Well, that's true...
Indians claim Rogers cheated in pursuit of perfection
Posted: Friday August 09, 2002 9:47 PM
Updated: Monday August 12, 2002 10:18 PM
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Kenny Rogers was a little too perfect to suit the Cleveland Indians.
Rogers flirted with perfection again, retiring his first 21 hitters, and Rafael Palmeiro homered in the ninth inning to give the Texas Rangers a 3-2 win over the suspicious Indians on Friday night.
"I know he was scuffing the ball," insisted Milton Bradley, who got the first hit off Rogers in the eighth inning. "There were five or six balls that all were scuffed in the same spot. He had a sharp fingernail or something."
The game was stopped when Cleveland manager Joel Skinner asked plate umpire Andy Fletcher to go to the mound and check Rogers for anything illegal.
Rogers (12-6), who threw one of baseball's 14 modern-era perfect games in 1994, was bidding to become the first pitcher with two. But he was adamant he was not cheating.
"Check me all you want, go ahead," the left-hander said. "They kicked my tail quite a few times over the years and never said a word then."
When told the Indians collected 15 scuffed baseballs that went out of play, Rogers replied: "I saw some that were scuffed, too. A lot of things scuff the ball. The dirt, the wall. I used those balls, too. I'm not stupid.
"But I didn't do anything."
Rogers was six outs from history before walking Jim Thome on a 3-2 count to open the eighth. Bradley followed with a double to left, ruining the left-hander's bid for the sixth no-hitter in Rangers' history.
One out later, the shutout was gone, too, as Ricky Gutierrez lined a two-run double off the left-field wall, tying it 2-2.
Rogers allowed two runs and two hits over eight innings, striking out four in his 144th career win and 100th in a Rangers uniform.
As far as the Indians are concerned, he reached the milestone in tainted fashion.
Bradley said he first noticed a scuffed ball when Gutierrez fouled one into the dugout. It was the first of several balls the Indians claimed were nicked on the ball's major league logo.
"There were times that the ball had a ridiculous drop to it," Bradley said. "I came back and watched on TV. One time, he walked behind the mound and did something with his thumb to the ball. He must have a good manicure."
Skinner asked Fletcher to go to the mound in the sixth.
"They asked to check my glove and I was the one who emptied my pockets, too," Rogers said.
Nothing was found. Rogers walked around the mound to compose himself after the inspection and got Einar Diaz to ground out to end the inning.
"Some were scuffed, some had scrapes or deeper on them," Thome said. "It was like someone was digging into the ball. We had a lot of balls and they all looked the same..."
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Cordially,