Kenny Rogers, knows as "the Gambler," is 41 years old. He has thrown a perfect game, punched a cameraman and poured champagne on a police officer.
Now, after winning three games and throwing 23 scoreless innings during the playoffs, Kenny Rogers is accused of doctoring baseballs.
In order to "doctor" a baseball, a pitcher can use sandpaper, suntan lotion, spit, shaving cream, Vaseline or pine tar to influence the baseball to spin tighter and rotate quicker. Throughout the history of baseball, pitchers have doctored the ball in order to trick hitters.
The spitball and other doctoring tactics were outlawed in 1920, but pitchers such as Marty O'Toole who used to lick the ball, used spit to alter the direction of the thrown ball. Burleigh Grimes, who won 270 games, was a self-proclaimed spitballer who made it to the Hall of Fame. Even the great Gaylord Perry, (no, not Focker) who won 314 games, was accused of doctoring the baseball. Like Grimes, he also is in the Hall of Fame.
Carl Hubbell, a Hall of Famer and accused spitballer, struck out Ruth, Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin in succession during the 1934 All-Star Game. Presumably, all were struck out with the spitball. A player found guilty of this infraction is subject to a suspension of ten games. Please note that only 5 games are left in the World Series and subsequent season.
Kenny Rogers has won all three of his starts in these 2006 playoffs and has not given up a run. Accompanying these wins is video evidence of a "large clump of dirt," on Rogers' left-hand. Rogers says he didn't know it was there; Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa says it doesn't matter what it was; Tigers 1st base coach Andy Van Slyke says it was residue from a Tootsie Roll. Here is an analogy for you: Ronald Reagan is to the Jelly Bean as Kenny Rogers is to the Tootsie Roll.
Over a 17-year career, Rogers has amassed 207 victories; these playoff victories mark the high point of Rogers' career. He has pitched with poise and passion. Fueled by emotion and gamesmanship, Rogers has done a schoolboyish hop at the end of his pitches reminiscent of Carlos Perez during his time with the Montreal Expos. No matter if it was dirt, pine tar, Tootsie Rolleresidue or left-over frosting from a Boston Crème Donut, Kenny Rogers had a 'dirt' and germ free hand after the first inning.
With a washed and well-manicured pitching hand, Rogers did not allow another hit the rest of the game. With a wind chill of near 4o degrees Fahrenheit, Kenny Rogers could have used the pine tar for extra grip on the ball for his frosty hand. Was it pine tar? Maybe...Probably. It simply doesn't matter; Kenny Rogers fueled by pure determination and a barrage of precision control and a balanced pitching repertoire silenced the Cardinal bats for 8 innings.
Do I care about Rogers' apparent indiscretion? No. Plus, nothing has been proved to show that Kenny used pine tar and neither I nor the Supreme Court convict someone without reasonable doubt. Thus, although accused, the only fact baseball fans know is that Kenny Rogers has pitched 23 masterful innings and is set to pitch again for Game 6. Does Kenny care that people found out about his affinity for tootsie rolls? No, but then again he is 'the Gambler.'
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