s MLB game are using a special substance made up of sunscreen, pine tar, and shaving cream in order to better round up the rotation in an MLB game. This substance is so sticky that no one really knows what it is. This substance is known as, “Spider Tack”. It has actually been around for years as every pitcher wants to gain a competitive advantage over the opposing batters. It’s just nowadays with social media, politics, and outside distractions, that it has been seen as a no-no in baseball. Pitchers are being used as victims and scapegoats by the media for using Spider Tack. The latest victim is New York Yankees ace Starting Pitcher, Gerrit Cole.
The MLB has quite a situation here with Cole. Or should I say, “Mr. Sticky Man.” Cole is just the next scapegoat of a “sticky situation” as some knuckle heads have gained a competitive advantage in pitching, by giving baseballs a little magic potion by greasing them up. Today’s star pitchers are cheating more than Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, and Barry Bonds did when they were all jacked on steroids. And they were all former “Big time” MLB hitters.
The Situation
Mr. Cole was caught lying like a rug to the dust bunnies in the mainstream sports media. If you were a fan of the 1990’s show “The Big, Comfy Couch,” then you would know the reference. Oh and here’s a great question too, “Who made this mess?”
If you’re a regular, common sense person, than you should know that not everyone is at fault for this. You could put it on the league’s clown commissioner Rob Manfred who already performed a blunderous circus act by deciding to move the All-Star game from Atlanta, Georgia to Denver, Colorado. Can anyone smell, politics?
Has Politics been too involved with the MLB and Spider Tack-Gate?
Not that it’s any small situation, as the MLB has had a horrendous history with cheating scandals including; the Houston Astro games in 2017. For the people who are more into celebrities than baseball, let me tell you the facts about this scandal.
Back in 2017, the Astros were involved in what was probably the biggest scandal in Baseball since Pete Rose’s gambling troubles which led to an ultimate ban. In that year’s World Series vs the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Astros were one of the league’s best baseball team finishing with one of the league best records, at 161-61. During the world series, assistant managers Alex Cora, and Carlos Correa allegedly were caught with cameras banging on trashcans which is a form of stealing signs that the Dodgers were signaling to the catcher. Commissioner Rob Manfred launched an investigation into the matter, which resulted in the World Series Title being vacated from the Astros. One would think the league would have learned from this right? Wrong.
Fast forward to 2021, and here we are with the MLB involved in yet another scandal involving players. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees was seen gripping the baseball in a odd and peculiar way. It looked very strange because pitchers normally grip the ball hard and firm. The media after the game wondered why Coles was gripping the ball this way, and his response was fumbled. “I don’t quite know how to answer that, to be honest… he said. “If MLB wants to legislate some more stuff, that’s a conversation that we can have.”
Other Pitchers involved in this Scandal
Besides Cole, there has been a growing number of other MLB pitchers using this substance as a way to have a better grip on the baseball, and also change their throwing motions too. One experiment found that a pitcher increased his rotation per minute to a whopping number of 500 with Spider Tack. The fact is this number was the difference between a spin rate well below average vs way above average.
Another pitcher that rubbed Spider Tack the wrong way was St Louis reliever Giovanny Gallegos. He was forced to switch his baseball cap because the umpire observed Spider Tack being used. The MLB wants to remove it from the game and is taking a very hard stance on its position saying it has no place in today’s game. Reality shows however very little evidence that they want to wipe it out entirely.
On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer blew by a high inside fast ball in the fourth inning vs Phillies hitter Alec Bohm striking him out. Bohm then hit the ground with a loud crashing noise. Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi noticed that Scherzer was seen rubbing and touching his head. It was supposedly with an odd substance that now is allegedly considered to be Spider Tack. After Scherzer struck Bohm out, Girardi asked second base umpire Alfonso Marquez to check Scherzer after noticing that he was touching his hair.
What Happened Next
Scherzer was already checked twice by Marquez after the first and third inning due to Girardi’s request, but the third time, Girardi had enough of it and wanted to try to cancel Scherzer by getting him thrown out of the game. When Marquez went to check him a third time, Scherzer blew up and things got really violent like today’s divided and conquered political climate.
Scherzer reacted by tossing his glove and hat onto the ground and then he unbuttoned his pants. He was not happy at all with the situation and he decided to risk being tossed for the night. According to Fox 2 now, Scherzer said, “I would have to be an absolute fool to actually use something tonight when everybody’s antenna is so far high they’d look for anything.”
Instead of Scherzer being ejected from the game, it was Girardi who was ejected himself, from the game. Scherzer grossly stared down Girardi as he was walking off the field. The question is, did Girardi cancel his kryptonite? Or did the climate turn and Scherzer was uncancelled like political Youtuber Steven Crowder. It’s the battle of the woke vs the anti woke.
Punishment
Right now, there is no exact punishment for Scherzer actions and he’s lucky it hasn’t been set in stone. Now, if he or any pitcher is caught using “Spider Tack”, on any baseball in the future, that pitcher will receive a suspension of 10 games. Also, clubs or personnel will be subject to discipline.
These MLB pitchers need to take these regulations seriously and cooperate at all times with the rules during the long regular season. This means you, Gerrit Cole, Giovanny Gallegos, Max Scherzer and any other players trying to get away with using any illegal substance not approved by the MLB.
Also, hopefully players will be accountable by telling the truth when asked by the league and the media. If Manfred finds any of them lying, it may end a lot of baseball careers.