If You Ain't Cheatin', You Ain't Tryin'
I've been meaning to revive the blog for a while now, but haven't really stumbled on a worthwhile topic. Seems like Dirtgate's good enough for me.
Both ESPN and the Post-Dispatch have run wild over this, which I consider very weird, given that nothing actually happened. I was sitting at Rodger's house half-playing Deadlands, half-watching the game. I saw it on TV, and I had what was likely the similar reaction that the Cardinals had: "what the hell is that?" followed by getting back to the game (or attempting to play the game, given the Cardinals' hitting prowess in Game 2).
But when I got home and I saw pictures from the ALCS with the exact same splotch on his hand, I began to wonder. Reading articles, no one seemed to make the obvious statement. If it's dirt, or food, as has been alternately claimed since the game, then how did it end up in the exact same place on multiple days? It's not something that would fly in a court of law, but this isn't the court of law, it's the court of public opinion.
And that's more than enough evidence to tell me that he should have been ejected and suspended. Where the rulebook is concerned, it doesn't care that it's a World Series game, and rules are rules, and made to be followed. When Julian Tavarez was ejected for having a "pine tar-like substance" on the brim of his cap, he hadn't thrown a pitch. Nevermind the fact that he didn't know it was there until an umpire approached him.
If we're going to be consistent with the rules, either Rogers should have been ejected and suspended, or Tavarez should have simply been allowed to get another hat. I'm sure they could have found another one his size.
That all being said, I can appreciate the factors at work here. It's the World Series, and kicking someone out of the World Series, let alone ejecting a team's ace in the first inning of a game, is a grave decision to reach, and you have to be absolutely certain. I imagine the Tigers told him Fox caught his dirty hand on tape, and Rogers wiped off what he could as quickly as he could, and when they umpires came to him, his hand was stained, but there was nothing on it, so therefore, they had no proof, and couldn't throw him out based on what the cameras caught.
I'm thinking that's what happened, despite the massive lies and whatnought coming from all corners. Knowing Tony La Russa, if he thought, as he said that "it didn't look like dirt," he would have done everything he could to get him thrown out. I imagine he got the straight dope from the umpires, that the umpires thought he had something, but didn't have enough evidence that Rogers actually doctored a ball, and therefore, couldn't do anything, no matter how much La Russa complained. So the explanations came out as they did, with the Cardinals in kind of indignant defeat on the issue.
My mind, though, always goes back to the ALCS, where there's a camera shot of the exact same stain, in the exact same place, on Rogers' left hand.
Both ESPN and the Post-Dispatch have run wild over this, which I consider very weird, given that nothing actually happened. I was sitting at Rodger's house half-playing Deadlands, half-watching the game. I saw it on TV, and I had what was likely the similar reaction that the Cardinals had: "what the hell is that?" followed by getting back to the game (or attempting to play the game, given the Cardinals' hitting prowess in Game 2).
But when I got home and I saw pictures from the ALCS with the exact same splotch on his hand, I began to wonder. Reading articles, no one seemed to make the obvious statement. If it's dirt, or food, as has been alternately claimed since the game, then how did it end up in the exact same place on multiple days? It's not something that would fly in a court of law, but this isn't the court of law, it's the court of public opinion.
And that's more than enough evidence to tell me that he should have been ejected and suspended. Where the rulebook is concerned, it doesn't care that it's a World Series game, and rules are rules, and made to be followed. When Julian Tavarez was ejected for having a "pine tar-like substance" on the brim of his cap, he hadn't thrown a pitch. Nevermind the fact that he didn't know it was there until an umpire approached him.
If we're going to be consistent with the rules, either Rogers should have been ejected and suspended, or Tavarez should have simply been allowed to get another hat. I'm sure they could have found another one his size.
That all being said, I can appreciate the factors at work here. It's the World Series, and kicking someone out of the World Series, let alone ejecting a team's ace in the first inning of a game, is a grave decision to reach, and you have to be absolutely certain. I imagine the Tigers told him Fox caught his dirty hand on tape, and Rogers wiped off what he could as quickly as he could, and when they umpires came to him, his hand was stained, but there was nothing on it, so therefore, they had no proof, and couldn't throw him out based on what the cameras caught.
I'm thinking that's what happened, despite the massive lies and whatnought coming from all corners. Knowing Tony La Russa, if he thought, as he said that "it didn't look like dirt," he would have done everything he could to get him thrown out. I imagine he got the straight dope from the umpires, that the umpires thought he had something, but didn't have enough evidence that Rogers actually doctored a ball, and therefore, couldn't do anything, no matter how much La Russa complained. So the explanations came out as they did, with the Cardinals in kind of indignant defeat on the issue.
My mind, though, always goes back to the ALCS, where there's a camera shot of the exact same stain, in the exact same place, on Rogers' left hand.
posted by Kindralas at 6:32 AM
2 Comments:
According to hearsay, La Russa said that he didn't want to "undress" Rogers in the World Series.
Well, to that I say, I don't want somebody fucking cheating in the World Series! Strip him naked! Maybe the next guy will think twice.
But then, I'm kind of a hard-liner against cheating. I hates it.
I agree completely that the pics on ESPN and SI.com showing Rogers with the same splotch from several different series is very damning.
Ah well, let's just beat 'em, that'll show 'em.
(Glad to see a new Random Pithy Post!)
Guy at work put forth this hypothesis: La Russa didn't press the issue because his guys are using pine tar too. Rumor has it that most of big league pitchers use the stuff.
Makes ya think.
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