After St. Louis Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos was ordered to change his cap Wednesday because umpires disapproved of the sunscreen on the bill, Cardinals manager Mike Shildt broached the taboo topic of pitchers’ widespread use of foreign substances in defense of his player.
“This is baseball’s dirty little secret,” Shildt told reporters, “and it’s the wrong time and the wrong arena to expose it.”
It’s common knowledge around the majors: More pitchers than ever are using “sticky stuff” to doctor baseballs to increase spin rate, a property that front offices have increasingly prioritized when evaluating performance. A better spin rate usually improves a pitch’s movement, increasing the chances of a hitter swinging and missing.