OC Register: Angels address the sticky situation of illegal substances on the baseball

[AngelsWin.com]

TEMPE, Ariz. — The story of one of baseball’s worst-kept secrets arrived at Angels camp this week.

A day after news that Angel Stadium visiting clubhouse manager Brian Harkins had been fired for supplying visiting pitchers with a sticky substance to apply to the baseballs, players in the clubhouse responded with little surprise about what had occurred.

“It’s not a huge secret,” Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney said. “I think no one thinks it’s shocking that people are using sticky stuff on their fingers. You’ve been hearing about it forever, I think throughout the history of baseball.”

Heaney added: “I think everybody knows that most guys are doing it. I don’t think it’s that surprising for anybody who knows baseball.”

When asked if he or any Angels pitchers had been offered the sticky substance, Heaney said: “C’mon, man. I said most everybody is probably using it. Most everybody is getting something from somewhere, creating their own.”

Major League Baseball is reportedly cracking down on the widespread use of pine tar or other substances by pitchers, part of an investigation that led to the dismissal of Harkins this week.

Most pitchers, including those questioned in the Angels clubhouse Friday morning, said the purpose of the substances is to improve the grip on the baseball, and therefore the control.

“I don’t throw that hard, but I throw pretty hard and I like to know where it’s going,” said Heaney, who said he’d experimented with different substances. “I’m sure the hitters would tell you the same thing. When they have dudes throwing 100 mph, they want to know where it’s going too.”

Veteran Dylan Bundy, who is new to the Angels, said “no comment” when asked if he’s applied substances to the baseball. Speaking generally, he said the rosin that is permitted is not sufficient.

“For cold games, the rosin if anything makes the ball more slick,” Bundy said. “That’s when you get the two-seamer riding up and in on guys. It’s tougher when it’s cold to get a grip. You are trying to throw up and in with a purpose and that little bit of slippage can be dangerous.”

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway said he expects Major League Baseball to end up banning any use of substances like pine tar, which could have a detrimental effect, particularly when it’s cold.

“If I were a hitter, I’d be scared to dig into the box in Detroit on April 10,” Callaway said.

Manager Joe Maddon said pitchers have been putting substances on the baseball to improve their grip “as long as I’ve been in baseball,” and it’s a particular issue now because the baseballs have become more slick. The solution, he said, is eventually that MLB will have to change the ball.

Speaking from the hitter’s perspective, Andrelton Simmons said there is a fine line between simply improving grip and also improving stuff. Trevor Bauer has been outspoken about how pitchers can also improve their spin rates by doctoring the baseball.

“I understand the need for a little feel to grab the ball,” Simmons said. “It’s kind of part of the game, to a certain extent. I don’t know where the line is.”

Maddon and Heaney conceded that sticky substances can have a beneficial effect for the pitchers, but said it’s not enough to outweigh the benefit for the game of hitter safety.

“I think the two things are intertwined,” Heaney said. “The better control you have, the better grip you have, the stickier your fingers, the more spin you’re going to get, the more control you’re going to have. I don’t know how you separate the two and say I get better control but my stuff isn’t better. I don’t know how that works. If they want to crack down and have one uniform thing, rosin ain’t it. Rosin does not work. It’s like throwing a freaking cue ball.”

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ALSO

The Angels had no update on Griffin Canning’s status after he received further medical opinion on his balky elbow. At this point, all that’s certain is that Canning will start the season on the injured list, but the Angels have given no indication what treatment he’ll need before he can return, or how long he will be out. …

Ty Buttrey, who was out with a strained intercostal muscle, said he is scheduled to face hitters in a simulated game Saturday and pitch in his first Cactus League game Wednesday. Buttrey said he’s expecting to be able to pitch in six or seven games, which should be sufficient to have him ready for Opening Day. …

Tommy La Stella, who had been scratched from Wednesday’s lineup because of a stiff back, said on Friday that he’s fine. He was still not in the lineup for either of the Angels’ split-squad games.

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[tdawg87]

Gross.

[Lou]

Obviously, nobody clued Cam in on this practice.

[T.G.]

4 minutes ago, Lou said:

Obviously, nobody clued Cam in on this practice.

Actually, Cam just sucks. Nothing would help him.

[ukyah]

at this point, i feel sorry for bubba. it doesn't read like he did anything unscrupulous against the angels.i think he got the major league shaft.

[Claude]

So Bubba got fired for sharing company secrets which are not really a secret. Scapegoat!

[Stradling]

17 hours ago, RendZone said:

So Bubba got fired for sharing company secrets which are not really a secret. Scapegoat!

By company you mean decades of MLB secrets.

[Claude]

28 minutes ago, Stradling said:

By company you mean decades of MLB secrets.

Yeah so what was the point of firing him again? He shared things with pitchers that they already knew about. 

