In the wake of the punishments handed down to quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots for their role in 'Deflategate,' another major sports league coincidentally announced changes to their game ball policy to avoid any mishaps.
Major League Baseball's ball boys and ball girls will no longer be responsible for carrying game baseballs from the umpires' office to the field. The MLB will now have a league representative watch the official game balls while a clubhouse assistant transports them, according to The Associated Press.
Obviously, this has nothing to do with deflating baseballs, as many have tastelessly joked about when the new policy was announced. It's a more strict security measure to avoid having the baseballs altered or affected in any way. However, this is the latest step to be implemented regarding the new ball security/handling/storage measures.
According to the MLB, changes for ball security and storage were discussed by league equipment managers at the winter meetings last December, which took place before Brady and the Patriots were involved in 'Deflategate.'
"It was a standard review, resulting in the decision to assign an MLB representative to watch the balls while they're carried from the umpires' room to the field. Also, a security person would retrieve extra balls if the ump runs low," writes Paul Hagen of MLB.com.
"Hoping to avoid a seamy situation, MLB sent a memo to all 30 teams before opening day with a nine-step procedure on ball handling. Along with the policy on storage - around 70 degrees, about 50 percent humidity - there were guidelines on chain of command," according to The AP.
One wouldn't believe this to be a significant issue, but just look at the fact the Colorado Rockies are still dealing with snow in the month of May.
Aside from that, the process to prepare baseballs and distribute them is extensive, which leaves more room for error among those handling them. Clubhouse attendants are required to rub eight dozen balls with a special mud to remove the gloss from them before every game and then an MLB authenticator follows the balls as they're brought to the field. The home plate umpire is responsible for holding a number of balls in his pouch and ball attendants have some on their person as well. If the ball supply is running low, a resident security agent retrieves more.
So while the announcement of the new policy was oddly timed with Brady's four-game suspension and the Patriots' forfeiting of draft picks, the MLB already had these measures in place in December and was not influenced by 'Deflategate.'
