Guide Note: Cy Young Award winning pitcher Jake Peavy has been under scrutiny after a video replay of the final moments of the Padres 4-1 victory over the Dodgers seemed to show a dark substance on three of the fingers on the pitcher's throwing hand. While the substance has not been identified, rumors have circulated online that the black marks were caused by the use of Pine Tar - a substance that some players use to improve their grip. Since the use of any foreign substance on a baseball is prohibited by the rules of Major League Baseball, the application of pine tar by a pitcher to improve his grip is illegal. Peavy has denied using any foreign substance, claiming that the dark marks were made by a combination of dirt and rosin.

Fast Facts:

1. Originally spotted by a fan and posted on the sports blog The Big Lead
2. The penalty for being caught using a foreign substance on a ball is an automatic ten-game suspension^[1]
3. Peavy won the National League Cy Young Award in 2007

Quotes:

1. Peavy: "That's funny to me. I mean, come on. How could you throw a baseball if that was anything but (dirt and rosin)? That makes me laugh, honestly. If anybody wants to check me on anything I'm doing at any time, they can check me. I promise you that. It's not worth it. It's not worth it to cheat."

Categories