Are we already seeing effects from MLB's looming sticky stuff crackdown?
Much has already been made of the slight dip in spin rates around baseball in the past 10 days, coming after Major League Baseball publicized plans to give umpires the power to check pitchers (and position players) in an effort to curtail the rampant usage of so-called sticky stuff throughout the league. But the data, and the players, suggest theres more work to be done in the coming months, and that the threat of action may not be enough. Clubs are meeting about sticky stuff in their pregame preparations. Pitchers are whispering about the changes in various dugouts and bullpens. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt  whose public tirade on baseballs dirty little secret drew major headlines  joked on a recent television broadcast he should be getting fruit baskets from hitters everywhere.