The Cleveland Guardians have reportedly taken action after home plate umpire Ted Barrett was asked to check pitcher James Karinchak for foreign substances in Friday's game between the Guardians and Minnesota Twins.
Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reported that the Guardians contacted MLB in reference to the incident.
Barrett checked Karinchak for foreign substances in the midst of an-bat. Cleveland reportedly believes Barrett should have waited until after the at-bat had concluded. Additionally, the Guardians likely were not fans of the umpire running his fingers through the pitcher's hair despite Twins manager Rocco Baldelli's request.
Rocco Baldelli had the umpire check James Karinchak's hair for foreign substances pic.twitter.com/3YOyKaQCBd
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 10, 2022
MLB needs to find a better way for umpires to check pitchers for foreign substances. Barrett running his fingers through James Karinchak's hair instantly became an unnecessary meme.
Karinchak, who has enjoyed a fantastic 2022 season, commented on the situation following the game, per Zach Meisel.
“I knew people were obviously thinking I was cheating, but I had no worries because it was just sweat and rosin. So, come check.”
The Guardians right-hander has a 1.63 ERA even after surrendering a pair of runs in Cleveland's 7-6 victory over the Twins.
Manager Terry Francona did not look pleased following Rocco Baldelli's request to the umpire. The Guardians have every right to be upset after what transpired.
However, home plate umpire Ted Barrett was likely just doing what he was told to do. He would have preferred not to have run his fingers through Karinchak's hair. This has quickly developed into one of the strangest stories of the season.
We will continue to monitor updates on this story as updates are made available.
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