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Dodgers: Blake Treinen Has One Big Worry About MLB’s Substance Checks

MLB’s new foreign substance policy is officially in place. Just a few days into the new regulations, we’ve already seen a few guys that seem entirely fed up with the process. The Dodgers have yet to have an incident on the field with the checks, at least not one that drew any attention. 

For the most part, Dodgers pitchers haven’t had much to say when asked about the checks so far. Clayton Kershaw did go on a bit of a rant about managers asking for checks after Joe Girardi did it on Tuesday. But aside from that, it seems like it hasn’t bothered them at all. 



But Blake Treinen sounds like he has his doubts about the new rule. The Dodgers reliever didn’t seem like he believed the league was truly looking for anything, questioning if it was just a facade. But he also brought up a good point that not many had thought of. 

The only thing I really don’t like is it makes every pitcher that comes onto the mound kind of look like a guilty culprit until proven innocent. We all look like a bunch of cheaters in the public eyes. That’s not really fair to the majority of pitchers out there. 

It is odd to see big league pitchers constantly checked in the eyes of the public between innings. It gets a little weirder when umpires ask pitchers to remove their belts so that they can check those. Former Dodgers reliever Sergio Romo took it to another level when he almost pulled down his pants this week during a check. 

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The good news for Treinen is that most fans know by now that the rules are in place. It’s going to take a while to get used to umpires checking, but most know that being checked doesn’t mean umpires suspect they are cheating. 

What a weird world we live in. 

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3 Comments

  1. I understand that MLB has not changed the rule, so it can implement the rule since it always was there. But, since the rule was never enforced before, and they are implementing the checks, as they are, for every pitcher, and sometimes multiple times in a game for the same pitcher, and that they are doing this in the middle of the season, I think that constitutes a change of working conditions, and should require a negotiation on the implementation with the player’s union, which was not done. And it’s happening this year, the year before they have to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. MLB has completely messed this up on implementation and labor relations. And I foresee losing half or a whole season next year over MLB mismanagement of things with the players. I hate to say it, but that’s what I see.

  2. If a pitcher can get a better grip on the baseball What is the problem? By not getting a good grip on the baseball could lead to a player getting hit. To keep it fair everyone must comply. I am not sure. I have to see and wait for a answer. If gripping the ball is a problem or the problem start looking at a different covering with the stitching done by a machine. A whole new baseball perhaps

  3. the commissioner admits to enforcing this rule so hard in the middle of the season just to prevent another ?? next to his name.. so it’s fair to say he cares none about pitchers having to grip the ball tighter.. using muscles in the arm and shoulder that normally wouldn’t be used.. and potentially hurting the pitching arm from just trying to get the same pitch to do what it has been doing in the past.. why can it be all over the bats for hitters but not pitchers.. like pete rose said.. baseball today is too soft with all the new rules.. nothing like it used to be.. if your gonna check players each inning.. might as well let charlie hustle back in… lift his ban and make him commissioner..

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