Trevor Bauer Slams MLB over ‘Competitive Integrity Bulls–t’ After Substance Memo

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, who has been one of the main characters in the increased discussion about pitchers using foreign substances this season, is not happy with Major League Baseball’s decision to start enforcing rules preventing the use of such substances.

He explained his position in a Twitter thread:

“Only one of the MASSIVE problems with what MLB is doing. They’ve knowingly swept this under the rug for 4 years. Now they implement a knee jerk reaction to shifting public perception. Hard to hear them talk about ‘competitive integrity’ when they have no integrity to begin with.

“To be clear, the memo is fine long term, and it will serve to level the playing field. That is a good thing. But to implement it mid season when for 3 months you’ve promised players and teams that nothing about your chosen enforcement of the rules would change this year and actively encouraged players to continue playing how that have in the past, that’s a lie. There’s no integrity in that. So save it with the competitive integrity bulls–t mlb. All you care about is the bottom line of the business, and public perception negatively affecting it.”

He continued, pointing to potential confusion from umpires:

“While we’re at it mlb, please tell us how umpires who have never been trained to know what a ‘sticky’ substance is or isn’t are supposed to automatically enforce that uniformly? What is the standard for what is ‘sticky’ and what’s not? Might want to clarify that, ya know, for the ‘competitive integrity’ of the game. It would be really unfair to have one crew think sticky is one thing and another crew to think it’s another thing. Rules are supposed to be uniformly enforced right? Almost like you should’ve used an off season to define that.”

Bauer’s rant comes after the league announced it will start strictly enforcing the rules, which could lead to ejections and suspensions.

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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