MLB Get a Grip with Mud, Sticky Stuff, Gambling at Nationals Park

Jan 14 – BaseballBiz MLB – Get a Grip with Mud, Hot Stove, Sportsbook at Nationals Park

0:00 – Baseball Poetry Jimmy gets a grip with Muddy Balls

1:15 – Welcome to BaseballBiz - Intro music - Rocking Forward

2:07 – Show Rundown

3:34 – MLB 162 game season

5:00 – Get a Grip – Mud on Balls

5:29 – Mark’s Baseball Audio Essay,  Pitcher & Ball

Baseball is a game that is as wholesome as apple pie. 

When you buy a ball and take it out of the box you see a bright white virgin ball of leather and string.

The Ball itself has gone through several modifications over the years and has a different face for many leagues.

Even today a Major League baseball is different than some College and Minor league balls. A lot of that has to do with the threads on the ball. A major league ball has had smaller thinner threads than its junior leagues.

A pitcher looks at the ball and its design and grips the ball. 

He gets a feel for the ball, 

He finds the threads and curls his fingers over them

He positions his digits over the leather and thread to teach the ball to fly.

Giving the ball flight and direction.

The pitcher and ball become one 

And in a single swift motion the ball leaves his hands seeking purchase in the catcher’s leather grasp. 

The ball has completed its task when it confounds the batter to swing    or not.

It avoids solid connection with the bat.

It all comes down to the pitcher’s grip and control.

He imbues the ball with speed and purpose.

While the pitcher gives the ball direction the ball must bring its own premium qualities to this event. 

Is it bright white and slick?

How well has the ball been prepared is it tacky, dry, wet, muddy?

The condition of the ball impacts the execution of the pitch.

Different pitchers have different preparations of themselves and the ball.

Baseball  . . . 

is a game of magic where the pitcher must make the ball disappear before the batter’s eyes.

Some preparations like mudding for the ball are traditional and approved by the league. The mudding increases the pitchers grip and the 
 
 

While other methods vary from questionable to downright dirty.
 The deviations included using Vaseline, pine tar, tobacco juice,

MLB balls are prepared before the game and others are touched up during the game.  

Often the catcher shows a thrown ball to the ump to confirm whether a ball’s qualities are up to snuff. If not they are tossed away and then replaced with another ball into play.

Today we will talk about recent news on a fired Los Angeles Angels Visiting Clubhouse Manager, Brian “Bubba” Harkins and how his actions may have been contrary to a sense of fairness in the league. 

7:50 – How balls are prepped with Mud

9:00 – Bubba Harkins & Sticky Stuff lawsuit with Los Angeles Angels

10:15 – Brandon – Sharing is Caring 

11:14 – Harkins Didn’t get the memo

11:42 – Naming names – Gerrit Cole – text

"Hey Bubba, it's Gerrit Cole," the text reads. "I was wondering if you could help me out with this sticky situation [winky face emoji]. We don't see you until May, but we have some road games in April that are in cold weather places. The stuff I had last year seizes up when it gets cold ..."

12:20 –Brandon’s post nomination of Cole in running for Turkey of the Year

13:45 – MLB chart on standards & proper application of Mud to balls 

There has been a sanctioned ball preparation method across MLB and that includes the application of “mud” to all balls used by the team. 
 MLB actually has a chart to show a standard on how a ball should look after it has been properly smeared with mud. You can actually find a MLB chart that clubhouse staff use when prepping the balls. 
 The chart shows 3 balls one light, normal and dark 
 We’ll put the chart up on @BaseballBiz on Twitter. 

14:50 – Bintliff Family Affair – finding, digging, processing and cleaning the Mud

The purpose of the mud is to take a slick white baseball and give it a bit of texture for the pitcher’s grip. The MLB sanctioned mud is provided by the Bintliff family in New Jersey. 
 There they harvest a pudding like mud from an undisclosed location on the banks of the Delaware river.  The mud is gathered in small plastic barrels and returns to the Bintliff family’s yard where it goes through a multi-level process of sifting and “cleaning” to remove any sticks, leaves or other impediments that would compromise the quality of the mud.  
 After 5 to 6 weeks excess water is drained and the mud has the consistency of cold cream. 
 The mud is then ready for packing and delivery to all 30 MLB teams. At the stadiums 
 How did this family come to be the providers of this magical mud?

16:45 – NFL uses the Mud

17:30 – Misleading people about acquiring Mud. "It’s for pot plants"

18:20 – MLB – “Mud is mud”  Rawlings and MLB want to make balls tacky

21:09 – How did the need for Mud evolve – Shortstop Ray Chapman Cleveland Indians & Athletics coach, Lena Blackburne
 The origin of the mud began in 1920 with the death of Ray Chapman the Cleveland Indians SS who died from a pitch to the head. Lena Blackburn discovered the mud on the bank of the Delaware river and saw it as a way to give pitcher's more control when pitching.

22:40 – Hitters don’t care about mud or other substances being used if it reduces chance of being hit and injured by a ball

23:40 – Brandon talks about NFL & Nickelodeon and bringing it to MLB – Nickelodeon Slime Cannons and SpongeBob celebrates

 29:12 – Bringing back the Fun 

29:37 – Hot Stove – Brandon’s report – Francisco Lindor - Mets

30:22 – DJ LeMahieu – dis-Mahieu’ed – Blue Jays, Rays, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets and Cardinals are interested in talking to LeMahieu

31:09 – Liam Hendricks pitching reliever signs historical $54 million contract with the White Sox. Formerly with Oakland A’s 
2017 Hendriks threw 4.22  
2018 he threw  4.13  and was sent to the Minors and DFA’d
Hendriks has been DFA’d 4 times in his career – he has perseverance and began to completely
2019 – turnaround and pitched a 1.80 
Exceptional contract with Chicago White Sox for a Reliever - $54 million .
Liam would be paid $15 million on a payment plan if White Sox does not continue with him after 3 seasons.

Questions:  
What will happen with Alex Colome who  had been with the White Sox but is now a Free Agent? In 2020 Alex’s contract with the White Sox was $10.5 million

Alex pitched 2018 Seattle 2.53,  and a 2.80 in 2019 

What will 2021 look like for Chicago White Sox, changes adding Lance Lynn
 new Manager Tony LaRussa.
Strong roster that includes Yasmani Grandal

33:42 – What about Alex Colome contract

36:45 – Gambling, MLB & BetMGM agreement Sportsbook, Washington Nationals. 
     Mark & Brandon debate is it a smart idea?, Pete Rose, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Horse Racing, Mound Ball, Gambling App, Tony Romo, Draft Kings, Fantasy Teams, NBA official fixing game

45:00 – Stat of the Week – OPS, OBS & Slugging Percentage – simple equation
Link to OPS explanation on Brandon’s Twitter @SportsBlitzPod

48:16 – Wrap up Show – where to find BaseballBiz, iheartradio, Apple itunes, Spotify

48:53 – Tip of the hat, Tommy Lasorda – made a difference for the Dodgers, Mascot ejected

49:30 – Final wrap & Thanks

Special Thanks to XTakeRux for the music Rocking Forward