Yoshinobu Yamamoto Caught in Ronel Blanco’s Situation; Sticky Glove Puts Dodgers Pitcher in ‘Cheating’ Light

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ prized pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, has found himself in a sticky situation. During Monday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants, the umpire’s focus wasn’t on his typically stellar pitching performance but rather on his glove—a blue Nike model adorned with a prominent white swoosh and stitching.

While brief, Umpire Nick Mahrley’s inspection of the glove after the first inning kind of echoed the recent ejection and 10-game suspension of Houston Astros’ pitcher Ronel Blanco, in which he got ejected by 3B Umpire Laz Diaz for having a sticky substance on his glove. The incident has led to eyebrows and questions being raised about whether Yamamoto, a $325 million acquisition, was attempting to gain an unfair advantage.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has consistently used that same glove throughout his previous nine MLB starts, insisted that the inspection was merely done due to the white logo and stitching. “I think they were checking the logo or color,” he said through his translator. “There was nothing else wrong with it.” However, the timing of the inspection is what’s intriguing here.

It comes amidst a league-wide crackdown on foreign matter, triggered by a surge in spin rates linked to illegal substances. Umpires have specifically been instructed by the board to be extra vigilant, leading to a heightened sensitivity to any irregularities on pitchers’ gloves.

While Yamamoto has been cleared to continue using his glove, the incident has cast a lingering shadow over his otherwise impressive performance. The four earned runs and five hits that he allowed during that game have now fueled further speculation about whether the glove played a role in that performance or not, despite the Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts, dismissing the incident as a non-issue.

Dodgers are downplaying Yoshinobu Yamamoto incident, but questions linger

“It’s not a competitive advantage,” Roberts stated. “I don’t think it affects the hitter. I hope this is the last game… I don’t know if there was a memo sent out about it. It’s not like he had to change the glove out. I think the main thing you want to guard against is some type of deterrent or distraction for the hitter, which it clearly isn’t.” However, his comments do little to quell the unease that has been growing surrounding the incident, especially in light of Blanco’s suspension.

The stark contrast between Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s and Ronel Blanco’s situations highlights the challenges faced by umpires in distinguishing between legal rosin, a common grip enhancer, and illegal sticky substances. Blanco’s adamant denial of using anything but rosin underscores the difficulties in identifying and enforcing violations based on the specific substances.

Both incidents underscore the complexities of foreign substances in Major League Baseball. While Yamamoto’s case may have been a minor inconvenience, it serves as a stark reminder of the heightened scrutiny that pitchers have to face every day. On the other hand, the Blanco incident only exemplifies the league’s determination to eradicate any unfair advantage, even if it means suspending a player for 10 games based on nothing but a sticky glove.

As MLB continues its league-wide crackdown, the line between legal and illegal, unfortunately, remains blurry. Pitchers, umpires, and fans alike are left grappling with questions of fairness, intent, and the impact of seemingly minor details on the outcome of games.