MLB tweaks the humidor procedure at Coors Field

Last year there were rumblings -- primarily from the Giants, but from others as well -- that the Rockies were messing with the baseballs from the humidor at Coors Field, giving their pitchers the deader ones and the opposing pitchers the good old, high-flying dried out balls. Baseball now has a new policy, explained by the Denver Post:

An authenticator employed by MLB meets the umpire-room attendant at the humidor before the game, watching as the baseballs are removed. The authenticator follows the attendant to the umpire’s room, where the baseballs are rubbed down. He then accompanies the attendant as the baseballs are placed in the Rockies’ dugout.

During the game, the authenticator sits in the photo well just to the right of the Rockies’ dugout with the ball bag in sight. Because the authenticator cannot leave his post, an MLB-contracted security officer meets the umpire-room attendant at the humidor if more baseballs are required during the course of the game.

That’s not at all complicated. And, it should be noted, it’s the second tweak to the procedure since late last season when umpires were charged with monitoring it all. Now we have the authenticator.

In other news, “The Authenticator” would be a great name for a b-grade super hero. Maybe one whose mission is to thwart memorabilia fraudsters and stuff.