What do you do with a guy like this?

In follow up to my post of yesterday, the Cardinals just won't let this Bronson Arroyo "rubbed balls" (not that kind of site here) thing go.

Now Cardinals, pitching coach, Dave Duncan said the reason Bronson Arroyo was so successful in throwing "unrubbed balls" a couple nights ago when John Smoltz had so much trouble is because Bronson Arroyo was cheating. He flat out says that Arroyo was cheating.

Per Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Duncan said, "I'm sure he had pine tar on his cap. He didn't have any problem getting a grip. Balls like that can generate a lot more movement than a slick ball that hasn't been rubbed up." (Pretty common knowledge)

When asked if he had seen Arroyo go to his cap, Duncan said, "Just every pitch." (Every single one)

Then Duncan said, "That's not the point. The point is that a pitcher should never be able to have control over how a ball is rubbed up, whether it's more or less. And since the umpires don't rub the balls up and their clubhouse guys do, I'm sure he had some control over it." (He is sure)

When asked why he didn't go to the umpires with his concerns, he responded, "It's gamesmanship." (Didn't work that night)

My first impression is that it is only one game and the Cardinals are in the playoffs and the Reds are not and the Cardinals need to get over this and soon.

Beyond that though, it is my understanding that the use of pine tar by pitchers to help them grip the ball, especially in cold weather, while against the rules, is pretty commonplace and tacitly accepted in baseball circles. I have heard more than one retired pitcher say this. I think this is also the reason why Tony LaRussa did not make a major issue of Kenny Rogers' blatant pine tar use (he had it smeared all over his hand) in the 2006 World Series. LaRussa's pitchers do it and LaRussa didn't argue much as he did not want his own pitchers scrutinized, then or in the future. He only approached the umpires when it was pointed out on the national broadcast of the game at which time he had to say something and all he said was "Well make him take it off." It's kind of like the phantom tag of second base by a middle infielder. It's almost never called and nobody much cares that it's not.

Instead of approaching Reds manager, Dusty Baker after the game and asking him to knock off the pine tar use and the Cardinals would do the same, Duncan goes to the media and calls Arroyo a cheater. This is really douchey behavior which in baseball would normally trigger some type of retaliation.

The only problem is that you can't throw at Duncan because he is 60 some years old, not on the active roster and doesn't hit. You do have to do something though as again this douchey conduct requires a response.

I suppose at the next game at Cincinnati between these two teams, you could post on the big screen in huge letters that Dave Duncan is the father of failed major leaguers Chris Duncan and Shelley Duncan and while that might be humiliating, that just might not be enough.

Frankly, I am kind of out of ideas here.

How do you get back at a pitching coach who won't shut up?