Is the World Series Fixed?

Posted by Bill Hennessy on October 23, 2006 under Uncategorized |

In 1919, a handful of Chicago White Sox players accepted bribes from organized crime to throw the World Series. In 2006, it seems Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, umpire Alfonso Marquez, MLB supervisor of umpires, Steve Palermo, Tigers manager Jim Leyland, and pitcher Kenny Rogers appear to have accepted something in exchange for giving the 41-year-old lefty pitcher a sure World Series win.

Rogers is a legendarily lousy post-season pitcher. In his career, he has never made it through the fifth inning of a playoff game.

This season, though, Rogers as pitched 23 consecutive shutout innings in the playoffs, and an illegal substance was on his pitching hand—and on the ball—every step of the way.

Last night, after Fox broadcaster Tim McCarver pointed out that Rogers had an illegal substance on his hand in the first inning, Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa refused to demand an inspection. Why? Well, had the umpires inspected the pine tar, Rogers would have been ejected from the game and suspended from the next 10. But LaRussa is buddies with Tigers manager Jim Leyland, and his loyalties to Leyland trump those to his players, his employer, the game of baseball, and the Cardinals’ fans.

ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski summarizes the situation well:

Was it pine tar? If so, Rogers cheated. And if he cheated, Rogers is working on quite a résumé: shoved a TV cameraman … got caught with illegal goop on his hand … ran his 2006 postseason scoreless streak to a previously un-Rogers-like 23 consecutive innings. Four more shutout innings and he ties the legendary Christy Mathewson for the all-time single postseason record.

Rogers said it was dirt on his inner palm. Of course, Rogers said a lot of things, some of which made sense, some of which sounded like a guy with a very selective memory. All I know is that by the time Rogers, MLB umpire supervisor Steve Palermo, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and Tigers manager Jim Leyland were done “explaining” what happened … still nobody knew what happened.

ESPN has also released photos of Rogers’ left hand taken during his previous remarkable post-season outings. In each game, the illegal substance appears in the same spot as he wore it Sunday night.

After the game, Rogers gave three different explanations in three different interviews. He looked like a liar, as did his manager Jim Leyland and his opposing manager Tony LaRussa. Today, MLB rolled chief ump Steve Palermo to the microphones to endorse Rogers’ third story—it was dirt which the umpire didn’t want on the pitcher’s hand.

Hogwash.

Everyone involved is a lying cheater. No matter how this series ends, any rational person will conclude that the outcome was decided by league officials with cash, not by players on the field. If the Tigers win by one game, LaRussa will have cheated St. Louis and his players of a one in a generation opportunity. My kids will cry, not so much for the Cardinals loss, but for the loss of the game they love.

Baseball is a fraud. No other conclusion makes sense.

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