Clay Buchholz (6-0, 1.01 ERA) has been the best pitcher in the Boston Red Sox rotation through the first month of the year and is one of the biggest reasons the Sox are off to a 20-8 start that has them atop the American League East standings. Dirk Hayhurst, a Sportsnet announcer, accused Buchholz of doctoring the ball following his last start.
Hayhurst tweeted "I just saw video of Buchholz loading the ball with some Eddie Harris worthy slick'em painted up his left forearm. Wow." The next day another Sportsnet analyst, Jack Morris, chimed in on the subject and agreed with Hayhurst. "I found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," he said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is."
The issue has sparked a war of words, as former Red Sox pitcher Dennis Eckersley has come to the defense of Buchholz. Eckersley was quoted yesterday saying, "Where's Jack Morris been all these years, anyway?" Eckersley continued. "He finally gets a job up there in Toronto and he has to make statements like that and take away from what this kid [Buchholz] has done? I think it's wrong. He's pitched long enough to know.
He went on to say, "When you throw a spitball, the ball falls off the table, and you know it right away. The hitters didn't complain, but Jack Morris is. I think Jack Morris should zip it."
Red Sox manager John Farrell defended his pitcher vigorously as well, telling reporters "It bothers me immensely when someone is going to make an accusation, and in this case cheating, because they've seen something on TV. He's got rosin on his arm. I think rosin was designed to get a grip. But the fact is, he's got it on his arm. I've seen some people who have brought photographs to me. They're false. The fact is the guy's 6-0; he's pitched his tail off. If people are going to point to him cheating? Unfounded."
In a Yahoo! Sports article, they posted a photo from a viewer of the Red Sox-Blue Jays game that shows Buchholz putting rosin on his arm in the first inning, apparently lending credence to Farrell's defense.
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