BALTIMORE — Michael Pineda said he's done using pine tar. But Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he has no problem with the Yankees pitcher or anyone else slapping on the sticky stuff, even though it's against the rules.

"No," Showalter said when asked if he'll watch whether Pineda uses it Wednesday. "Because our guy's going to have it loaded down, too."

Showalter was joking — I think — about righty Chris Tilliman, who's slated to start against the Yankees at Camden Yards.

But Showalter's points were clear:

Pitchers should be allowed to use substances that aid grip.

Managers who complain about other pitchers' use of substances on the mound probably have pitchers who use them, too.

And Japanese baseballs are way better than the ones MLB uses because they're stickier.

"I'm hoping something will be done," Showalter said about MLB Rule No. 8:02 meant to stop pitchers from using substances on the mound. "I understand why (pitchers use substances). And, for certain guys, I hope they've got a little bit. I hope they don't hit anybody."

Pineda was ejected in the second inning of a game in Boston April 23 when Red Sox manager John Farrell complained about a streak on Pineda's neck. An umpire checked the streak, dabbing it with his finger. It was pine tar. Pineda was gone and, the next day, he was suspended 10 games.

Pineda had a history of using substances on the mound. TV cameras caught him two weeks earlier using pine tar, but he washed it off the next inning. Other photos have shown him with a brown substance on his hand during a start in Toronto and in spring training.

Pineda hasn't pitched since the ejection. During the ban, he strained a shoulder muscle, which kept him on the disabled list from May 6 to Wednesday.

On Monday, Pineda said he learned from his mistake of using pine tar and that he'd never use it again.

But, if he did, Showalter would be fine with it, the manager said.

"Am I going to be looking for it? I'm hoping (Pineda's) got a little bit in the right place," Showalter said. He later added: "These baseballs, when it's cool and windy, you try to grip them. Especially early in the year, in the first month, in February, when it's cool and wet. I think it's something we've got to look into."

Baseballs that enter major-league games have already been rubbed down with dirt to increase grip. Showalter alleged that some teams rub them down more than others. He also said that sometimes, when games go long, there aren't enough rubbed-down baseballs, and pitchers are using slicker balls than what they started with.

Showalter said that would cause a firestorm in another sport, particularly football, and he referenced Baltimore Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh.

"Could you imagine when coach Harbaugh's team is playing with a (different)-colored ball from than the other team?" Showalter said.

The Orioles manager also said many pitchers throughout the game use substances and it's no secret.

"But be careful about complaining about somebody else," he said. "You might want to look in your own back yard. I know, we'r all talking about it. I've got a pretty good idea of who's doing it and who isn't. It's not always pine tar … And obviously you're pretty obvious about it. I hope (Pineda) can grip a baseball (Wednesday), especially how hard he throws. I hope he knows where it's going, but not too much."

Showalter added that he has about 10 Japanese baseballs in his office.

"They have a pre-tackiness applied to them," the manager said. "So they come out, you take them out of the wrapper, give it to the pitcher and play with them. You don't have to rub them up. They have a certain tackiness to them. It's one of the biggest adjustments people talk about with the size of balls and players. When Asian players come over, it's not the size of the baseball that you have to make adjustments, it's that you can't grip them. That's what you need to talk about."