“Everyone does it” was not a viable excuse when you used it to defend your dumb ’90s overalls, and it’s not a viable excuse in Major League Baseball, either. But that’s what Michael Pineda’s supporters are going with, after the pitcher was tossed from last night’s game after Red Sox skipper John Farrell brought to the ref’s attention that Pineda had a foreign substance smeared across his neck. Pineda was also accused of having some pine tar on his palm during his last outing against Boston, but it was downplayed as “part of the game” by most of the Sox.
This time, however, Beantown was not as forgiving, and Pineda was bounced in the second inning. The gamesmanship paid off and Boston took the game 5-1, after beating up the Yankees’ bullpen a bit. Pineda was also banned for 10 games, which is not so much for a guy that only works every five days. Careful throwing those stones, Boston; it’s not as if you’re unfamiliar with breaking the rules.
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