Luke Little, a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, was informed that he had to change his glove before entering the game against the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.
The demand was due to an American flag patch.
Little was called out of the bullpen by Manager Craig Counsell – his ninth pitching appearance of the season – with one out in the seventh inning.
However, after a standard check by umpires for an incoming pitcher, he was informed that he had to switch out gloves.
“The issue was the American flag was on his glove,” Counsell told reporters. “Pitchers’ gloves, they’re pretty strict about not having white on the pitchers’ gloves. Apparently, the flag had what could be a distraction to the hitter.”
#Cubs reliever Luke Little is made to change his AMERICAN FLAG ballglove to a much less patriotic generic. Seemed to work out fine, though. Almost as if the glove didn't matter at all, but the pitcher wearing it did. Weird. ⚾️🇺🇸@Cubs #GoCubsGo pic.twitter.com/Fe9529TNDJ
— Billy Krumb (@ClubhouseCancer) April 25, 2024
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Cubs Luke Little Explains Glove Ruling
Little told the Associated Press that MLB officials had emailed the club about the glove.
“The clubbies told me that they had got an email from MLB that I’m not allowed to wear it,” he says. “But I just didn’t assume that they were just going to just cut me. It’s not like it has an advantage in the game. It’s not like it blinds the hitters. Just representing my country.”
“Just a whole debacle,” Little added. “Got to get ready without it and throw through it.”
The Cubs pitcher, sporting a solid 2.16 ERA and two holds this season, keeping hitters below .200 against him, posted a GIF response on social media.
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Rules Are Rules
Luke Little’s glove does appear to be in violation of MLB rules as written.
No pitcher shall attach to his glove any foreign material of a color different from the glove.
– Baseball Prospectus
The rules do mention white but seem to be pointing to the color of the glove in general, not small stripes on a patch.
However, it also states that the pitcher’s glove can not be “distracting in any manner.” Such a distraction is based on the “judgment of an umpire.”
All of that said, why is the issue of the glove coming up for the first time in the middle of Luke Little’s 16th Major League appearance?
The 23-year-old pitcher told reporters he’s been using the same glove since Class A ball.
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