I am no expert, but watching the Red Sox-A’s game tonight, I noticed something extremely odd about Joe Blanton’s hat. He kept going to it, often multiple times during an at-bat, and then, at one point, the camera zoomed in on his face and I noticed something very peculiar about the brim of his hat. I have not doctored or edited these photos in any way. Is it me, or is there a distinctly brown section on his hat. Not only that, but isn’t that the section that he keeps going to? Again, I’m not saying that this is definitely pine tar, but that’s what it looks like to me. If anyone has any information, or outlandish theories, please send them in. To me, it looks like there is definitely something not allowed on his hat. It is too localized to be merely a sweat stain from his head. I suppose it is possible that the mark is sweat from his fingers, but I don’t think it is. Check it out and make your own decisions…
Note: these pictures are not immediately following one another but are taken at several points in the game, particularly the 5th inning following Jacoby Ellsbury’s RBI single.
The Slanch Report 
It’s probably Vagisil.
Love that Blanton pulls an Eddie Harris and STILL manages to lose the game.
Maybe it’s just dirty? If he habitually grabs there, wouldn’t that spot get dirtier than the rest of his hat?
Bardol
looks like sweat and dirt to me.
Ever played baseball or softball? You get a bit of dirt on your hands throughout the course of the game (for me it especially ends up on my fingers). Then you grab your hat in about the same spot a few times throughout the game. The dirt rubs off on your hat. That’s basically what it looks like to me. I can’t really imagine that baseball players have pristinely clean hands throughout the entire game. I only play 6 inning softball games and I end up with very dirty hands. I imagine these guys have it a bit worse.
But hey, it could always be illegal. I can’t rule that out.
you are retarded.
dugg down.
Sure glad the Reds didn’t trade for Blanton!
YOU ARE SO RETARDED!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS MADE IT ON FARK!!!
Did Matt Walsh take those pictures trying to videotape signs for the Red Sox?
Joe Blanton a) does not have filthy stuff, and b) is not in the best shape for an athlete. He sweats profusely, and takes off his hat every other pitch and there is sweat everywhere. Please
Sure, that part of the hat would get dirty, when you reach under the brim most pitches.
Too bad we don’t have under-the-brim shots.
People though, this is speculation. Don’t get your panties in a knot.
Big Joe B is not smart enough to use pine tar
Bunk!! Chuck him out!
I think it’s pine tar…….
It’s not brown, it’s orange…dolt…you know like the color gold turns to when you add…oh i don’t know water…or in this case…sweat.
First ESPN acts all astonished that the A’s would even have the courage to show up and play the red sox and now Joe Blanton is a cheater.
Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean you have to use it.
Jeez!
I’m not sure what it is but it looks like it gets darker over time which is not what you would expect if he was going to his cap for pine tar.
Since the baseballs that they use are pre-rubbed with Lena Blackburne rubbing mud I’m guessing that his fingers are mixing sweat with rubbing mud and he’s wiping the sweat/mud mix from his fingers to the cap.
I could be wrong but that’s my guess.
That’s not fair to Big Joe. Nothing ever came out of this, so it was probably sweat that accumulated. The commission would have investigated this if it was something to believe in.
well, now that Blanton is in the world series and has just won game 4 for the Phillies…..you all suck cock.
Than why the F@CK is he the ONLY pitcher in MLB that has “dirt” on his hat!!!!!!!!!!! Weird huh…Crazy how that is the only game that Phillies beat us by so many points…what a coincidence. That is called playing dirty. Your pitcher is a CHEATER!!!!!!!!!!!