Miller Park in Milwaukee is poised to be the 12th big league stadium where the use of smokeless tobacco will be banned. This after a Tuesday city council vote which bans the use of the stuff in all sports facilities and parks. Those who violate the ban would be subject to a $100 to $250 fine.
Which is probably a deterrent for someone dipping and spitting while watching their kid at a playground or while playing rec league softball, but it will do nothing to stop big league players from using smokeless tobacco. That’s even assuming city officials would try to enforce it against big leaguers. It’s never happened in any of the other cities with tobacco bans which extend to major league facilities, and there is no reason to suggest that such enforcement will begin at Miller Park.
The ordinances are welcome and noble, but the only way you’re going to get ballplayers to stop using smokeless tobacco is if Major League Baseball gets serious about enforcing its own rules against players using the stuff on the field. They seem to have no intention of doing that whatsoever.
