Baseball rules do not allow pitchers to have foreign substances on their bodies, and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez noticed Brewers relief pitcher Will Smith definitely had some on his non-throwing arm Thursday night.
So Gonzalez asked umpires to check Smith’s arm during the seventh inning. They did so and crew chief Jim Joyce quickly discovered a sticky substance on Smith’s arm—the pitcher said it was sunscreen and rosin—and ejected him. Major League Baseball suspended Smith for eight games on Friday but he was available to pitch as he appeals the decision.
It all seems pretty straightforward but, like with many baseball rules, there are grey areas.
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said hitters prefer pitchers use something to get a better grip so they don’t hit them. Brewers manager Craig Counsell said it’s common for pitchers to do so, especially in cool conditions such as Thursday, and added that he “guarantees” Braves pitchers also do it.
Gonzalez said he understands all of that but he kept coming back to two points in explaining why he had umpires check Smith, who is from Newnan.
Gonzalez said he didn’t do it until he saw the pitcher touch the substance with his pitching hand and, maybe more importantly, Gonzalez said Smith was so blatant about it he had no choice.
“Gosh darn, that’s almost rubbing it in your face in a situation where you are trying to get an advantage to your team,” Gonzalez said Friday. “I let that guy throw three nasty curveballs and he gets a punch out with the bases loaded, shame on me because he had some help. I have the Atlanta Braves to answer to, my team, our fanbase, and our front office. If … I let that slide, I think I would have a tough time sleeping.”
Smith hit the first batter he faced, Pedro Ciriaco, and then threw a first-pitch strike to Jace Peterson. That’s when Gonzalez said Smith touched his pitching hand to the substance, prompting him to alert the umpires. Smith cursed at the Braves’ dugout as he left the field.
Braves outfielder Jonny Gomes is among players who don’t think it’s OK for pitchers to use substances to aid in gripping the ball.
“The rule is in place because it’s performance-enhancing,” Gomes said. “It has nothing to do with individually the guy. We don’t dislike the guy anymore. I don’t think he’s disrespecting the game. He’s trying to get an edge. We are all trying to get an edge.
“There are a few rules in this game you can bend, there are a few rules you can kind of get around. But people talk about a lot of bullpen guys use some sort of substance. With that being said, there are only about one or two of these incidents like this a year.”
Gomes added that pitchers who depend on foreign substances to grip the ball need to use their time in the minor leagues to “figure out how to get your fastball to work without hitting a guy.”
