Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer — who signed a three-year, $102 million contract over the offseason — gave up two earned runs and struck out 10 batters over 6 2/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. And umpires from Bauer’s start have sent multiple “suspicious” baseballs to Major League Baseball for inspection, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal reports that — according to his sources — the baseballs “had visible marks and were sticky,” and were sent to MLB offices for a more thorough inspection.
The umpires in Bauer’s start against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday collected multiple balls he threw during the game, according to major-league sources. The balls had visible markings and were sticky, and were sent to the league offices for further inspection, the sources said.
This is certainly interesting, especially with it being Bauer. The right-hander has been outspoken on just about everything, but especially on the topic of applying foreign substances to baseballs. For example, in 2018, Bauer more or less accused the Houston Astros of doctoring baseballs, pointing out how much it can increase spin rates for pitchers.
If only there was just a really quick way to increase spin rate. Like what if you could trade for a player knowing that you could bump his spin rate a couple hundred rpm overnight…imagine the steals you could get on the trade market! If only that existed…
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) May 1, 2018
Bauer also said in 2020 that pitchers applying a foreign substance to baseballs “is a bigger advantage than steroids ever were.”
Now, as Rosenthal notes, even if MLB determines that the baseballs were doctored, they may not be able to prove that Bauer was responsible for it (though they will surely be going back to the game tape and looking closely for any signs). So, it’s possible that there’s no punishment.
On March 24, MLB sent two memos to teams announcing that they would be cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances on the baseballs.
MLB's attempts to crack down on foreign substances are outlined in a memo obtained by ESPN. Among the plans:
– Increased monitoring by compliance officers
– Inspections of baseballs taken out of play that will use a third-party lab to check for substances
– Spin-rate analysis— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 24, 2021
Rosenthal adds that while MLB will be using spin-rate analysis to investigate these suspicious baseballs, it wasn’t the spin rate that caused this investigation. The baseballs were “brought to the umpires’ attention.”
According to the league’s March 23 memo, which was sent by MLB vice-president of on-field operations Michael Hill to high-ranking officials with all 30 clubs, the commissioner’s office will review Statcast data this season to analyze changes in spin rates of pitchers suspected of using foreign substances, and compare those spin rates to the pitchers’ career norms. However, sources said the scrutiny of Bauer on Wednesday arose not from spin-rate analysis, but balls being brought to the umpires’ attention.
It didn’t take long for MLB to show that they’re serious about cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances, and it would be quite funny if Bauer is the first one to be punished for it.
Update: To the surprise of no one, Bauer quickly took to Twitter on the subject.
Lol always fun reading desperate and misleading clickbait headlines from national gossip bloggers. To translate fake journalist speak for y’all, “It’s unclear whether” = “I can’t be bothered to look into this cuz it doesn’t fit my narrative.” 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️ wonder where the articles about
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) April 9, 2021
balls from every other pitcher being taken out of play in literally every other game this season are? Also lol to @MLB who already has “sources” talking to gossip bloggers about a supposedly confidential process a week into the season 😂😂😂 thumbs up y’all keep killin it! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) April 9, 2021
Update II:
For those wondering if Trevor Bauer will face discipline after his baseballs were collected, per The Athletic — he will not, I’m told. Not yet, at least. MLB is in information-gathering mode and collected lots of balls that first week. At most, it’s supportive evidence for later.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) April 9, 2021
