On Wednesday, a Major League Baseball umpire forced Chicago Cubs pitcher Luke Little to throw away his glove because it had a small American flag patch on one of his fingers.
The decision was made as Little was preparing to pitch in the seventh inning of Chicago’s 4-3 win over the Houston Astros.
However, when the umpires observed him before heading to the arena, they told him they would not allow him to use gloves with small flag patches.
The problem was that he had an American flag on his glove. Said According to Fox News, Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “When it comes to pitchers’ gloves, there are pretty strict standards that say you can’t paint a pitcher’s glove white. Apparently, there’s something about that flag that distracts the batter.”
The Cubs reported that Little was forced to use new, unworn gloves.
“We had to beat ourselves up a little bit and be flexible,” Little told reporters after the game. “Of all the things you need to do, it’s important to get your gloves used during the game.”
After the game, Little accessed his X account and told fans he was “proud to be an American.”
Proud to be American 🇺🇸 Go Cubs Go pic.twitter.com/iKCPSvt8Gy
— Luke Little (@Luke_L23) April 25, 2024
Little added that he has used a black glove with a small flag patch since his days in Single-A baseball.
“The Cubbies said they received an email from MLB saying they were not allowed to wear them,” Little added. “But I didn’t think they were just going to cut me. It doesn’t give me an advantage in the game. It doesn’t blind the batsmen. It’s just representing the country.
“It’s just a huge failure. We have to prepare and get through it without it,” he claimed.
Chicago Cubs No. 43 Luke Little pitches in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Houston Astros on April 24, 2024 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
Wednesday’s mound appearance was his ninth game for the Cubs this year. He pitched 8.1 innings for the North Siders, allowing five hits and two runs. Last year, he appeared in just seven games for the Cubs.
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