One Of The Balls From Trevor Bauer's First Inning Was Taken Away By The Umpires To Be Inspected By MLB

So it was announced just a few weeks back that in an effort to combat pitchers doctoring the ball, MLB will be using statcast data to analyze pitchers spin rates to determine if players are doctoring the ball in anyway. Whether it be marking up the ball, using a substance, anything that makes the ball move in a way it naturally wouldn't. The Starting 9 guys talked about it this week and it was a really interesting convo, you should give it a listen. And the first domino has fallen, we have the first pitcher who had a ball taken into the new special room to be inspected. And it's exactly who you think it is.

According to Vince Cotroneo, a broadcaster for the Athletics, one of the balls that Trevor Bauer used in the first inning on Wednesday was taken in for what is expected to be an inspection. It'll be looked at and determined if doctoring was done. Now we were told there was going to be a crackdown on substances that pitchers use to get a grip on the ball, and this could be what we see going forward. Someone is notified that a pitcher is spinning their curve a little bit more than they did last week, boom a red flag. Get the ball out of play, test the surface of it, take a look at it, look at video evidence. Now I'm wondering if a team can request to have a ball looked at? Can it be a mental game kind of thing? Is it only the umpires who are notified, how did Vince find out? 

It's a strange situation for sure, and maybe Bauer knew he was likely going to be the one who got it first. He was famously mocking the Astros and their staff for somehow being able to increase their spin rate, and maybe he was onto something. Maybe the league is going to make him the poster boy? I'm sure he will have a YouTube video up after the start explaining it all and I can't wait to hear about it. He takes the mound with crosshairs on his back from MLB every start anyways, so this is probably nothing new to him. He was spinning it in Oakland, breaking stuff was on and he was pumping it. 6 2/3rds with 10 Ks, 1 walk, and 2 ER. Doctored ball or not he's good.

Now Dallas had another good point on Starting 9, just because a ball is doctored doesn't mean a pitcher is the one who did it. Your favorite infielder probably has pine tar on him to help him, or sunscreen, or a mix of stuff. Your favorite catcher likely has it on him somewhere, so why is the pitcher going to be the one busted and fined for it? Who is to say Bauer is the one who put something on the ball? How can anyone prove that if its not in video. Either way, turn your notifications on for Bauer's twitter, it'll be a good one.