[Always Right]

Uh, he washed his hands BEFORE the umpires called him out on it

Perhaps we should go over what is in the article:

"There was a noticeable dirt mark on his pitching hand, and after the first inning, Alfonso Marquez, the home-plate umpire, asked him to remove the dirt so there wouldn't be any question about any controversy. And I think if you see the following innings, he pitched fine without the dirt."

There was an observation, and [Marquez] saw there was dirt, and he asked him to take it off."


"It was observed as dirt. [The umpires] have a pretty good idea what dirt is and what a foreign substance is."

Sounds to me like the umpires observed it and asked him to wipe it off.  I am not sure where you are getting your information from.

[MadeInAmerica]

and after the first inning,
____________________________________________________

Gee, I wonder what he could have done AFTER the first inning, while he was in the dugout. Wash his hands, then rub a little dirt on it. I wonder if he had an idea he was going to be called on it.

Besides, you fail to answer the main question. WHy was this mystery dirt on his hand in every playoff game he pitched? Per ESPN.

Must be some magic dirt.