Last week’s drama surrounding New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda has sparked a conversation within Major League Baseball about the efficacy of the league’s rules regarding the use of pine tar, and changes could be coming.
Commissioner Bud Selig said the league will wait until after the season to look into whether the rule banning pitchers from using the substance should be changed, according to The Associated Press. Although MLB did make mid-season adjustments to the transfer rule, Selig said adjustments to the pine tar rule aren’t quite as pressing.
“When the year is over, we ought to look at all this,” Selig told the AP on Friday.
Pineda was suspended 10 games after umpires found pine tar on his neck during a game against Boston. The right-hander told the umpires he was trying to get a better grip on the ball on the cool evening.
Pineda appeared to have pine tar on his hand during a start against the Red Sox on April 10, but Red Sox manager John Farrell didn’t bring it to the umpires’ attention that night.
Farrell said after the incident that there is a certain league-wide acceptance that pitchers use substances to gain a grip on the baseball and that Pineda’ s infraction shouldn’t result in any rule changes.
