MLB steps up ball monitoring to suppress foreign substances

<p>NEW YORK &mdash; Major League Baseball is increasing its monitoring of baseballs in an attempt to suppress any use of foreign substances by pitchers.</p>
<p>Mike Hill, newly hired as executive vice president of baseball operations and disciplinarian, wrote in a memorandum to team officials on Tuesday that “players are subject to discipline … regardless of whether evidence of the violation has been discovered during or following a game.”</p>
<p>“Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, handling foreign substances, advising a pitcher how to use or otherwise mask the use of foreign substances, interfering with the collection of game-used baseballs and failing to report observed violations of these rules by players or staff.”</p>
<p>Hill said team leaders may be held responsible for violations by staff.</p>
<p>In a two-page memo to owners, CEOs, team presidents, general managers and mangers first reported by ESPN and the New York Post, Hill outlined three new enforcement components.</p>
<p>—Gameday compliance monitors and electronics compliance officers will check for violations in dugouts, clubhouses, tunnels, batting cages and bullpens, and they will file daily reports to the commissioner’s office.</p>
<p>—Umpires, equipment authenticators and compliance personnel will submit baseballs that come out of play to the commissioner’s office for inspection and documentation, both suspicious equipment and randomly select balls. A third-party lab will be used for examinations, and suspicious balls will be traced back to pitchers.</p>
<p>—MLB Statcast data will be reviewed by the commissioner’s office to analyze spin rate changes among pitchers suspected of using foreign substances, comparing game data with career norms. </p>
<p>“As a reminder, all club personnel are prohibited from assisting players in the use of foreign substances and also will be subject to discipline by the commissioner, including fines and suspensions,” Hill wrote.</p>
<hr />
<p>More AP MLB coverage: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/MLB">https://apnews.com/hub/MLB</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a></p>