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A16 sports
Friday 29 april 2022
Bad baseballs? New York Mets angry after rash of HBPs

By DAVID BRANDT Fulmer said Wednesday.
AP Sports Writer "But with these balls the
PHOENIX (AP) — New York way they are right now, like
Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt last night, it was very easy
has a theory about why his to let one fly up and in. I'm
bat-swinging teammates really trying to hold onto
have turned into targets at this ball and make sure I
the plate during the sea- don't let one go."
son's first month. MLB said it continues to
Bad baseballs. look for answers.
"The MLB has a very big "MLB is always concerned
problem with the baseballs. about keeping hitters safe
They're bad," he said Tues- from dangerous pitches,"
day. "Everyone knows it. an MLB spokesman said.
Every pitcher in the league "We closely analyze trends
knows it. They're bad. They in the game and have ac-
don't care. MLB doesn't tive conversations with our
give a damn about it. players and coaches to
We've told them our prob- address concerns. Through
lems with them and they April 26, leaguewide sta-
don't care." tistics show hit-by-pitch
It's understandable Bassitt rates and wild pitch rates
wants to protect his team- are down relative to previ-
mates. The Mets have ous seasons. However, one
been hit by pitches 19 times Club has been hit more
through their first 20 games than twice as often as the
this season — including league average so far in
three times against the New York Mets' J.D. Davis doubles over after being hit by a pitch during the eighth inning of a 2022, which is something
Cardinals on Tuesday night baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in St. Louis. Davis left the we will continue to moni-
— which is by far the most game. tor."
in the league. Associated Press That team is the Mets.
They've also been hit by a The drama continued on
lot of balls in the head and different than the ball you know where the ball was ing pitchers with two op- Wednesday afternoon af-
neck area, which can be get in the eighth and from going, particularly in cold tions of rosin bag, which ter Mets third baseman J.D.
particularly dangerous. batch to batch. weather. received positive reviews Davis was hit by a pitch on
But a look at MLB-wide sta- "Sometimes the ball feels MLB proposed during col- during spring training but the foot and had to leave
tistics shows a complicated small in your hand. Some- lective bargaining that hit- have been less effective the game.
picture that's likely affected times they feel big. Very of- ting a batter on the head at improving grip in colder An inning later, Mets pitch-
by April's usual cold weath- ten they're real slick, dusty or neck result in an auto- weather, pitchers say. er Yoan López threw high
er and random chance. slick. So you see guys out matic ejection irrespective Over the years, there have and tight to Cardinals star
The league's HBP rate is there rubbing it. They're re- of intent, which the union also been complaints Nolan Arenado, who re-
actually down slightly from ally not trying to rub any- rejected, a person familiar about the seams on base- acted angrily.
last season. The Pittsburgh thing onto the ball, they're with the negotiations said. balls. Generally speaking, The benches cleared. Are-
Pirates played their first 17 trying to rub that layer of The person spoke on condi- the higher the seams, the nado and Cardinals first
games without anyone dust off the ball because it tion of anonymity because easier it is to grip the ball. base coach Stubby Clapp
getting hit by a pitch. just feels a little slick." neither side has disclosed Let's just say it's a work in were ejected. Mets slugger
Still, that doesn't change Last year, MLB cracked that detail. MLB also pro- progress. Pete Alonso was tackled
Bassitt's main thesis. down on pitchers who used posed a discussion of addi- "Sometimes, pitchers just, during the scrum.
Are the baseballs really sticky substances — re- tional discipline for cumula- the ball feels like a little bit And so it goes.
"bad"? Maybe "inconsis- member Spider Tack? — to tive batters hit, the person of like a cue ball," Giants Alonso — who was hit in the
tent" is the better word. try to get a better grip on said. manager Gabe Kapler head with a pitch on Tues-
"They're rubbed up differ- baseballs. These days, um- MLB has tried to standard- said. "And there's not al- day — wasn't particularly
ently by different people in pires routinely check pitch- ize its baseballs and made ways like a lot of rhyme or concerned about the Car-
different climates in differ- ers' gloves and hands as humidor usage mandatory reason for it. Sometimes, dinals' intent after Wednes-
ent places," Braves pitcher they're coming off the field. this season. The humidor is it has to do with the cold, day's benches-clearing in-
Collin McHugh said. "I un- The crackdown was met used to try to get baseballs and sometimes it's just, you cident. Just the results.
derstand the challenge of with tepid response. It's true to behave in a similar fash- pick the ball up and it feels He compared the situation
trying to get a consistent pitchers can use sticky sub- ion, whether the game's a little foreign." to a scary car accident he
product under all those stances to make the ball being played in Colorado's Tigers pitcher Michael Ful- had during spring training.
different variables. There's spin faster to get a harder thin air or New York or At- mer said he sometimes "Whether if it's on purpose
no doubt that the ball you break on off-speed pitches. lanta. alters his pitch mix on the or an accident, guys are
get in the first is going to be But it also helped pitchers The league is also provid- mound in tough condi- still getting hit in the head,"
tions because he's not sure Alonso said. "Doesn't mat-
LIKE US ON where the ball will go. But ter what the intent is. Like
T-boned
me,
almost any MLB pitcher will someone
agree that the ability to right? Oh, it was an acci-
pitch inside is paramount dent. Oh, you still flipped
to success. someone's car over. Right?
"Obviously nobody's trying So doesn't matter where
to hit anybody on purpose the intent is.
Facebook.com/arubatoday/ in the head or on the neck, "The fact of the matter is
shoulder area — nobody," that it's still happening."q