{"id":561340,"date":"2021-06-11T17:51:46","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T21:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=561340"},"modified":"2021-06-11T17:51:49","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T21:51:49","slug":"instead-of-complaining-about-doctored-baseballs-mlb-hitters-should-change-their-approach-at-the-plate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/instead-of-complaining-about-doctored-baseballs-mlb-hitters-should-change-their-approach-at-the-plate\/","title":{"rendered":"Instead Of Complaining About Doctored Baseballs, MLB Hitters Should Change Their Approach At The Plate"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Finstead-of-complaining-about-doctored-baseballs-mlb-hitters-should-change-their-approach-at-the-plate%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=561340&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1312043136.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"  style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p><span>There are varying degrees of cheating in baseball.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Using cameras to steal the opposing catcher\u2019s signs? That crosses the line. Pine tar too far up on the handle of the bat? Technically not allowed, but it\u2019s widely accepted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Major League Baseball finds itself embroiled in yet another \u201ccheating scandal\u201d \u2014 they seem to be involved in a new one every five years or so \u2014 as the league looks to crack down on pitchers using illegal foreign substances on the baseball to improve their grip and increase spin rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The controversy stems from an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/tx-state-wire-chicago-white-sox-mlb-baseball-sports-c045305ea927623835c7387c8e7f6407\"><span>Associated Press <\/span><\/a><span>report that four minor league pitchers have been suspended this season for using an illegal substance on the baseball. The report led Major League Baseball to hold a meeting in which cracking down on the practice was the main topic of conversation. As a result, umpires will reportedly<\/span><span> check pitchers caps, gloves and uniforms for foreign substances on a more frequent basis throughout games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The question however, is how important is it to get this current \u201cscandal\u201d corrected?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Is finding a way to get a better grip on the baseball really cheating? I\u2019m going with no on this one, and I\u2019m not alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>New York Mets all-star first baseman Pete Alonso doesn\u2019t worry about pitchers gaining a competitive advantage by using a foreign substance, he\u2019s more worried about pitchers <em>not<\/em> having a firm enough grip.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cSince the start of the game, pitchers have been using \u2018substances\u2019 \u2014 I mean, there\u2019s a bag of rosin behind the mound right now to help guys dry their hands and get grip,\u201d Alonso <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/2021\/06\/09\/pete-alonso-accuses-mlb-altering-baseballs-foreign-substances\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cFor me, I think whether they\u2019re using pine tar, rosin, Bullfrog, sunscreen and rosin, whatever they want to use to help control the ball, let them use it. Because for me, I go in the box every single day and I see guys throwing harder and harder every day. I don\u2019t want 99 slipping out of someone\u2019s hand because they didn\u2019t have enough feel for it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Major League Baseball \u2014 especially hitters \u2014 will point to the increase in strikeouts and the league-wide batting average of .236 through May 31 as examples of why the practice needs to be stopped, but it\u2019s deeper than that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The approach at the plate for hitters in modern baseball has never been less about contact. The increased use of analytics, the shift, and the emphasis on \u201claunch angle\u201d all factor into the decrease in offensive numbers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Rod Carew \u2014 Hall of Famer and seven-time batting champion \u2014 sees the approach at the plate as a bigger issue than pitchers putting a little pine tar on the baseball.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cToday they\u2019re trying to get kids that can\u2019t hit home runs to uppercut the ball and make a lot of outs in the sky,\u201d Carew said on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/rod-carew-on-modern-hitting-aaron-rodgers-drama-escalates\/id1550932167?i=1000524777847\"><span>Daily Delivery podcast<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cThey forgot there are more base hits on the ground than hitting the ball in the air. I could have hit home runs if I wanted to, but that wasn\u2019t my job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Carew noted that pitchers have been doctoring baseballs for as long as the game has been around, as he dealt with it in his professional days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI used to tell Gaylord Perry, you can throw (a spitball) to me as much as you want. I\u2019m just going to pick out the dry side and hit it on the dry side. He threw me a lot of them, and I expected that to happen whenever I faced him. That\u2019s part of the game. Pitchers will do different things,\u201d Carew <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/rod-carew-pitchers-have-always-cheated-hitters-need-new-approach\/600066345\/\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cWe had pitchers that would have pieces of sandpaper in their gloves to scuff the ball. Before I started playing, one of the big-time catchers in the major leagues would just kind of clip the baseball on his spikes before throwing it back to the pitcher. It\u2019s amazing what pitchers can do with a little nick or rub.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The focus on pitchers illegally applying foreign substances to baseballs in order to increase spin is just the modern way of gaining an advantage. According to Carew, hitters should make an adjustment at the plate, instead of complaining about pitchers doctoring the ball.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI think the shift is overrated, and I\u2019m disappointed in the players who don\u2019t try to take advantage by making adjustments to go the other way,\u201d Carew <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startribune.com\/rod-carew-pitchers-have-always-cheated-hitters-need-new-approach\/600066345\/\"><span>continued<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cSo many kids in today\u2019s game are guessers. They\u2019re guessing what the pitch is going to be instead of learning how to track the ball and then having an idea of what they want to do with it. I learned how to track the ball by trying to pick the ball up out of a pitcher\u2019s hands and reacting to that instead of trying to guess along.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There will always be those that feel any form of competitive advantage is tantamount to cheating, but baseball guys know this isn\u2019t the case. Take a look at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Half the players in the Hall \u2014 and that\u2019s a conservative number \u2013 could be accused of \u201ccheating.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I\u2019m with Carew on this \u2013 make an adjustment fellas. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to <\/i><i>sports@dailywire.com<\/i><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i>member<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are varying degrees of cheating in baseball.\u00a0Using cameras to steal the opposing catcher\u2019s signs? That crosses the line. Pine tar too far up on the handle of the bat? &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2280071,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1312043136.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Instead Of Complaining About Doctored Baseballs, MLB Hitters Should Change Their Approach At The Plate","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-561340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/GettyImages-1312043136.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Instead Of Complaining About Doctored Baseballs, MLB Hitters Should Change Their Approach At The Plate","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2280071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}