Banned Substances
So MLB has recently stated that pitchers have it too easy and using foreign substances of any kind for pretty much any reason will no longer be allowed. Time to highlight some cheater cards...
George Brett is probably the most high profile case of a cheater getting caught...and the most known case of a cheater getting away with what he did. After hitting a go-ahead 9th inning homer against the Yankees, NY manager Billy Martin informed the umpire that Brett's bat had way too much pine tar on it and was thus illegal. The umpire checked the bat and sure enough, Martin was right and Brett's home run was negated, Brett himself was declared out, and since there were 2 outs at the time of the "home run" that made 3 outs and game, Yankees win.
Brett erupted, ran out looking to kill the umpire and had to be restrained. the Royals protested, and the AL president, under the "Fuck the Yankees" rule, decided to sustain the protest and allow the home run, because rules are rules...unless allowing the rule to be broken hurts the Yankees, in which case break all the rules you want. A more recent example of justifying cheating is the 2017 Astros and 2018 Red Sox, where those cheaters weren't punished at all because their ill gotten titles came at the expense of the Yankees.
Brett erupted, ran out looking to kill the umpire and had to be restrained. the Royals protested, and the AL president, under the "Fuck the Yankees" rule, decided to sustain the protest and allow the home run, because rules are rules...unless allowing the rule to be broken hurts the Yankees, in which case break all the rules you want. A more recent example of justifying cheating is the 2017 Astros and 2018 Red Sox, where those cheaters weren't punished at all because their ill gotten titles came at the expense of the Yankees.
Brett went on to continue his Hall of Fame career, but his iconic moment in baseball and America will always be the murderous diva fit he threw over getting caught with an illegal bat.
Michael Pineda was a somewhat reliable pitcher for the Yankees before too many injuries made the team give up on him. Some of those more reliable starts however may be due to him slathering sticky on his neck and hoping no one noticed...he was wrong.
Kenny Rogers before 2006 was actually part of a pennant winner. He pitched on the 96 Yankees and the Yankees won all 3 of his postseason starts....the fact that he pitched terribly and all those games were won by the bullpen is another matter entirely. Example: Game 4, Jim Leyritz's famous 3 run homer to tie the game at 6-6 was made possible because Rodgers put the Yankees in a 0-6 hole. Rogers was a bum and the Yankees promptly dumped him.
So it came as a surprise that 10 years later Rogers was not only back on a pennant winner, but he was putting in quality starts in the postseason. Much speculation was made to Kenny using banned substances, which is a way more believable answer instead of thinking Rogers was suddenly a decent pitcher...
So it came as a surprise that 10 years later Rogers was not only back on a pennant winner, but he was putting in quality starts in the postseason. Much speculation was made to Kenny using banned substances, which is a way more believable answer instead of thinking Rogers was suddenly a decent pitcher...
One of the more comical examples of a pitcher trying to hide his cheating.
Everyone knew Gaylord Perry was a cheater. Somehow it took until 1982 for him to finally get caught.
