The new rule handed down by Rob Manfred and MLB to check any pitcher at any time for sticky substances is off to the kind of start that most predicted. It’s one thing to check in-between innings, it’s another to check in the middle of an inning like what happened to Max Scherzer on Tuesday night.

This change has already caused chaos and has people laughing at MLB, losing respect for it by the second. The glass half full crowd may point out all the attention this has drawn to the game along with the viral videos, noting that any attention is good attention. But as this continues to drag on it ultimately won’t be a positive for the league.

Max Scherzer was moving and grooving along in the bottom of the 4th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday when Phillies manager Joe Girardi requested that he be checked for any sticky substance. This put a halt to the game, to Scherzer’s rhythm and the game’s tempo as the umpires circled around Scherzer to check his glove, hat and belt. Scherzer was visibly upset as he undid his belt and looked like he was about to put on a show.

While the initial frustration from Scherzer is directed at Girardi, the real anger should be with Rob Manfred for this idiotic rule. To Girardi’s credit, if MLB is going to enforce and allow pitcher’s to be checked literally in the middle of an inning as they’re cruising along, why wouldn’t you play that to your advantage? Scherzer is mowing down Phillies hitters, fine, check him during the inning not after it.

Scherzer responded by giving Girardi the stare-down of a lifetime after the bottom of the 5th inning. It drew the Phillies skipper out of the dugout and he was eventually tossed as Scherzer flashed his glove and hat multiple times from the Nationals dugout. Sweet stuff, Rob Manfred.

Afterwards, the Nationals star pitcher discussed the night, via Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan.

“The whole night I was sick of licking my fingers and tasting rosin all night…You can check whatever you want. Take all my clothes off if you want. I have absolutely nothing on me…These are Manfred rules. Go ask him. Go ask Alec Bohm how he feels about 95 at his face. I don’t need to say any more about this…I’d have to be an absolute fool to use something tonight when everybody’s antenna is so high.” – Max Scherzer.

Meanwhile in Texas, Sergio Romo pitched one inning in relief for the Oakland Athletics against the Rangers. He wasn’t flawless, giving up a home run in the inning. As he exited the mound he was approached by an umpire for a sticky substance check. What ensued was Romo quite literally pulling his pants down to his knees during the check.

Rob Manfred has single handedly ticked off the players while also putting the umpires in a brutal spot. Sure, it’s funny seeing the videos right now but it’s not a, “Hey we’re all laughing together,” kind of thing. These pitchers are genuinely peeved and the umpires are taking on the direct anger from the players.

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There isn’t anyone out there arguing for pitchers to be able to use spider tack to enhance their spin rate. Some have said they used a combination of sunscreen and rosin strictly to get a better grip. Whatever the reasons are, the answer handed out by Rob Manfred is not it.

Baseball needs attention, it’s become such a regional sport that superstars like Mike Trout are often hidden from the spotlight. MLB has had a problem showcasing and propping up their stars for years now. This initial attention may draw more clicks to the viral videos but it isn’t going to get anyone who doesn’t tune into baseball games to watch now. If anything, the clips of pitchers stripping down on the field because of Rob Manfred will get those viewers to click the viral video on Twitter and move along with their evening. It’s attention and eyeballs on the game right now but it’s not going to carve out a new audience for the long run. It will just have those viewers validating their initial thoughts that baseball isn’t for them.

So what is the answer? Clearly there needs to be some sort of sit down between Rob Manfred and a group of these players. That would be a start. Hear their side, their complaints and figure out a resolution from there. Heck, the current punishment isn’t even bad, it’s a complete joke. If a pitcher gets caught using a sticky substance during a game, it’s a 10-day suspension WITH pay. Not too bad, perhaps worth it to some.

If Rob Manfred wants to be taken seriously, he’ll quit with this circus act and figure out a balanced resolution.