New procedures set for storing, handling baseballs
Major League Baseball is standardizing procedures for rubbing baseballs and their removal from humidors in an effort to establish more consistency amid complaints about slickness that followed the crackdown on sticky substances.
MLB has been working on standards over the course of the season in response to feedback from players and sent a memorandum outlining the changes on Tuesday to general managers, assistant GMs and clubhouse managers. Titled “Updates to Baseball Storage & Handling,” a copy of the memo was obtained by The Associated Press.
Scrutiny of baseball preparation — a minimum 13 dozen are readied for each game — has increased in recent years. Use of a humidor, begun by Colorado in 2002, expanded to Arizona in 2019, three additional teams in 2020, then a total of 10 last year and all 30 this season.
MLB is mandating a ball be stored in a humidor for at least 14 days before game use, and ball storage must be recorded by the home team’s gameday compliance monitor and then certified in a signed form by the clubhouse manager.
Following a crackdown on use of sticky substances as grip aides last June 21, New York Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt complained about the baseballs in
April and Los Angeles
Angels pitcher Michael Lorenzen last weekend after a pitch he threw hit Seattle’s Justin Upton in the head.
Bassitt was angry after Mets batters were hit by pitches 19 times in their first 20 games. Mets batters were hit 50 times entering Tuesday, on pace to finish with 117 — which would break the record of 105 set by Cincinnati last season.
Yet overall, hit batters are averaging 0.40 per team per game, down from 0.43 last year and 0.46 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
LATE MONDAY Yankees 4, Rays 2:
Gerrit Cole took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth as Manuel Margot slammed into the rightfield wall and injured a knee and New York became the first team to 50 wins this season.
New York has won 17 of its last 19 games, and its 50-17 start is the best in the major leagues since the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
Cole struck out 12 and walked three, allowing his only hit when Isaac Paredes singled leading off the eighth.
Clay Holmes (5-0) blew a 2-0 lead and allowed his first run since Opening Day, ending a 31 inning scoreless streak. Jason Adam (0-2) allowed Hicks’ truple and
Jose Trevino’s sac fly.
Red Sox 5, Tigers 2:
Jarren Duran had two hits, two stolen bases and two runs, and Josh
Winckowski (2-1) allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2⁄3 innings in Boston’s win at Fenway Park.
Franchy Cordero had three hits, including a two-run single, and Boston won for the sixth time in eight games to climb a season-high six games above .500.
Braves 2, Giants 1:
Orlando Arcia drove in pinch-runner Phil Gosselin from second with a single in the ninth off
Camilo Doval (2-3), leading Atlanta at home over San Francisco.
Kenley Jansen (4-0) stranded two runners in the ninth when he struck out Thairo Estrada and pinch-hitter Brandon Crawford.
The defending World Series champion Braves have won 16 of 18.