Truth & Rumors > MLB

Maddon balks at Blanton's hat

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Last night, Joe Blanton's sharp command drew immediate attention from Tampa Bay's dugout. So, oddly enough, did the bill of his cap. As first reported by MLB.com, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon told home-plate umpire Tom Hallion after the second inning that he believed Blanton had pine tar on his hat. After the game, Maddon addressed the issue with the media. Asked if he noticed a dark spot on Blanton's cap, Maddon said: "We did notice, it was rather dark. I did bring it to their [umpires'] attention. I asked them to just watch it and be vigilant about it, and nothing happened. But I was concerned about it early on." Hallion replied to Maddon that he would check the baseball, and if he found a foreign substance on the ball, MLB.com reported, he would act on it. Later last night, MLB.com removed the story from its Web site. Geoff Grant, the managing editor of MLB.com said the story was removed because it was obtained "prematurely" by viewing a feed from Fox, which broadcast the game. Grant said that MLB.com would post a new story after the game that would include more reporting and quotes.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Joe Blanton, AP Joe Blanton, AP
October 27, 2008  08:48 AM ET

Is it me, or is Blanton starting to come off a little ****?

Comment #2 has been removed
October 27, 2008  08:51 AM ET

You mean Maddon?

October 27, 2008  09:01 AM ET

Blanton reminded me of Myers earlier in the Post Season when Blanton get that blast of a Homer...

October 27, 2008  09:24 AM ET

This was one of the first things I said to my brother while watching the game. I asked what the heck was that dark spot and why does he keep touching it?

October 27, 2008  09:29 AM ET

I noticed it too during the game. After the game Blanton said that he's used that hat for the whole season. It is a mixture of sweat and dirt. I watched him, he'd wipe is forehead with his hand and touch his cap. It is a mixture of the dirt they rub the balls down with and sweat. Pretty gross, but hey if it is his lucky hat then so be it.

If it awws pine tar, the ump would have seen it on the ball.

October 27, 2008  09:38 AM ET
QUOTE(#5):

This was one of the first things I said to my brother while watching the game. I asked what the heck was that dark spot and why does he keep touching it?

If that's you and your brother in that picture, I don't want to know the details of that comment.

October 27, 2008  09:47 AM ET
QUOTE(#7):

If that's you and your brother in that picture, I don't want to know the details of that comment.

Actaully it's me and A-Rod, oh yeah I name dropped.

Comment #9 has been removed
October 27, 2008  10:05 AM ET
QUOTE(#8):

Actaully it's me and A-Rod, oh yeah I name dropped.

Where is your new avatar?

October 27, 2008  10:12 AM ET
QUOTE(#10):

Where is your new avatar?

What up Weapon? Is this unbeliavable or what?

October 27, 2008  10:14 AM ET
QUOTE(#11):

What up Weapon? Is this unbeliavable or what?

I can't take it man....I'm a wave of emotion right now I need this day to end so I can get focused on the task at hand

October 27, 2008  10:15 AM ET
QUOTE(#12):

I can't take it man....I'm a wave of emotion right now I need this day to end so I can get focused on the task at hand

Seriously.....I'm going down to the stadium tonight....even if I dont get in Im celebrating with everybody else

October 27, 2008  10:16 AM ET
QUOTE(#13):

Seriously.....I'm going down to the stadium tonight....even if I dont get in Im celebrating with everybody else

Me too man

October 27, 2008  10:18 AM ET

I like how Maddon handled this by going to the upm and not making it a huge scene. There are a few managers in MLB that would have just called the guy a cheater from the dugout and make a spectacle out of it. And I have a different theory on what that was on Blanton's hat: It is "space dust" from all of Darren Daulton's time travels through space since that guy has LOST HIS FRICKIN MIND!

October 27, 2008  10:18 AM ET
QUOTE(#14):

Me too man

Hopefully it all goes as planned and we can just celebrate and F the Mets.....Thats the best part.

October 27, 2008  10:20 AM ET
QUOTE(#16):

Hopefully it all goes as planned and we can just celebrate and F the Mets.....Thats the best part.

Mets? What are the Mets?

October 27, 2008  10:28 AM ET

Charlie Manuel said it was an old hat, so when did the Phils start wearing the World Series Logo on the side of their hats? Looks like he intentionally made his new hat look old before his first WS start.

October 27, 2008  10:34 AM ET

Get over the Mets Phillies fans, what did you idiots do for the first 79 years (1883-1962), and 9,000 or so loses? Maddon should have made a bigger stink. Old hat my ****, Blanton had something on that hat. You'd have to be stupid if you didn't see him rubbing it between pitches.

 
October 27, 2008  10:52 AM ET
QUOTE(#10):

Where is your new avatar?

It's riiiiiiight heeeere (in family guy way)

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