Max Scherzer was ejected from the Mets game against the Dodgers for sticky stuff, but the pitcher is maintaining his innocence that he only used rosin.
During the fourth inning of Wednesday’s matinee between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, Mets ace Max Scherzer was tossed after the umpires found sticky stuff on his hand and glove.
In the moment, Scherzer maintained audibly that it was rosin that the umpire was feeling, but that didn’t sway the opinion of the crew in blue and he was ejected.
Scherzer, who now faces a 10-game suspension per the league’s rules on ejections for sticky substances, isn’t conceding that he did anything wrong, though. He explained after the game that the umpire felt what the pitcher said was clumping rosin and sweat and asked him to wash it off, which Scherzer did, but was then still ejected the next inning. He told the media after the game he’d “have to be an idiot” to use anything illegal.
The pitcher also noted an MLB official watched him wash his hands after the first check but was still ejected.
Max Scherzer to ump over sticky stuff ejection: ‘I swear on my kids’ lives’
In talking to the media, Scherzer continued to make his case as an innocent man in regards to sticky stuff, specifically when asked what his conversation with umpire Phil Cuzzi, saying that he swore on his kids’ lives that it was only sweat and rosin that the ump was feeling.
As mentioned, if MLB does hand down the 10-game suspension, Scherzer plans to continue pleading innocence and appeal the ruling.
Rosin is the only legal sticky substance allowed under baseball’s rules that have been implemented over the past two seasons regarding sticky stuff. However, there is some fine print that says rosin can not be put on the glove or uniform, which the umpire seemed to check the former and may have been the root of the problem.
Having said that, we’ll get more clarity in the coming days about this incident, likely from the umpired and Major League Baseball. And we’ll wait and see if this indeed results in a suspension for the Mets star.