It looks like Mariano Rivera does have more than one pitch.
I assume the two looks before he spits are to see if the umps are watching.
Then again, the Angels should be the last team to complain about this.
Update: Just to be clear, I have no idea if Mariano actually spit on the ball. The camera goes to a shot of Scioscia (because we don’t get enough shots of managers in the dugout) so we don’t see what happens next, where the spit goes what Mariano does with the ball, etc. But why should we be surprised that anyone doctors the ball?
As for spitting as the actual method of doctoring, why not? No one expects you to spit on the ball! Players spit all the time. If no one is looking, it’s quick and effective.
Halo fan here. I’m not convinced but it will have me watching closely.
One point: Angels coaches and players are not accusing Mariano of anything. Angel fans are watchdogging the future hall of famer, just as any self respecting opponent would.
I love your stuff, Dave, but this is the first I have seen of a reputable writer actually lending any credence to this story. Even Deadspin laguhed at Angels fans on this one. If Mariano Rivera was a spitballer, it would have been caught by now, and it would not be as blatant as holding the ball at his waist and hocking a loogie.
We already know Rivera’s never been caught throwing a doctored ball and that he doesn’t have a record of suspected ball doctoring. Fine. Agreed. Furthermore, let’s assume that Rivera has never thrown a doctored ball before.
Can we move on now?
That still doesn’t explain away this clip. If Rivera didn’t spit on the ball in the clip, then what explains it? Does Rivera emit magic streams of energy from his mouth? If he wasn’t getting ready to throw a spitter, then what the heck was he doing?
Does anyone have a better defense for this clip than: “He’s never been caught before”?
@Mike-n-Ike:
That that isn’t how you prepare a ball to throw a spitball?
Mike-n-Ike, I’ll “explain away this clip.” The tv shot gives insufficient depth perception to see where the spit went. His looks to the side, COME ON, are to check the runners. Reasonable explanations against a biased camera video and ridiculous theory that he would loogie on the ball in front of bases full of Angels, 7 (or how many) umpires, 50,000 Angel fans, and however million at home viewers.
Red Sox fan here, so I feel funny defending Rivera, but what’s next? Mariano pats a teammate on the ass and some Angels fans complain he’s throwing a buttball? Come on. Baseball players spit — unless the Angels fans have something to report beyond this, then there’s not much of a story here.
http://deadspin.com/5385945/spit-takes-debunking-the-mariano-rivera-loogie-accusations/gallery/ Deadspin debunks it.
@Adam B.: Thanks.
“If no one is looking…”
A pitcher expects to be the focus of all the cameras in a playoff game. There is never “no one looking.”
Craig at Shyster got death threats today over his posting and ahemm….. opinion. He writes for hardball times and NBC. Death threats!!! From angry yankee fans…. amazing.
Yankee fans, you always rise to the occasion, that’s for sure.
Chrisj, there’s always a few bad apples in every barrel. Most of us aren’t going the death threat route.
Please provide evidence for your “effective” claim.