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A16 sports
Wednesday 22 June 2022
MLB standardizing ball rubbing and removal from humidors

By RONALD BLUM baseballs in April and Los
AP Baseball Writer Angeles Angels pitcher Mi-
NEW YORK (AP) — Major chael Lorenzen last week-
League Baseball is stan- end after a pitch he threw
dardizing procedures for hit Seattle's Justin Upton in
rubbing baseballs and their the head.
removal from humidors in Bassitt was angry after Mets
an effort to establish more batters were hit by pitch-
consistency amid com- es 19 times in their first 20
plaints about slickness that games.
followed the crackdown Mets batters were hit 50
on sticky substances. times entering Tuesday,
MLB has been working on on pace to finish with 117
standards over the course — which would break the
of the season in response record of 105 set by Cincin-
to feedback from players nati last season.
and sent a memorandum Yet overall, hit batters are
outlining the changes on averaging 0.40 per team
Tuesday to general man- per game, down from 0.43
agers, assistant GMs and last year and 0.46 during
clubhouse managers. Titled the pandemic-shortened
"Updates to Baseball Stor- 2020 season, which was the
age & Handling," a copy most since a record high
of the memo was obtained Baseballs are held in a basket on the field before a baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds 0.47 in 1899.
by The Associated Press. and the Milwaukee Brewers in Cincinnati, Sunday, July 18, 2021. Associated Press Commissioner Rob Man-
Scrutiny of baseball prep- fred was pleased with
aration — a minimum 13 game must be mudded in the process should apply taken from the humidor the impact of the crack-
dozen are readied for each within three hours of all mud in a uniform manner 15-30 minutes before the down on sticky substances.
game — has increased in other baseballs being used ensuring the same mud- scheduled start, and then Speaking at last year's All-
recent years. Use of a humi- in that game, and must be to-water ratio is applied to no more than 96 balls at a Star Game, he called it "a
dor, began by Colorado in mudded on the same day each ball. Rubbing mud time. step along the road to a re-
2002, expanded to Arizona that they are going to be should be applied to each When needed, up to 96 turn to a more entertaining
in 2019, three additional used," the memo states. baseball for at least 30 sec- more balls may be taken form of baseball."
teams in 2020, then a total "Baseballs should not be onds, ensuring that mud from the humidor, and "The process has already
of 10 last year and all 30 this out of the humidor for more is rubbed thoroughly and they should not be mixed shown very promising ef-
season. than two hours at any point consistently into the entire in bags with balls from the fects in terms of the play
MLB is mandating a ball be prior to first pitch, and if it leather surface of the ball." earlier bunch. A bag must of the game on the field,"
stored in a humidor for at will take club staff longer After rubbing, balls are to be cleaned with a damp he said. "Batting average,
least 14 days before game than two hours, the base- be put back in Rawlings cloth and then a dry cloth slugging percentage, all
use, and ball storage must balls should be pulled out boxes, with dividers be- before it is used "to make those offensive categories
be recorded by the home of the humidor in smaller tween each, and returned sure there is no excess resi- have improved. Strikeouts
team's gameday compli- batches." to the humidor until the due, dust or moisture." are down, base on balls
ance monitor and then The memo followed review home team's gameday Following a crackdown on are down. We have not
certified in a signed form by of video of each team's compliance monitors gets use of sticky substances as seen any material increase
the clubhouse manager. rubbing procedures. them for game use. In an grip aides last June 21, New in players being hit by
"All baseballs projected MLB is instructing that "each effort to reduce time in York Mets pitcher Chris Bas- pitches. Those are all huge
to be used in a specific club staff member involved ball bags, balls are to be sitt complained about the positives for us."q

Milák sets world record; 3 more US

golds at swimming worlds

claimed another three Marchand, who improved only like 26 seconds of pain
gold medals. The 22-year- on the French record he set and if I can pull off a win, it
old Milák produced a stun- in the semifinals. Japan's is worth it. I'll settle through
ning swim to clock 1 min- Tomoru Honda was third. the pain," Finke said.
ute, 50.34 seconds and The 20-year-old Marchand Third-place Romanchuk fin-
earn Hungary its first gold later set another national ished just 0.69 seconds be-
medal of the competition. record of 1:55.75 as he was hind. He nearly didn't make
"Now it hurts a lot, I don't fastest in the semifinals of it to Budapest and spoke
feel my legs," said Milák, the men's 200 individual afterward about his father
Kristof Milak of Hungary competes in the Men 200m Butterfly final who shaved 0.39 seconds medley. "Two great times fighting in Ukraine.
at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, off the previous record he today!" Marchand said. China's Yang Junxuan won
Tuesday, June 21, 2022. set at the last worlds. "I think American swimmer Bobby the women's 200 freestyle,
Associated Press I pushed a bit harder over Finke also set a national clocking 1:54.92 to finish just
the first 100 meters, that's record of 7:39.36 as he pro- ahead of Australia's Mollie
By CIARÁN FAHEY ering his own world record why it was so painful at the duced a sizzling finish to win O'Callaghan, who claimed
AP Sports Writer in the men's 200 butterfly at end but I really wanted this the first gold of the evening her first individual medal at
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) the swimming world cham- world record, wanted it in the men's 800 freestyle. a worlds. Another Chinese
— Hungary's Kristóf Milák pionships on Tuesday, more than anything." Milák "I was just thinking in my swimmer, Tang Muhan, was
thrilled home fans by low- when American swimmers was 3.03 quicker than Léon head it is just a 50 left. It is third. q