Batting Glove Worn By Pitcher
 

Often see coaches remind their pitchers to take off a batting glove (worn inside of their fielding glove of course) before starting to pitch. But for the first time, had a coach come out and argue that the opposing pitcher needed to take his batting glove off (for the record, the batting glove was essentially black, and his fielding glove was all black). The pitcher complied without my partner or I saying anything, but it got me looking into the rule book for a reference.

I couldn't find anything and wondered if this is another myth along the lines of "the hands are part of the bat."

Am I overlooking something? Is it different between OBR, NFHS or USSSA?

No RB w/me, but
 

FED: Legal
OBR: Illegal
USSSA: I believe they are b/on OBR, so Illegal.

In FED it is illegal if the umpire deems it distracting to the batter. If not, play on.

I generally don't pay any attention to the batting glove in a Fed game unless the batter says something about it, especially if it is a dark color. If the coach complains may as well get rid of it, since he will just instruct batter to complain if we don't get rid of it. If a white glove I get rid of it to save time.

Had one last week, and a coach asked me to have a relief pitcher who had just taken the mound remove his glove. I went out to look at it, started to say he could leave it, then noticed that it had white on it. So I told the pitcher why it had to come off, and he didn't complain.

JK, do you have a rule reference on OBR? Like the later posts, I have always understood it to be at the umpire's discretion if deemed a distraction - which a light or white colored batting glove certainly would be. But it seems to be such a common "given" that the pitcher isn't allowed to wear it, I wonder where that understanding is coming from? I've gone through the OBR a few times looking specifically for this issue and couldn't find it - but I've missed things before!

Looking in my old copy of the NAPBL and it says "no gloves"

And you don't see anyone in MLB with one on so I guess there is a correlation between the two.

Thanks
David

Yeah I noticed that but figured it was because of a concern that the batting glove could contain an item or substance to use in doctoring the ball. Not something that is as prevalent in the high school and younger level ball.

I hate the coaches/players who whine about that rule...get up there and hit the friggin' ball. If it's brought up usually I'm preventative and get rid of it...but lets be serious here. if a little, white Nike swoosh is going to distract you...then it's all in your head. get up there and hit the dang ball. thoughts?

Com'on johnny...tell us how you feel about thoses whinning coaches/players! :) fun at the ole' ball park! ..Al

MLBUM 2.10 forbids them.

I agree, Johnny the rule is one of the stupid ones. But we are here to enforce the rules, not make them or agreee with them. When on the field, we must follow the rules, and the rules say no golf or batting gloves are to be worn in conjunction with the glove used to catch the ball (the fielding glove).

Thanks men, for answering Fritz's question for me.

I first heard that at Harry's in 1986, bu tin print as stated above several years ago.

Just because the MLBUM prohibits something doesn't mean it should be called that way at non-professional levels. The MLB interpretation is a league-specific interpretation. I'm not sure why anyone would use that interpretation at other levels of ball. Kind of like taking a FED rule and applying it to OBR.

You are right, at the amatuer level it shouldn't even be an issue.

OBR does not cover the point at all, so I don't see where it is written in the "Rule Book" that it's illegal for the pitcher, or any other player, to wear a batting glove under the fielding glove. The PBUC interp allows any defensive player to wear a glove, provided they do not rub the baseball on it [1.22]. So, technically speaking, the pitcher would have to take the glove off every time he wanted to rub up the baseball.

For Little League, Rule 1.15(b) is extended to read, "The pitcher may wear a batting glove on the non-pitching hand under the pitcher's glove provided the batting glove is not white, gray, or optic yellow."

I guess neon green is okay :rolleyes: .

Discussed this last night with a more senior official during games I had with him last night, and he came up with the same response SD - can't rub the baseball down if he has a batting glove on, but other than that, he uses judgement on the distraction issue.

Thanks for the responses!

For the record, when I was 12, I doctored a ball on several occasions. Never got caught either, not even by a poster on this very forum. Hope the statute of limitations is passed by now.

Just a lot of pressure from my Coach to perform, a certain coach that this same member of the forum probably didn't care much for. Say some hail mary's for me, and I'll drink some bloody ones to get my karma back.

Now that I think about that coach, I remember one time I got him kicked out of a game. He was being an idiot... and I was catching, tired of him yelling at me all season. I told the PU next pitch I was going to frame the heck out of it to get a huge rise from my HC. I'd even yell to him that it was a strike if necessary, and told PU to get ready for him to go nuts. We both wanted him gone.

Next pitch, a foot outside, I just held it there. HC went ballistic, PU had no choice but to dump him, and that umpire became my favorite one to catch for. :) And for the record, after the HC had left, I announced out loud to both teams and fans that it was a foot off the plate :)

Ok, I'm done.

I'm a little confused -- my NAPBL says it's illegal for the pitcher to wear a "golf glove" (and I don't think anyone's making a distinction between a golf glove and a batting glove).

When I was doing youth amateur ball, I would let this "violation" go -- applying the FED standard of "distraction."

some coach at some point probably argued that his player was wearing a "golf glove" not a "batting glove" the rule says "batting glove"...that would be my guess as to why they wrote it in there.

Well, I don't own a PBUC manual, and my NAPBL is so out of date it's not funny, so I was just going by what Carl said in his BRD that PBUC said that gloves are okay to wear under the fielder's gloves. No distinction is mentioned as to which defensive players are eligible to wear them.

Here are my main points for my argument (even though I normally made pitchers take the gloves off when the opposing manager requested):

1. OBR makes no mention of the gloves, i.e., point not covered.
2. Only "pro interpretations" such as the MLBUM and NAPBL do not allow them.
3. FED and the entirety of all LL Baseball allow them.

Therefore, unless I'm doing a pro game, I'm not going to force the pitcher to remove gloves unless some anal coach says they are distracting his hitter.:p