MLB cracks down on players intake of...

[rotnoid]

bottled water.

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/...the_water.html

Don't drink the water!
by Ed Price Wednesday April 23, 2008, 1:23 PM
Two signs on the doors leading from the visitors' clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field to the first-base dugout read, "NO BOTTLED WATER ON THE BENCH."

What's this? Athletes can't drink water? Even in the humid Chicago summers?

Here's the explanation I got:

Gatorade is Major League Baseball's "official sports drink." So instructions were sent that no player could be seen drinking anything but Gatorade in the dugout. Not even Aquafina, which is the "official water" of MLB. Not even bottles of water with the labels removed.

White Sox clubhouse personnel said if players take bottled water onto the bench, all the bottled water will be removed from the clubhouse as punishment.

So remember, the biggest threat to baseball isn't steroids or HGH or amphetamines or runaway ticket prices or four-hour games.

It's water.

Sometimes I wonder if the policy makers think things through before they sign them.

[smith288]

stupid. Nothing is recommended more than water when you are dehydrated. MLB is really becoming the poorest ran sports organization of the big 5 (NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, PGA)

[Caveat Emperor]

Don't drink the water!

Come out, come out, no use in hiding...

[NJReds]

What a joke MLB has become when it comes to policies and $$$.

[dougdirt]

Just get an empty Gatorade bottle and put water in it. Problem solved.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Just get an empty Gatorade bottle and put water in it. Problem solved.

That's what I do with my beer on softball night.

[BCubb2003]

It's got what plants crave! It's got electrolytes.

[flyer85]

Just get an empty Gatorade bottle and put water in it. Problem solved.

gatorade the clear

[Triples]

Or fill one of the gatorade drink coolers with ice water. Duh.

[Johnny Footstool]

t's got what plants crave! It's got electrolytes.

Water comes from the toilet!

[Rojo]

Water the grass with Brawndo.

[Matt700wlw]

Today, Major League Baseball suspended (insert player here) for 3 games for water consumption in the dugout.

[JinAZ]

This apparently isn't an MLB policy. Here's a follow-up to the original post:
http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/...h2o_is_ok.html

H2O is OK!
by Ed Price
Thursday April 24, 2008, 12:54 PM

I just received a call from MLB VP of Public Relations Pat Courtney, assuring me that players are allowed to drink whatever they want in the dugout. This was in response to an earlier blog entery about signs in the U.S. Cellular Field visitors' clubhouse that read, "NO BOTTLED WATER ON THE BENCH."

Said Courtney, "Players are allowed to have water. We have no jurisdiction over the regular season."

Perhaps it was the White Sox that ordered the signs -- not surprising, given the organization's controlling, overbearing attitude in general.

Apparently, what the White Sox hope is that the players pour their water into empty Gatorade bottles.

Courtney did say that in the postseason, when there is a conflict between a team's sponsor and an MLB sponsor, players may be asked to remove labels from bottled drinks.

[LawFive]

Just wait until a player cramps up and files a grievance for not being allowed to hydrate.

[redsrule2500]

Water > gatorade.

That's really really dumb and seems sorta illegal.