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    If it wasn’t difficult enough for umpires to adjust to all of baseball’s new rules, now we expect them to devise a way to determine when a pitcher has violated the current sticky ball rules, without any direction. 

    Until now. The following is the first set of comprehensive guidelines for the league, coaches, and players to follow. Examination of the pitcher’s balls, hands, and glove may occur before or after innings. The standard ten-game suspension is being modified here to reflect, case by case, the severity of the infraction.

    1 out of 5 Sticky Balls

    There is no evidence of resin on the pitcher’s hands but what looks like a paste created from powdered sugar and the jelly of a doughnut. A warning is issued to the dugout that all the doughnuts be put away. Unless everyone is offered one. It looks like someone got coffee for the team as well. While this is not breaking the sticky ball rule, it is rude. 

    2 out of 5 Sticky Balls

    A sticky substance is clearly present. It’s not as sticky as pine tar or resin but something between a sticky bun or warm toffee pudding. Not sticky enough it would be considered performance-enhancing but certainly making a mess of the balls. In this case, the pitcher is ordered to wash the guilty substance from his hands and face. The pitcher is to be monitored throughout the game for snacks.

    AP Photo/Sam Hodde

    3 out of 5 Sticky Balls

    You trick the pitcher into shaking hands and they are very tacky. The pitcher claims he got it from shaking hands with the opposing pitcher before the game. Give the pitcher a warning, but throw out the opposing pitcher, in case there is any merit to the story.

    4 out of 5 Sticky Balls

    The pitcher has ignored the warning and his hair is getting darker each inning. There are globs of either pine tar or that black stuff, like when you redo your driveway, all over the place––his hands, glove, uniform…there’s even some on his nose. Throw the pitcher out of the game and issue a 5-game suspension. Tack on another two games if he sarcastically dangles the ball from one finger on the way out.

    5 out of 5 Sticky Balls

    It’s as if TV’s Flex Seal guy has been to the mound. The ball can’t be pried from his hands. This is not only an automatic game ejection, but all of today’s balls are to be thrown out of the game. This warrants a full 10-game suspension and a guest host on the next Saturday Night Live.

    MLB FAQs

    How do you play baseball survivor pool?

    In a MLB Survivor pool, players pick one MLB team every week that they think will win. Each team can only be picked one time per season. A player survives to the next week if their chosen team wins at least half of its games that week. Administrators can select how many incorrect picks (strikes) before a player is eliminated.

    What is a baseball survivor pool?

    In a MLB Survivor pool, players choose one pro team each week that they believe will win. They may only pick a team once per season. If their selected team wins 50% or more of its games for that week they survive until the next week. Pool commissioners may select how many 'strikes' (incorrect picks) before a player is eliminated.

    What is a 13-run baseball pool?

    A 13 Run Baseball pool is a simple but fun pool for Pro Baseball. Each member (maximum of 30) is assigned a professional team. The goal is to be the first member to have their team score every number of runs, from 0 to 13. In some pools the number of runs can be changed to be from 6 to 13.

    What are MLB props?

    Each game, MLB players have certain prop lines that are assigned to them. These can be for base hits, strikeouts, walks, and other stats. For example, Mike Trout could have a line of over 1.5 base hits for a game. If he has 2 base hits that game, his prop would go over.

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