Cheating in baseball
Cheating in baseball is a deliberate violation of the baseball rules or other behavior that is designed to gain an unfair advantage against an opponent. Forms of cheating include doctoring the baseball, doctoring baseball bats, sign stealing, and the use of performance-enhancing substancess.
Types of cheating
Doctoring the baseball
Pitchers have doctored baseballs to gain an unfair advantage. The spitball is an illegal baseball pitch where the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance, such as saliva or petroleum jelly. The emery ball, also an illegal pitch, consists of throwing a ball that has been scuffed by a rough surface, such as an emery board or sandpaper. The emery ball was banned in 1914, while the spitball was banned in 1920.[1]
Doctored baseball bats
Hitters can doctor their baseball bats. A corked bat has been filled with a lighter material, such as cork (material) or Super Balls, that can help the batter swing the bat faster. Players who have been suspended for using a corked bat include Sammy Sosa, Albert Belle, Wilton Guerrero, Chris Sabo, Billy Hatcher, José Guillén, and Miguel Olivo. Though Graig Nettles was caught using a bat with Super Balls in 1974, he was not suspended. Amos Otis and Norm Cash admitted to using corked bats while they played.[2]
Batters are also limited in how much pine tar they can apply to their bats. During the Pine Tar Incident, George Brett had a home run disallowed when the umpire determined that there was an illegal amount of pine tar on his bat.[3]
Sign stealing
Baseball players can gain an advantage by stealing the signs used by other teams. However, they are prohibited from using technology to aid them in stealing signs and communicating the information to their teammates. Two notable incidents of sign stealing include the 1951 New York Giants season and the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal.[4]
Performance-enhancing substances
Baseball players have used amphetamines and steroids to enhance their physical performance.
References
- ↑ http://theweek.com/articles/464750/spitballs-nail-files-other-ways-pitchers-cheat
- ↑ "ESPN.com: MLB - Doctored bat infractions". Static.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
- ↑ https://www.si.com/mlb/2016/07/22/pine-tar-game-brett-gossage-royals-yankees
- ↑ "The Houston Astros' Cheating, Sign Stealing Scandal Explained - The New York Times". Nytimes.com. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
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