Intrigue continues over slick baseballs, pine tar
CINCINNATI _ The intrigue about “Ballgate” continued this morning when a Cincinnati Reds clubhouse attendant who is in charge of rubbing up the baseballs, stopped by Cardinals manager Tony La Russa’s office to tell his side of the story as to how the balls used in the game seemed so slick to Cardinals starter John Smoltz.
The attendant told La Russa, “I want you to know something. I had nothing to do with those balls last night. I’m the one who rubbed them up, but I had nothing to do with them. I don’t know what happened to them after they were over there but you look at them today and they’ll be the same.”
La Russa said, “You mean the same as what? yesterday?”
La Russa then showed the attendant two balls he had saved from the previous game and said, “Do they looked rubbed up to you?”
The attendant replied, “No. I rubbed up the balls but they weren’t like that. /That’s all I’m going to say. I don’t want to get myself in trouble or anything like that. I’m telling you I don’t cheat. I don’t lie. I had nothing to do with it.
“Somehow the mud got off them.”
La Russa said, “I knew they were up to shenanigans. I appreciate you saying that.”
Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan had said Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo had gone to some pine tar on his hat to enable him to grip the balls better.
Today, La Russa, “The guy’s got pine tar all over his hat and the other guy (Smoltz) is out there naked. We’ve got about six of those balls around here. That was pretty (lousy).
“(Arroyo) found a little edge. You can’t let the starting pitcher influence how the balls are prepared for the game.
“Maybe I won’t send over our lineup (to the Reds’ clubhouse),” said La Russa, half-smiling. “It would just disappear like the mud balls did.”
Arroyo meanwhile told Cincinnati reporters this morning. “The next time I pitch, I’ll call over and tell Dave Duncan I’ve got a brand-new hat.”
The Reds’ 15-game winner said his hat indeed had had residue on it but that resulted form using dirty baseballs in other parks.
And Reds pitching coach Dick Pole suggested that the three Cardinals relievers who finished up for Smoltz _ Dennys Reyes, Josh Kinney and Brad Thompson _ must have been using pine tar, too, because they shut out the Reds over the final four innings.
(13 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5)
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I simply cannot understand how TLR and Dunc decide to make this an issue in a somewhat meaningless game, but wouldn’t during the World Series. Puzzling to me. Dusty rather than Leyland, I guess. Seems “excuse-y” and to me. Move on, boys.
Chip-
There was nothing meaningless about last night’s game. The Cardinals are fighting for playoff seeding.
I think the bigger issue here is why is Arroyo not wearing the appropriate on field hat? As far as I know, all of the official caps this season should have a black lining under the bill. His is gray, as per the hats from three seasons ago, when they were still 100% wool. Now they are a synthetic blend.
Chip, you nailed it when you noted “Dusty rather than Leyland.”
I am grateful we’ve had TLR has manager and hope he continues to be, but treating people differently in similar situations seems to be TLR flaw. But, we’ve all got ‘em…
Is there a bigger egomaniac crybaby in sports than LaRussa?
I am a transplant from NJ, lived here about 9 years. TLR is the main reason I can not stand the Cards. The guy is such a baby. Until he leaves I will continue to root for my Yankees.
Umm…. cheating is cheating.
If he was using pine tar TLR had every right to complain. Is it ok for steroid use if the team sucks? I think not, it doesn’t matter. It ruins the game.
It’s pretty clear somebody in the Reds organization, either a player or somebody in the clubhouse, did something with the baseballs yesterday. So, they got called out on it. Fine. Good to call them out on it so it doesn’t happen again, now or with a team in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals better start hitting or they’ll be out of the playoffs real quick.
Are the Cardinals really wasting time and energy on the Reds? Get over it and get ready for the playoffs. Smoltz is not going to help this team. Unfortunately, they’re right…our relievers pitched just fine…seems like it was Smoltz who couldn’t throw a strike.
Hey Dusty, did you get your playoff tickets yet?
What a thug..