[Stradling]

The point would be why do that for the visiting pitchers?  Let them spend their own time or their own staff member to create the substance.  It would be like providing the opposing team with scouting reports on your own team. 

[Inside Pitch]

So....  MLB says it's going to enforce a rule -- MLB also tells the Angels an employee of theirs is suspected of breaking said rule.   Angels act on it by firing guy.    

I'll take going through the motions for 100, Alex.

[Claude]

9 minutes ago, Inside Pitch said:

So....  MLB says it's going to enforce a rule -- MLB also tells the Angels an employee of theirs is suspected of breaking said rule.   Angels act on it by firing guy.    

I'll take going through the motions for 100, Alex.

Wrongful termination is looking like an option if they F’d with his retirement. 

[Claude]

17 minutes ago, Stradling said:

The point would be why do that for the visiting pitchers?  Let them spend their own time or their own staff member to create the substance.  It would be like providing the opposing team with scouting reports on your own team. 

Maybe his personnel file has more than we know about. Could’ve been handled differently. Like a warning. 

[Inside Pitch]

Just now, RendZone said:

Wrongful termination is looking like an option if they F’d with his retirement. 

Dude, I realize you love to create these situations where the Angels are doomed, acting malevolently, or just plain stupid but ..   get real already.   

This was something that reportedly was initiated by MLB.  Maybe you missed it but MLB has been interviewing players left and right because of this little cheating scandal thing that happened (and you downplayed).   If indeed it was MLB that told the Angels then chances are pretty high that there are multiple accounts of it happening and this guy being at fault.

But by all means create a scenario where the Angels have once again done something wrong -- it's what you do.

[Stradling]

Someone woke up early on a Saturday morning to shit on his “favorite team”.  
I’m sure he’s on YankeesWin attacking the Yankees medical staff on not seeing a broken rib back in September.  

[Stradling]

Just now, Inside Pitch said:

Dude, I realize you love to create these situations where the Angels are doomed, acting malevolently, or just plain stupid but ..   get real already.   

This was something that reportedly was initiated by MLB.  Maybe you missed it but MLB has been interviewing players left and right because of this little cheating scandal thing that happened (and you downplayed).   If indeed it was MLB that told the Angels then chances are pretty high that there are multiple accounts of it happening and this guy being at fault.

But by all means create a scenario where the Angels have once again done something wrong -- it's what you do.

Uh you missed a couple of memos IP.   First he won’t “get real already”, he’s incapable.  Second we’re not allowed to care about cheating because the Angels had a bad year.  

[tdawg87]

72 wins.

[Redondo]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

The point would be why do that for the visiting pitchers?  Let them spend their own time or their own staff member to create the substance.  It would be like providing the opposing team with scouting reports on your own team. 

+1

This is the way I see it also. Why abet the opposing team when you work for the Angels?

[Claude]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

The point would be why do that for the visiting pitchers?  Let them spend their own time or their own staff member to create the substance.  It would be like providing the opposing team with scouting reports on your own team. 

So in your honest opinion......and please put your Angels bobbleheads down for the moment. Don’t you think that the Angels pitchers were also using the same illegal substance that Bubba shared with the opposing team? It makes zero sense that an Angels insider was creating this substance on his own just to help other teams. It has to be something that our pitchers also used. 

[Lou]

[Stradling]

10 minutes ago, RendZone said:

So in your honest opinion......and please put your Angels bobbleheads down for the moment. Don’t you think that the Angels pitchers were also using the same illegal substance that Bubba shared with the opposing team? It makes zero sense that an Angels insider was creating this substance on his own just to help other teams. It has to be something that our pitchers also used. 

Of course. You know what didn’t happen?  We didn’t have the road clubhouse guy produce the sticky substance for us on the road.   You understand all this, you’re just being willfully ignorant.  

[Redondo]

11 minutes ago, Lou said:

Stymie never gets old.

[Dovregubben]

The resident troll is still looking for his "I told you so moment" where he can claim the Angels are:

• Stupid
• Dirty
• Poorly Managed
• Poorly owned
• Inferior to the Yankees
• Whatever fits his narrative

He's not interested in a discussion, he just wants attention and we are giving it to him.

[Lou]

11 minutes ago, Dovregubben said:

He's not interested in a discussion, he just wants attention and we are giving it to him.

You'd think after more than a decade, people would stop.

However, it's obvious they enjoy it as much as Claude. 

[Stradling]

8 minutes ago, Lou said:

You'd think after more than a decade, people would stop.

However, it's obvious they enjoy it as much as Claude. 

You pay attention as much as anyone.  You know he will talk his shit whether we engage him or not. I’d rather let him know he’s a troll than let him shit all over this place every single day. 

[Lou]

No, I don't.