There is nothing quite like the paranoia you see from baseball teams at the slightest suspicion of a pitcher using illegal substances. It apparently can lead to a clothing change.
During Monday night’s game between the Dodgers and Blue Jays, Los Angeles starter Michael Grove was cruising through four innings. In those innings, he had allowed just four hits, no runs and racked up six strikeouts. It had all the makings of a deep outing, but the Blue Jays noticed something was up with Grove’s right pant leg.
There was a noticeable dark spot around the thigh, and Grove was seen going to that leg with his throwing hard between pitches.
Sticky Business. pic.twitter.com/Q3yM7ULEKT
— Chris Black (@DownToBlack) July 25, 2023
That raised some obvious alarms about sticky substances, and the Blue Jays evidently voiced those concerns to Jeff Nelson and the umpiring crew. When Grove returned to the mound in the fifth inning, the dark spot on the pants was gone. It was clear: Grove had changed his pants between innings.
Looks like Michael Grove changed pants between the fourth and fifth innings
He gave up four hits and the game-tying run in the fifth, then got pulled pic.twitter.com/tQUVw2u8c2
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 25, 2023
Nordstrom Anniversary sale
Now, the umpires did their customary check for sticky substances on Grove, and if they found anything out of the ordinary, Grove should have been ejected. But we’ve seen umpires circumvent those rules and give pitchers an opportunity to wash their hands instead of an automatic ejection as required. Grove said that the umpires told him the request to have his pants checked came from the Blue Jays dugout.
Michael Grove breaks down his mistakes and the reason for his change of pants. pic.twitter.com/ZnTns2rJ47
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 25, 2023
Whether it was gamesmanship from the Blue Jays or a genuine concern, Grove was clearly not as sharp in the fifth inning. He gave up two runs and four hits with the new pants in the fifth inning before getting pulled from the game.
Fans understandably had thoughts on the whole ordeal, including more inconsistency with how umpires enforce the rules on sticky substances.
This was how Twitter reacted
I’d like to think this isn’t pine tar or sticky stuff because you gotta be incredibly stupid to put your brown foreign substance down the side of bright white home pants https://t.co/gX3wZCIfpL
— Aidan (@aidannrobertson) July 25, 2023
interesting how sticky stuff works… umpires told him to change his pants instead of ejecting him for
violating the rulesno consistency but i’m ok with him being allowed to come back and giving up the lead :) https://t.co/AHf8bHQjMt
— Shayne Bampton (@snoshi) July 25, 2023
Grove should be suspended for 10 games, no?!
Oh that's right MLB and the umps pick and choose who to eject for blatant cheating. https://t.co/iC0sSVov4p
— E-Lawn Dusk (@YesThisIsChase) July 25, 2023
The ump made him change it. Yeah quite the coincidence he stopped striking guys out after that 🤔 https://t.co/vALNEAtml8
— Darcy Armstrong (@DArm91) July 25, 2023
Don’t worry umpire told him to change pants https://t.co/GFo0GEKmrI
— Houston Hogan (@houstonhogan07) July 25, 2023
Idk what’s worse the cheating or that strike call 😭😭 https://t.co/FV3sExqrI2
— Yousif (@Yousif_H1) July 25, 2023
Thought that was an ejection not a change your pants lol https://t.co/q9TeTkevOy
— Stoney (@CoachStone21) July 25, 2023
And he stays in the game after being told by an umpire to change his pants…how is that even possible! https://t.co/sksTUDymAz
— Neil Watt (@neilwatt) July 25, 2023
The Jays were clearly much better against Michael Grove's clean pants
— Matt Marchese (@Mattymar89) July 25, 2023
