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Gerrit Cole Airs Frustration On Grip, Tells MLB ‘Talk to Us’

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While foreign substances have always been illegal in Major League Baseball, they’ve also been a dirty little secret, but definitely a part of the game. Pitchers use the sticky substances to get a better grip on the ball, but it also allows them to achieve a higher spin rate, which can make it a lot more difficult for batters. After his start against the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole was visibly upset while talking about the crackdown.

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He was borderline in tears.

“It’s so hard to grip the ball,” a frustrated Cole said after the New York Yankees’ 3-2 win. “For Pete’s sake, it’s part of the reason why almost every player on the field has had something, regardless if they’re a pitcher or not, to help them control the ball.”

Watch below:

Cole added:

“We are aligned in a lot of areas with the commissioner’s office on this. … Please, just talk to us, please just work with us. I know you have the hammer here. But we’ve been living in a gray area for so long. I would just hate to see players get hurt. I would hate to see balls start flying at people’s head. I had a really tough time gripping the baseball tonight, especially early when it was windy. I don’t really care to be inflammatory here, so I am just going to leave it at that.”

Cole’s emotional reaction to the crackdown had Twitter users reacting:

https://twitter.com/DodgersStink/status/1405388455886999552

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