Why batters use pine tar

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So here, for your edification, the nectar of our mind grapes. Yankees starter Michael Pineda was ejected from Wednesday night's game against the Red Sox in the second inning after Boston manager John Farrell noticed a foreign substance had appeared on his neck.

To be fair, it was blatantly, almost insultingly obvious. Umpire Gerry Davis inspected the noticeably darker area, and upon confirming it was pine tar, booted the Yankees star from the mound. Pine tar is a tacky substance produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood duh.

Traditionally, it was used as a sealant for maritime purposes , but today it is also used in soaps, shampoos and treatments for certain skin conditions. You know how sticky tree sap is? If so, you have a general idea of how sticky pine tar can be. Major League Baseball still requires players to use wooden bats. Since they can be quite slippery, league rules allow players to add up to 18 inches of pine tar to aid in grip.

The better the grip on the bat, the more loosely a player can grip it, allowing for more "pop" and less stinging when contact is made with the ball. Major League Baseball Rule 8. Subsection 8. Even spit balls are illegal. The penalty for violating this rule is immediate ejection from the game, and a possible suspension. The flight pattern of an unmodified baseball is predictable. If a hitter even feels the least bit uncomfortable with their grip, it impacts performance.

Hitters rely on their line tar to ensure and provide the confidence needed to hit a 95 mile per hour fast ball. You will see many hitters with the pine tar all built up in their batting helmet. They will touch their helmet between pitches to ensure they have enough line tar on their batting gloves.

This can help the hitter and also ensure that those in attendance at the game stay safe from bats propelling into the stands. All too often, we see bats at the MLB level launch into the stands and potentially hurt someone. Some pitchers will try to use pine tar illegally to provide an extra sticky substance for their grip on the ball, which can help the ball spin more or make the ball move in ways it might not normally.

Remember that millions of dollars are on the line and that next contract a player might be able to sign for performing at certain levels can be life altering. With the analytics of baseball and all of the measurements that are occurring at each game, hopefully, the difficulty of getting away with cheating will increase. We promote a clean approach to the game, where the best players and teams can win the games.

The analytics now measure spin rates that pitchers throw and outlier performance might point back to these types of situations. Trevor Bauer in called out the Houston Astros for doctoring baseballs and using pine tar to increase spin rates overnight. While sort of rejected at the time, the findings and results of the cheating scandal that the Houston Astros were involved with utilizing banging of garbage cans to let the batter know what pitch was coming, makes Trevor Bauer appear to be onto something.

When spin rates increase dramatically, there is a chance something illegal is taking place. The great thing about analytics is that it may help reduce pitchers gaining an unfair advantage through illegal methods.

Close analytical studies with the high definition cameras that are at many of the major league baseball games , if baseball wants to reduce any cheating it has the technology and data to call out and possibly catch teams or players trying to get an edge. Baseball is stepped in traditions of trying to steal signs from second base or picking up on the signs a 3rd base coach is giving, which is all considered a part of the game.

This culture of trying to do these things may have led to bigger and more socially unacceptable methods that some teams have resorted to. With high power cameras and open access in center field, combined with technology that can buzz and be worn by a player at the plate, the possibilities are endless for those willing to take the risk. Close management by MLB will be essential to cutting down on this behavior. Yes, it is a very sticky substance that provides a great grip, both for hitters and for pitchers.

For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Pine tar is a very tacky, sticky substance that is produced by the high temperature carbonization of pine wood. Before its use in baseball, it was primarily used by mariners as a sealant for their vessels. Now, it is probably most commonly associated with use by baseball players in addition to batting gloves , baseball bat wraps and accessories.

In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about pine tar use in baseball. In baseball, pine tar is the brownish-black, extremely tacky substance that is most commonly used by hitters looking to improve their grip on the handle of their bat. It is not always only used on the handle the bat that players elect to put pine tar on. Some players have even been seen to put a healthy amount of pine tar on their helmet rather, or in addition to their bat handle.

Pine tar for baseball is widely used. In baseball, this solution is brown with a tacky texture. The reason players use it is that it improves their grip.

That is, it prevents the bat from slipping through their hands. Before it has been used in this sport, pine tar was used in preserving and sealing the wood. This solution is used to ensure that wood products can last with more efficiency. It came from pine trees.