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I've talked to a lot of people about this recently and have heard arguments from both sides so I figured I'd get a few more points of view...pretty interesting article, guess this will be one of the main story lines of the off-season this year...
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Always on the lookout for Evan Longoria GU items
txacerj23@aol.com -
Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
I say Allow it! Players do it anyways and have! Players still use
PED's, soo...
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Isnt the rosin bag for the pitchers aid in gripping the ball?....allowing pine tar and all sorts of pine tar colored vaseline will be used....Ive used the rosin bag and it works as designed....Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Come to think of it, i dont remember the last time i saw a pitcher pick up the rosin bag...are they still on the mound?..boy they could make a bundle selling game used rosin bags...even game issued, and spring training...would a rosin bag have to be touched by a pitcher on the mound during a game or could it be touched before the game to be deemed game used?..wait if it was touched before the game and a new one was used it would have to be game issued right?...Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Wasn't a consideration until a Yankees pitcher got caught. Now MLB is talking about allowing it. Surprise, surprise, surprise.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
For me I think when it's a question of safety, losing your grip when throwing 90+mph, they should absolutely look into it. If it took a pitcher getting caught on a high profile team for them to finally consider it, it is definitely a good thing. Especially with player safety becoming more and more important, they should look into anything and everything to keep guys safe and healthy.Always looking for anything John Flaherty, Drew Storen and Marcell Ozuna game used.
jaeger_danny@yahoo.comComment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
It has been against the rules for what a hundred years?
No need to change it now.
Maybe if they didn't rub that slick mud all over the balls they pitchers would have a better grip on the ball.
Take a raw baseball and one that has been rubbed down with the mud and you will see how slick the mud makes the ball.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
And pine tar applied to a baseball does nothing to help control. It allows the pitcher to put more spin on the ball.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Put some rosin on your hand, you will see there is NO need for pine tar...Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Pine tar does help with control. Used like most pitchers would/do use it, it would help with a better grip. This more of an issue when cold out and pitchers have no feeling their fingers.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
No, it is for spin to the ball.
If anyone thinks making the ball stick to your fingers helps you control it then you have never pitched a baseball.
The mud they rub the balls down with and makes them slick is so the ball slides from your grip easily. The laces are what pitchers use to control the balls spin and movement.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Have you ever pitched a baseball? They don't rub mud on them to make them slick...they do it to give them more grip. A baseball right out of the wrapping it pretty smooth and the coating makes it slippery to a point. The mud takes that away and gives it more texture.
Does it not help you CONTROL spin better? Also you say pine tar is for spin and at the end you say the laces are what controls a balls spin.
Count me in as confused. Any way you look at it, it helps control your pitches. If it makes you have more spin then you are controlling your pitch better as you want the breaking ball down.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
You are all right I am just confused.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
Pine tar does help with control. Used like most pitchers would/do use it, it would help with a better grip. This more of an issue when cold out and pitchers have no feeling in their fingers.Comment
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Re: Pine tar for pitchers article, what's your opinion
I agree with flaco, rosin bags work just fine. Besides, rosin is white, pine tar is black. It would seem to me that discoloring the ball (making it darker) would make it harder to see and therefore more dangerous. Also, when I played, rosin also had the effect of drying moisture on the fingertips, which also helps enhance control, besides the tackiness.
And I also agree with Joe Torre, quoted in the above linked article:
*Although some observers contend that pine tar enhances hitter safety because it gives pitchers more control of the ball, Torre fears the possible ramifications of a rule change.
"I can understand the fact you don't want the ball slipping out of a pitcher's hand because someone can get hurt," Torre told ESPN.com Saturday. "But there's also the aspect that the ball may stick on your fingers longer and you may be able to make it sink or cut more or whatever. And it may act in a dangerous way with guys who don't know what they're doing with it.
"As far as legalizing a foreign substance, my only concern is the probability that if you use it excessively, you'll have the ball act in a way that could be dangerous. If you just open it up and say, 'Yeah, you can go ahead and use this,' it's tough to be responsible for the outcome because you don't know what that's going to be."*Comment
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