Smoltz CHEATED?

[RickD]

In an interview with SiriusXM, Leo Mazzone said former great Braves pitcher John Smoltz used to put pine tar on baseballs while he pitched.

"One time Smoltzy had it on his shoes and I said, 'John, you can't keep bending over and touching your shoes all the time. Let's put it someplace else!' (he laughs)."
Mazzone said: "I know that in my little ball bag I had firm grip and all kinds of goodies to take care of a baseball to get a little more movement on it. (laughs)."

In the 1990s, he coached one of the best rotations of all-time -- Smoltz, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and, at various points, Steve Avery, Denny Neagle and others.

Nothing you can do now but dang!

[Old Sweater]

Hey, IMO it is just part of baseball.

I don't believe that pine tar helped as much as the extra black the umps were giving Maddox & Glavine.

[OutfieldGrass]

I don't understand the benefits of him saying something like that. I mean, its not like he bet on baseball or used steroids. Why would you tarnish his image?

[RickD]

I don't understand the benefits of him saying something like that. I mean, its not like he bet on baseball or used steroids. Why would you tarnish his image?

Too much media, too many people needed to fill air time, guys start rambling..boom....feet inserted.

Of course none of this can be proven and in my opinion...who cares but interesting that he would say it for sure. Heck nothing shocks me but come on, you know Gaylord threw the spitter, an illegal pitch and to me half the fun was seeing if they caught him or not. Even Whitey Ford juiced the balls and rubbed them up near the end of his career. I'd rather see juiced balls than juiced players.

[OutfieldGrass]

Exactly.

My biggest issue is that we are in this period where everybody is suspected of PED's. We don't need things like this floating around.

[BobH]

Hey, IMO it is just part of baseball.

I don't believe that pine tar helped as much as the extra black the umps were giving Maddox & Glavine.

....good point, OS!....particularly in Glavine's case. I used to love watchin' him work the outside corner at the start of a game to see how much of that 'black' the umps were gonna let him have....and often it extended beyond the black...-BH

[RickD]

And now the clarifications....

" There wasn't no cheating going on as far as that's concerned," Leo Mazzone said. "Somebody tried to run with the story when there ain't no story. ... John Smoltz and I are very close, very close friends. And to have him read something like that that really angers me. ... I can tell you right now. If a pitcher came to me and if you were on astro turf and you were freezing your butt off. 'Leo, I'm having a tough time grabbing the ball. Well grab a bat, there's some pine tar on it. It will get your fingers a little sticky.' It's not defacing the ball. It doesn't help you make a pitch. What it does is help you keep it in your hand."

[BobH]

I think Leo's right...someone's just trying to get a story. You made a good point earlier about Gaylord...but he's still in the HoF...and I hope to see Smoltzie there someday.-BH

[HeeHawGrandpa]

There is a rosin bag behind every pitchers mound. What happens when rosin gets moist? It becomes tacky . No difference in my opinion.

And when Barry Bonds could stand at the plate in full armor , what is a pitcher supposed to do then.

[Old Sweater]

And when Barry Bonds could stand at the plate in full armor , what is a pitcher supposed to do then.

I've always been surprised how much of the general public can't grasp how much armor can help a batter.