Brewers' Smith tossed for substance
Wanting to perform well in his hometown, left-hander Will Smith instead experienced embarrassment in a nightmarish seventh inning for the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night.
Sent in to relieve during a what had been a pitcher’s duel against the Atlanta Braves, Smith was ejected by umpires after they found an illegal substance on his right arm. Smith said later it was a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, used to keep a grip on the ball — not to cheat, he claimed. This is what Clay Buchholz of the Boston Red Sox said two seasons ago when he was noticed (by broadcasters) loading up on… something.
Recently, EOB took a look at some high-profile cases of foreign substance abuse in MLB.
As for Smith, check out the video:
In the case of Smith, the glistening mixture was so obvious, the Braves could see it from their dugout and informed umpires. It also was clearly visible on TV, and when umpire Jim Joyce went to check Smith’s arm, he touched it briefly and pointed to the visitor’s dugout. That meant Smith had to go.
Some Brewers fans at Turner Field couldn’t believe it:
Smith was mad at the Braves as he walked off the field, shouting at least one obscenity their way on the way to the dugout.
There’s no need to argue, Will Smith, because umpires just don’t understand when they find you pitching while having a foreign substance on your person. It’s against the rules, and that’s that.
But here’s the gist of why Smith was angry at the opponent: It’s common practice for pitchers — on all teams, including the Braves, the Brewers implied — to use sunscreen and rosin in order to improve grips. It’s even seen as a safety issue.
Via Twitter, here’s an abridged version of Smith’s conversation with reporter Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
For all we knew, it could have been yummy peach preserves, or possibly caramel.
#Brewers Will Smith said he put a mixture of rosin and sunscreen on arm while warming up and forgot to remove it after coming in.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 22, 2015
The substance on Smith was easily recognizable but #Brewers stance is pitchers everywhere do it to get grips and hitters actually want it.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 22, 2015
Smith said he merely forgot to wipe it off after coming in from bullpen. He acknowledged that was a mistake.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 22, 2015
Will Smith: “I had to kind of get ready in a hurry and I forgot (to remove the substance).”
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 22, 2015
And as for his reaction:
More Smith: “I’m a competitor. You want to stay in the game and pitch. It was a big situation. I was pissed I got thrown out.”
— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 22, 2015
The Braves were leading by a run when Smith came in but finished the inning with a seven-run lead. Atlanta won 10-1, and Smith was left having to explain himself. What he says about not being a cheat makes sense, although there’s a reason the sunscreen-rosin mix remains banned: Because it might be abused. The lesson here? Don’t get caught with it next time.
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