Chicago Cubs pitcher Luke Little was forced to change gloves during the team’s 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night because of the white in his American flag patch.
Little was called into the game with one out in the seventh inning. The umpires performed their routine check of Little’s glove, and the pitcher was told he had to swap the glove out. Little had an American flag patch and a Cubs patch on the black piece of equipment.
Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Luke Little pauses on the mound during the fifth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“The issue was the American flag was on his glove,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Pitchers’ gloves, they’re pretty strict about not having white on the pitchers’ gloves. Apparently, the flag had what could be a distraction to the hitter.”
A clubhouse attendant tried to find a replacement glove. The first glove the attendant picked also had an American flag patch on it. The next glove had not been broken in.
“I had to beat it a little bit, try and get it flexed out,” Little told reporters. “Of all the things to do is breaking in a glove during a game.”
Luke Little, #43 of the Chicago Cubs, delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field on April 24, 2024 in Chicago. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Little appeared to react to the sequence on X.
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“Proud to be an American … Go Cubs Go,” he wrote along with an American flag emoji and a GIF of Hulk Hogan playing a guitar in front of an American flag.
The 25-year-old has had the glove since he was in Single-A in the minor leagues.
“The clubbies told me that they had got an email from MLB that I’m not allowed to wear it,” Little told The Associated Press. “But I just didn’t assume that they were just going to just cut me. It’s not like it has an advantage in the game. It’s not like it blinds the hitters. Just representing my country.
“Just a whole debacle. Got to get ready without it and throw through it.”
Little struck one batter out in 0.2 innings of work.
Luke Little changed his glove against the Houston Astros. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
He has gotten his first real chance to perform for Chicago this season. He has appeared in nine games so far this season and allowed two runs on five hits in 8.1 innings of work. He only made seven appearances last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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