Yankee Pitcher Ejected for Pine Tar... on His Neck

Earlier this month, Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda threw against the Red Sox with pine tar on his hand. The stuff is illegal, but when it's subtly used, players don't usually make a fuss about it, Deadspin notes. Last night, however, things weren't so subtle: Pineda had pine tar on his neck, and it was obvious to Red Sox manager John Farrell. He told the umpires, one of whom placed a finger on Pineda's neck before tossing him from the game. Pineda said he was just trying to maintain his grip on the ball, notes the New York Post: "It was cold and I didn’t want to hit anybody." But the AP notes that he's showing some contrition, too: "I'll learn from this mistake. It won't happen again." (More pine tar stories.)