We have controversy! And who doesn't love controversy? After last night's game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds, John Smoltz complained that he couldn't get a good grip on any of the balls. His grip was so bad, he walked five batters in the second and third innings alone.
His counterpart, Reds' pitcher Bronson Arroyo, had no issues with his grip on the balls. A feat that John Smoltz gave Arroyo credit for after the game. Cardinals' pitching coach Dave Duncan on the other hand, only gave Arroyo credit for his slick use of pine tar.
Duncan, who said the umpires told him the baseballs indeed were rubbed up, said Arroyo was able to deal with the issue because "I'm sure he had pine tar on his cap. He didn't have any problem getting a grip. Balls like that can generate a lot more movement than a slick ball that hasn't been rubbed up."
Asked if he had seen Arroyo go to his cap, Duncan said, "Just every pitc...
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