Pine Tar for the pitcher

[Umpirechick1]

In tonight's Brewers vs. Braves game in Atl, Will Smith (pitcher for Brewers) was ejected because he had pine tar on his right forearm... A LOT of pine tar.  Freddie Gonzalez noticed something on his arm, goes to ask PU, and all 4 umpires gather near the mound to look.  Jim Joyce looks at it, touches pitcher's arm and just ejects him in a very calm manner.  Smith is beyond pissed, and starts dropping the F bomb - at Freddie? At the umpires? Who knows, but why would you be yelling "That's F'in BS!" when you've got a foreign substance on your pitching arm?

[jpperez14]

I wouldn't consider that a lot. I think Pineda or whatever the Yankees pitcher name had more than what smith did. Either way, still illegal. How do you hit a batter with that advantage as well? 

Trying to act like you didn't use it?

[ElkOil]

In tonight's Brewers vs. Braves game in Atl, Will Smith (pitcher for Brewers) was ejected because he had pine tar on his right forearm... A LOT of pine tar.  Freddie Gonzalez noticed something on his arm, goes to ask PU, and all 4 umpires gather near the mound to look.  Jim Joyce looks at it, touches pitcher's arm and just ejects him in a very calm manner.  Smith is beyond pissed, and starts dropping the F bomb - at Freddie? At the umpires? Who knows, but why would you be yelling "That's F'in BS!" when you've got a foreign substance on your pitching arm?

​Because although it's illegal, pitchers do try to use substances to add tackiness to their grip, much the opposite of using rosin to take away moisture.  The thinking is that if it's legal to use rosin, it should be legal to use pint tar, since -- like rosin -- pine tar doesn't adversely affect the pitches.  Pitchers don't like it when they get ratted out because they know there's a chance pitchers on the team who just ratted try the same things.  It's against "the code."  Even managers on opposing teams have been known to say there shouldn't be any rule against it.

[Cav]

The Ryan defense:

Pine tar is NOT a foreign substance. 

[noumpere]

The Ryan defense:

Pine tar is NOT a foreign substance.

​It isn't if it came from American pines.

[UmpJeff]

I love the smell of Pine Tar in the morning!

[Thunderheads]

I guess it was sunscreen and rosin mixture for grip .........

[Umpirechick1]

Some say it's a foreign substance, some say it's not. However, it is illegal. And yes, I love the "What? I didn't do anything" act. 

The Yankees pitcher was suspended for 10 games for having it on his neck  

Thanks to whoever added the video. In real time, I didn't have the benefit of his words being blurred out.

[maven]

He was yelling at the Braves dugout. He was mad that he got caught. It's only cheating if you get caught, right?

[MikeSafari]

What a dope. You cheated, you got caught, you have to face the consequences. Stop your chirping and suck it up.

[zm1283]

What a dope. You cheated, you got caught, you have to face the consequences. Stop your chirping and suck it up.

​Except the Braves pitchers are probably doing the same thing, and Freddy Gonzalez knows that. MLB doesn't seem to care much until a manager brings it up. I'm not faulting the umpires as they don't have much of a choice when it happens, but they all do it to improve grip so they can control where their 96 mph fastball goes. 

[MikeSafari]

​Except the Braves pitchers are probably doing the same thing, and Freddy Gonzalez knows that. MLB doesn't seem to care much until a manager brings it up. I'm not faulting the umpires as they don't have much of a choice when it happens, but they all do it to improve grip so they can control where their 96 mph fastball goes. 

​Yeah, but my comment was more about the chirping after he got caught. You can't expect to get away with pine tar on your forearm that's so blatantly obvious. I mean, I'm not gonna go hunting for it either, but if it's brought up and discovered, I don't have much of a choice, do I?