MILWAUKEE BREWERS PITCHER Will Smith is the latest pitcher to be ejected for having a foreign substance on his body during a game.
The incident came in the seventh inning with the Brewers trailing the Atlanta Braves 2-1. Smith faced one batter before Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez came out and asked the umpires to check him.
The umpires met, checked Smith’s arm, and then quickly and nonchalantly ejected him from the game.
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Smith acknowledged after the game to having the substance, in this case a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, while warming up in the bullpen, and he said he forgot to wipe it off before entering the game.
"It was chilly and kind of windy," Smith told the media (via the AP). "I had rosin and sunscreen on my arm. I just forgot to wipe it off before I went out and pitched. I had to kind of get ready in a hurry. I just forgot. That's it."
Gonzalez didn't buy that argument, noting that he did not ask the umpires to check Smith until he saw him touching that area of his arm with his pitching hand between pitches.
Smith was livid as he left the field, presumably because he got caught doing something that lots of pitchers do.
"It's very common," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It goes on on the other side, I guarantee you. It's the rule. I think pitchers are using it, but I guess you've got to be discreet about it."
And that was Smith's problem. His use of the foreign substance was anything but discreet, as it was easily visible on television.
This was reminiscent of the time Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was ejected for having an obvious glob of pine tar on his neck during a game last season.
Pineda was ejected and was later suspended 10 games.
Pitcher gets ejected for having a blatantly obvious foreign substance on his arm
MILWAUKEE BREWERS PITCHER Will Smith is the latest pitcher to be ejected for having a foreign substance on his body during a game.
The incident came in the seventh inning with the Brewers trailing the Atlanta Braves 2-1. Smith faced one batter before Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez came out and asked the umpires to check him.
The umpires met, checked Smith’s arm, and then quickly and nonchalantly ejected him from the game.
Smith acknowledged after the game to having the substance, in this case a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, while warming up in the bullpen, and he said he forgot to wipe it off before entering the game.
"It was chilly and kind of windy," Smith told the media (via the AP). "I had rosin and sunscreen on my arm. I just forgot to wipe it off before I went out and pitched. I had to kind of get ready in a hurry. I just forgot. That's it."
Gonzalez didn't buy that argument, noting that he did not ask the umpires to check Smith until he saw him touching that area of his arm with his pitching hand between pitches.
Smith was livid as he left the field, presumably because he got caught doing something that lots of pitchers do.
"It's very common," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It goes on on the other side, I guarantee you. It's the rule. I think pitchers are using it, but I guess you've got to be discreet about it."
And that was Smith's problem. His use of the foreign substance was anything but discreet, as it was easily visible on television.
This was reminiscent of the time Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was ejected for having an obvious glob of pine tar on his neck during a game last season.
Pineda was ejected and was later suspended 10 games.
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