The text message from then-Houston Astros star Gerrit Cole to former Angels visiting clubhouse manager Brian “Bubba” Harkins was sent Jan. 17, 2019, at 11:39 a.m.
“Hey Bubba, it’s Gerrit Cole, I was wondering if you could help me out with this sticky situation,” the pitcher wrote, adding a wink emoji. “We don’t see you until May, but we have some road games in April that are in cold weather places. The stuff I had last year seizes up when it gets cold.”
The exchange between Cole, now the New York Yankees ace, and Harkins, who was fired last March for providing illegal ball-doctoring substances to visiting pitchers, was submitted in Orange County Superior Court as evidence Thursday by an attorney claiming Harkins was made a “public scapegoat” in baseball’s efforts to crack down on the use of foreign substances.
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1. The Duke Posted: January 08, 2021 at 10:00 AM (#5998238)Or do the catchers hide it like on molinas chest protector
Or do the catchers hide it like on molinas chest protector
I think all of the above.
Just watch the pitcher and where he touches before every pitch.
I have heard this too, but isn't this also likely the cause of greater spin rates which help velocity and movement and likely have an impact on rising strikeout rates?
Bauer called this out a few years back, said he wasn't doing it but Cole and others were and getting an advantage. Minor news ripple then it dies.
Now in his FA year Bauer increases his spin rate 250rpm across the board, wins the Cy. Basically if no one's going to do anything then I'll do it too and get paid.
WHERE HAVE I SEEN THAT BEFORE IN SAN FRANCISCO'S LEFT FIELD?
At least this one isn't going to cause high school kids to shrivel their own balls I guess. Still, it would be nice to have some sort of accountability somewhere in life.
And if you're a hitter, do you want pitchers to be able to throw sharper breaking pitches?
Have you seen any hitters say this? I've only seen pitchers proffer this rationale.
Exactly.
In some April game in Cleveland where the temperature is a few degrees below the freezing mark, the hitters are probably fine if the pitcher is able to get a little better grip on the ball. In Los Angeles, they're not really worried that Gerrit Cole's fastball is going to slip unless he gets some help.
I've never thought Cole was clean - he was on the Astros, after all - but would have assumed that whatever substances he was using he would have sourced himself.
Imagine Bonds writing ahead to LA asking the clubhouse guy to score him some clear. Wouldn't make any sense.
The openness he felt is providing this stuff both to Angels and visitors indicates what the vibe was in MLB. It was a baseball tool that players needed, so it was his job to give it to them.
That is Trevor Bauer's argument
Jay Howell in the 88 NLCS
Clubbies get paid so very very little by their own team that they are reliant on tips from the players.
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