What is Pine Tar and How is it Used? We take a look at the Sticky Stuff!

In the last year, you may have seen the rise in discussion around pitchers using pine tar or other sticky substances to increase their spin rates.  Historically some have used the sticky substance to help the ball stick and increase spin. It has been around the game for a long time. 

We’ll dive into the uses of this sticky substance. We’ll answer some simple questions as to where it came from, and the different uses in today’s game. 

So, what is pine tar?

Pine tar is a brown sticky substance used in baseball to help hitters grip their wooden bats. Usually comes in a tube-like glue applied to a towel, or a stick used much like a common glue stick that hitters rub directly on the bat. 

Some pitchers have used pine tar to help add stickiness to a slick ball. However, Major League baseball has ruled pine tar illegal to use for pitchers in the early 1920s. Since then pitchers have tried to hide substances in order to keep messing with baseballs. 

It really is a hard substance to hide since it’s pretty obvious. A dark brown sticky substance is pretty easily seen by the naked eye. Pitchers can use a number of substances to help the ball move, including their own SPIT!

What is pine tar used for?

In today’s game pine tar is still used on every team. It is used to help the batter keep a grip on their wood bats to avoid the bat slipping out of their hands. Hitters are allowed to use pine tar on their bats, but only up to the handle. 

Hitters aren’t allowed to put pine tar on the barrel of the bat. The reason is to avoid contact with the ball. This rule is pretty loose, however. 

That said, one of the most memorable moments in baseball was when George Brett was tossed out of a major league baseball game after a home run for his pine tar incident and having it too high up on his barrel. 

You will notice a player rubbing pine tar on a new bat before they get in the batter’s box. In today’s game, most pine tar is applied with a pine tar stick. This is a lot less messy than the old method which involves a blotch applied to a towel. Here is a great stick that I preferred. 

How does Pine Tar help Pitchers?

Pine tar helps pitchers by providing them with extra tackiness on their fingertips to help generate more force on the baseball seams. When a pitcher can generate more spin on the ball, the pitcher can add velocity to their fastball as well as more bit on their breaking pitches.

Major League baseballs have very small raised seems which makes it hard to generate as much spin as a high school or college baseball. Pine tar helps make up for this by giving pitchers extra traction with their fingers on the seams. Many Major League Pitchers have been caught cheating with Pine Tar over the years. Here is a video on some of the most popular players that have been caught:

Why do players put pine tar on helmets?

The substance is normally applied to the handle of the bat. Some players will apply some extra to their helmets so they can reapply if the bat gets slippery during the at-bat. If a player’s bat gets slipper and they feel like they need to apply more, it’s really simple for them to tap the top of their helmet to get some extra stick. 

How do you apply pine tar to a bat?

It is typically applied on the handle above where your hands hold the baseball bat. Players will tap their bat with their batting gloves in order to get just enough stickiness to keep the bat secure. 

You don’t need a ton of it to get the job done, just enough to help keep the bat secure. If you apply too much of it you could notice it being too sticky. 

This could actually be distracting to the hitter and affect his performance. You want just enough pine tar to help hold the bat tight, but not too much to get a tacky feeling. If you do over do it you can use a rosin bag to help its effectiveness. 

Here is a great video that breaks down how to apply pine tar, and the difference between the stick and rag method. 

Do you need pine tar for metal bats?

NO! It is only useful for wooden bats. Medal bat handles will be wrapped with tape that help a player grip the bat. You really don’t need the sticky substance on a metal bat. Some people may want to use pine tar simply because it looks ‘cool’ however make sure you are only using it when needed. 

Using the sticky substance on a metal bat can ruin the grip that is in place. You may even need to re-grip the bat, or get a new one if you try to apply it to a metal bat. In fact too much pine tar can make a bat slippery even to a wood bat. 

Is pine tar illegal in baseball? 

You will find it in every single Major League Baseball dugout, and most wood-bat leagues across the country. No, it is NOT illegal in baseball. In fact, it’s encouraged for safety reasons. Having a hitter swing a bat can be very dangerous if they don’t have a good grip on it. It really just helps hitters hold onto the bat safely.

It IS illegal however for pitchers to use on the mound. Pitchers are not allowed to use any foreign substance to help ‘doctor’ the baseball. The only substance a pitcher can use on the mound is rosin, to help with sweat. The rosin can only be used on their hands, and cannot be directly applied to the ball or their gloves.

Conclusion

I would recommend every player use pine tar if they are swinging a wooden bat. Even if you are just using it to practice. Using a wood bat to practice can be very beneficial in working on your swing, and pine tar is recommended when swinging a wooden bat.

Pitchers, stay away from it. If caught using any sticky substance to doctor the ball you can be ejected or suspended from the game. Its not worth it. Work hard on your control and changing speeds to get hitters out, you don’t need foreign substances to help your game, just hard work, and dedication.

Until next time

Coach Scott

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