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Major league baseball’s unwritten rules are brewing up trouble again

Only a year after the Houston Astros sign-stealing scheme damaged Major League Baseball and cast further aspersion on the league’s ability to police itself, the next self-inflicted wound may already in progress. And once again it’s going to be caused by the game’s unwritten codes.

Pitchers have always used a bit of the tacky stuff on their fingers. This has been common practice going back to the game’s origins. Trace amounts of pine tar under the hat or in the glove, patches of Bullfrog sunscreen on the arm to mix with rosin, these are long-accepted practices in baseball despite violating the letter of the rules.