Not sure about Chapman…
He is not much of a ball spinner. 
Better grip with the stickier balls can give you more velocity and control, not just better spin
Understood…
As one who does not follow baseball, and only sees the news reports, it appears to me baseball allows a level of sticky cheating. How much is allowed seems random.
It may be I misunderstand.
Think an argument can be made that cheating in baseball has always been tolerated. Ty Cobb sharpened his spikes, Sandy Koufax threw a spitter, Sammy Sosa corked his bat, performance enhancing drugs, etc. When things get out of balance, they clamp down. Before the spider tack crack down, pitching was overwhelmingly dominant. Not as much already. It probably could be managed better but people and institutions are imperfect.
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“Rules are just meant to be guidelines and remain open to interpretation”.
Said by a good friend back in the ’70’s and still valid today.
Thanks. It sounds like X amount of cheating is tolerated as part of the give and take of the game.
I am not making any judgment, just trying to understand the current issue.
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Another example is the neighborhood play at second base on the leading end of a double play. The accepted approach was the fielder would get close to the bag and the out was called. The original idea being to minimizing dangerous contact between the runner and the fielder. Just get close. That’s not written into any rule, it was just accepted. Some fielders were better at this “deception” than others. Now in the era of high definition TV and instant replay review, the old standard looks improper. The fielder is now expected to make contact with the base ahead of the approaching runner.
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Unless, of course, that runner happened to be Pete Rose.
His takedown of Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson 1973 during the NLCS was one for the record books. Rose was a force of nature to be feared in those days.
" [Rose]… said he had slid into second the way he always did. “I’m no damn little girl out there,” he said after the game. “I’m supposed to give the fans their money’s worth and try to bust up double plays – and shortstops.”
Best I can tell, a terrible human being, but an absolute amazing baseball player. Should be in the hall of fame.
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I was at last night’s game. Rain showers and all. W or L I was thinking that’ll be the last time I see what’s left of the World Series core. Jed Hoyer’s presumably tough decision to be a buyer or seller has been made. I’m thinking fire sale to load up on prospects for the future. Won’t go down well with the fans (myself included I admit), but it’s time.
Very interesting. Great history.
One last example, while I’m thinking of it. The entire game is dictated by a strike zone that’s very well defined and yet has been interpreted 1000 different ways over the years. Look up Greg Maddux (he was a very precise pitcher that received the outside strike more often than other pitchers). Some strike zone variability was dictated by equipment, the balloon protector used by umpires in the day (it was difficult to see the low strike), and individual variability. Technology is helping to tighten the strike zone now but it’s still a variable from day-to-day and umpire to umpire. The idea is that a large sample of games, 162, resolves the imperfection. This concept of accepting failure and imperfection (the best hitters fail 70% of the time) is the thing.
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A neat way to think about it.
Thanks again. Intriguing things I never knew.
“Stealing” of signs and pitch locations from catchers by opposing teams is another example. Historically accepted as part of the game, it was when the Trashtros started doing it electronically that a line was crossed and it was then viewed as cheating
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Totally agree.
Not very happy with the Northsider’s home office at the moment.
Going to take a few days to simmer down and then try to look at the trades with a little less emotion. My initial reaction is that ownership just took a big salary dump and did not do much to help the medium-term prospects of the club.
I hope I am wrong.
Good luck to the Southsiders. It looks to me like they took advantage of their cross-town rivals a bit; at least at first glance.
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Definitely looks like a fire sale on the North side. I feel your pain
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I no longer recognize the Nats…
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Yeah, the former Cubs are playing the former Nationals right now.
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