‘Glove, Hat and Belt’: M.L.B. Begins a New Era of Enforcement

Jacob deGrom was the first pitcher inspected as part of baseball’s crackdown on foreign substances. It did not stop him from dominating Atlanta.

Let the record show that Jacob deGrom was the first pitcher subjected to a mandatory search by umpires under Major League Baseball’s new police state. The league decided to start with the best on Monday and work its way down. DeGrom, the Mets’ fragile but incomparable ace, needed no Jedi mind tricks to pass through his inspection point after the top of the first inning. These weren’t the substances M.L.B. was looking for. “What all do you guys need?” deGrom said he asked the plate umpire, Ben May, and the crew chief, Ron Kulpa, on his way back to the dugout.