On Saturday night, the Cubs beat the Phillies (CHC 7, PHI 1) at Citizens Bank Park in a game that was fairly routine. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Except for third-base umpire Joe West confiscating Phillies reliever Austin Davis' scouting notes.

In the eighth inning West noticed Davis pulled a card out of his pocket to review a scouting report on Addison Russell, the upcoming batter, and confiscated it under MLB rule 6.02(c)(7), which says pitchers may not have "on his person, or in his possession, any foreign substance."

Here's the video:

Fielders, especially outfielders, have kept cards in their pockets with positioning notes for years now. Within the last year or so some catchers have started wearing quarterback style wristbands with scouting reports and pitch sequences as well. Davis is the first pitcher I can recall seeing with scouting notes on a card in his pocket.

To be fair to West, he admitted taking the notes card from Davis was pretty silly, but his hands were tied. The rules are the rules. From the Associated Press:

"I told him we don't allow him to carry anything on their glove, person or clothing except in some cases where there's a rain situation we allow them to put a rosin bag in their pocket," West, umpiring his 41st season, said. "Other than that they can't have anything on the pitcher." 

...

"I didn't want to throw him out," West said. "I know it's foreign but he's not trying to cheat. Maybe he's trying to get an advantage because he's reading the scouting report, but it wasn't pine tar, it wasn't an emery board, it wasn't whatever.

"In the long run, maybe they'll let him (have the card). Right now, my hands are tied until they say yes or no. Right now, until the office says it's OK to carry this, he can't do it." 

The Associated Press says West and MLB discussed the matter following the game because using a card is a bit of a gray area. On one hand, carrying scouting notes seems fairly harmless. On the other, it seems like it would be really easy for a pitcher to hide a foreign substance on a card or in his pocket, or something to otherwise scuff up the ball.

Davis allowed two unearned runs in two innings Saturday night. He has a 3.81 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 26 innings this season.