Baseball has found itself in something of a sticky situation yet again, one that has cropped up enough recently to raise the question about whether the sport needs to address the problem going forward, perhaps by changing or even softening the rules.
In the span of about 48 hours this week, two different pitchers on two different teams were caught with and ejected for having a foreign substance on their person.
On Thursday, May 22, Milwaukee Brewers left-handed reliever Will Smith was thrown out after Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez prompted umpires to check his right forearm. Smith, who was suspended for eight games but is appealing, did not appreciate the investigation:
Smith said he placed a mixture of rosin and sunscreen on his right arm while he was warming up in the bullpen in order to get a firm handle on the ball on a cool and blustery night at Turner Field.