Baseball players have used pine tar since the game began. Pine tar, a sticky substance derived from burning pine wood, has many purposes, but baseball players use pine tar to improve their grip on the bat. This prevents the bat from slipping during aggressive swings in hot and humid weather conditions.
History
Pine tar was first used and created in Sweden as a natural wood preservative. Ropes and wooden ships were coated with pine tar to make them waterproof. As baseball started to become popular and wooden bat use increased, players used pine tar for the same reasons.
Rules
The Major Leagues have regulated the application of pine tar to the handle of the bats by creating a specific rule. According to Rule 1.10(c), a player can only apply pine tar 18 inches up from the handle. If the umpire discovers that the bat is in violation of the rule, the bat must be removed from the game; the player does not get called out or ejected from the game.
Application
Most players will apply pine tar by squeezing pine tar from a tube onto a pine tar rag. The player will then use the rag to rub the pine tar onto the handle, according to his personal preference. Some pine tar is also available in a roll-on stick that eliminates the need for a pine tar rag.
Warning
Only batters can use pine tar to improve grip on the handle of the bat. Some pitchers might try to apply pine tar to the ball for added movement on certain pitches. If a pitcher is caught applying pine tar to the ball, the umpire can eject the player from the game and they may be subject to a 10-game suspension.
George Brett
In 1983, George Brett of the Kansas City Royals had a home run called back after the umpire discovered his bat had too much pine tar. The home run was hit during the ninth inning off Goose Gossage of the New York Yankees and gave the Royals the apparent lead. But after the umpire measured the pine tar on the bat, Brett was called out and the home run did not count. The Royals later protested the game, and the game was finished more than three weeks later with the Royals eventually winning.
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