Roger's finger 'stuff'

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by blueump

But...for sake of argument...how can pine tar in a baseball game considered a foreign substance? I know this was played at a AL park, but what if the pitcher has batted and the pine tar from the bat is on his hand. Is pine tar a foreign substance...and is there a specific rule that prohibits pitchers from having pine tar on their hands?

Yes there is. And it's pretty complicated to understand, so I'll post it for you:

Originally Posted by 8.02

The pitcher shall not--

...(b) Have on his person, or in his possession, any foreign substance. For such infraction of this section (b) the penalty shall be immediate ejection from the game. In addition, the pitcher shall be suspended automatically for 10 games.

Oh, wait, that was in the post you were responding to ... Um... so what part of this rule does not make it clear to you that having a foreign substance on his hands is illegal?

[blueump]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

Yes there is. And it's pretty complicated to understand, so I'll post it for you:


Oh, wait, that was in the post you were responding to ... Um... so what part of this rule does not make it clear to you that having a foreign substance on his hands is illegal?

So a pitcher bats, gets pine tar on his hand, and is ejected for having a foreign substance on his hand??? Back to my original question which ... um ...you responded to:

How is pine tar a foreign substance in baseball?

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by blueump

How is pine tar a foreign substance in baseball?

Are you trolling me? Surely you're kidding.

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by blueump

So a pitcher bats, gets pine tar on his hand, and is ejected for having a foreign substance on his hand??? Back to my original question which ... um ...you responded to:

How is pine tar a foreign substance in baseball?

Pine Tar is not a foreign substance in baseball, it is however a foreign substance to the HAND. A pitcher may not have ANY foreign substance on his pitching hand. As for all the other things brought up previously, it is also illegal to have poop on your pitching hand, wether or not you are aware it is there. A PITHCER CAN HAVE NOTHING ON HIS PITCHING HAND. If he bats, and gets pine tar on his hand, he better clean it off before he takes the mound.

[UmpJM]

Big Tex,

While I would certainly concur in regards to pine tar, etc. there actually IS one "foreign substance" the pitcher is allowed to have on his pitching hand. Says so right there in the rules.

JM

[BigTex]

Originally Posted by CoachJM

Big Tex,

While I would certainly concur in regards to pine tar, etc. there actually IS one "foreign substance" the pitcher is allowed to have on his pitching hand. Says so right there in the rules.

JM

Rosin.....sorry, I stand corrected.

[lagunaump]

This was in the first inning and he was told to wash it off whatever it was. Then he continued to shut out the Cardinals. It seems to me that it had no bearing what so ever in the outcome of the game.

[sj]

....had no bearing

Except to state the what if case of... what if he should have been ejected.

Here's one for debate. If the umps had knowlege that there was something on his hand. They never looked to see what it was. Why not? Did they not want to find out because to do so may have put them into the position of having to kick him out? Did they handle it according to protocol? I certainly don't know the answer to any questions but just want to hear what everybody says.

[fonzzy07]

Originally Posted by lagunaump

This was in the first inning and he was told to wash it off whatever it was. Then he continued to shut out the Cardinals. It seems to me that it had no bearing what so ever in the outcome of the game.

Everyone is just taking for a fact that it is pine tar. My dad, a surgeon who is a specialist in wound care took one look at the hand and immediatly named (this thing I dont remeber the name of it) but he says they use it to help hold wounds togeather, it has something to do with gripping. He was almost positive it was this thing and told me to feel his hand. I touched his hand an it was sticky, he said my point exactly, he had just finished working his one sunday a month at a wound center and had used the stuff. I asked if he washed his hands and he said many times, but the stuff just sticks and is really hard to get off. I might add you could not see anything on his hand. If Rodgers was using this stuff, this could explain why he was still so lights out. Just a thought take it for what it is worth.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by blueump

So a pitcher bats, gets pine tar on his hand, and is ejected for having a foreign substance on his hand??? Back to my original question which ... um ...you responded to:

How is pine tar a foreign substance in baseball?

Foreign substance or not, it's obviously against the rules for a pitcher to have pine tar on 'em.

Brendan Donnelly of the LA Angels got an 8-game suspension in 2005 for having pine tar on his glove. Julian Tavarez of the St. Louis Cardinals got a 10-day suspension in 2004 when Joe West found pine tar on the brim of his cap(gee, I wonder how LaRussa knew about the rule last night? ). And as I said before , Jay Howell of the Dodgers got 3 games in the NLCS in 1988 for having pine tar on his glove.

You don't have to be found using it, according to the reports that I read. If they find it on a pitcher, you get a vacation.

[NFump]

Pine tar is okay for a batter to have, but it's a no-no for the pitcher. He bats and gets it on his hand, he'd better wash it off before he takes the mound.

[LMan]

I'm amazed that TLR did not call for a formal inspection, buddy or no buddy, showing-up or not. With a World Series game at stake, he's usually got more cojones than he showed there. I'd have my mother inspected if I thought it was necessary and it was the WS... I mean, c'mon!

Very puzzling. Perhaps he thought the Cards would hit Rogers anyway....I suppose he regrets his decision now.

[NFump]

How about this. From the PBUC 6.3: The term "foreign substance" shall include any object, material, or substance that could, in the judgement of the umpires, be used to deface or "doctor" the ball in any manner.

Here's one for debate. If the umps had knowlege that there was something on his hand. They never looked to see what it was. Why not? Did they not want to find out because to do so may have put them into the position of having to kick him out? Did they handle it according to protocol? I certainly don't know the answer to any questions but just want to hear what everybody says. See Rule 8.02(a)(2) through 8.02(a)(6) Comment. I believe that will answer your question.

[mcrowder]

For those of you thinking it was pine tar ... have you ever tried to wash pine tar off your hand? Not a quick fix, folks, and the smell stays with you even afterward. I have no problem believing this was dirt or something else innocent like Shoe Polish... and I'm rooting for the Cards.

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

the smell stays with you even afterward.

But smells aren't illegal, are they ?