Sam Kennedy Reveals Pitchers Knew Foreign Substances Would Be Banned

Major League Baseball pitchers have been getting checked (sometimes frequently) for foreign substances on their hats, gloves and belts since Monday.

Many, understandably, have had quite a bit to say about the rule given that it came in the middle of a season. But according to Boston Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy, they knew something like this was on the horizon.

“I think the commissioner’s office made that very clear back in spring training,” Kennedy said during his appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” as transcribed by WEEI. “They essentially put the industry on notice. They talked to players, to hitters, to pitchers, current players, former players, and now they’re enforcing the rules that need to be enforced.”

It’s clear pitchers are unhappy with the change. Red Sox right-hander Garrett Richards even said after Wednesday’s loss he feels he needs to be a different pitcher than he has over the course of his MLB career.

And even though the pitchers don’t seem to be a fan of the rule, Kennedy has been happy with what MLB has done of late.

“As an industry, it’s been widely documented there are issues across the game, and kudos to baseball for cleaning it up,” Kennedy said. “It’s a rule that I think has been on the books since 1920. Everyone acknowledges we need to play by the rules. It’s clearly an adjustment for some pitchers.”

To say it has been an adjustment would be an understatement, but, at least for now, pitchers are going to have to make due.