The only method that Bauer and Kyle Boddy identified of increasing rpm/mph rates on a fastball was applying a sticky substance to a pitcher’s hand or ball to improve the pitcher’s grip, thereby increasing spin. Boddy responded to a tweet Travis sent to publicize the story on Cole by accusing Cole of applying such a substance. “Fuck it, I’ll say it,” Boddy tweeted on April 11. “It’s pine tar and/or Firm Grip. Use them if you want a higher spin fastball or slider.” Bauer, in turn, tweeted that “pine tar is more of a competitive advantage in a given game than steroids.” It sounded hyperbolic, but
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