Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo called Joe Girardi a “con artist” a day after Philadelphia’s manager asked umpires to check Max Scherzer for illegal substances during Tuesday night’s game.
“It’s embarrassing for Girardi, it’s embarrassing for the Phillies, it’s embarrassing for baseball,” Rizzo said in a radio interview Wednesday on Washington’s 106.7 The Fan.
Scherzer threw his glove and hat to the grass, then stared down Girardi after getting checked for a third time by umpires for sticky stuff in Washington’s 3-2 win.
Major league umpires began a crackdown on Monday by regularly examining pitchers for tacky substances that can give them a better grip on the baseball.