PHILADELPHIA -- On Saturday night, umpire Joe West took Austin Davis' reference card, which the Phillies pitcher had in his back pocket. On Sunday, the Cubs and Phillies were told by Major League Baseball officials that it was OK for Davis to carry the card.
"It's permissible -- I didn't understand why it wasn't permissible," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Sunday. "As long as [the card] is not attached to some kind of device that can alter or doctor the ball, it's no big deal."
The only condition, which Davis did not violate in the Cubs' 7-1 victory Saturday, is that checking the card cannot delay the game.