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Originally Posted by NDblue
I honestly don't feel that sand/dirt is a foreign substance unless you're playing on an all-grass field. There's already going to be sand/dirt/dust on the ball from your ball bag, the fielders glove or the field itself. How can part of the field be a foreign substance?
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I think the rule is there to prevent an unnatural altering of the flight of the ball. Some pitchers will do anything to get that extra "edge," including licking their fingers (to get better grip - which I think is stupid), putting dirt on the ball (to give the ball a bit more "wobble"), etc.
Putting extra dirt onto the ball, in my opinion, would alter the characteristics of the ball during the pitch, and would give the pitcher an unfair advantage. Kinda like allowing the bat to be flat (and not passing the bat ring) would give an unfair advantage to the batter.