The war against doctored baseballs appears to be coming. The Cardinals might have witnessed MLB’s first shots when veteran umpire Joe West asked Gio Gallegos to remove his cap before his May 26, 2021 appearance against the White Sox.
Gio’s cap had a circular stain, built up from repeatedly tugging on its bill. The mark could be entirely natural – the result of habitually touching his cap with dirty fingers. It’s also possible that Gallegos had loaded up his brim with illegal spin-assisting, performance-enhancing gunks.
Regardless, West’s crew noticed the stain (or were tipped off) and decided they would take it upon themselves to enforce MLB’s long-overlooked rules on doctoring baseballs.