Comments on: Francisco Rodriguez doctoring the ball http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/ Baseball, Cheating, and Rules discussion at the author's blog for the Cheater's Guide to Baseball Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:47:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: DMZ http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-359 DMZ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:13:19 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-359 And with that, I'm calling it a night. This has, as you'd suspect, gone from something I thought was interesting and wrote up into something of an energy sink today. To the more reasonable of you, thanks for the discussion. And with that, I’m calling it a night. This has, as you’d suspect, gone from something I thought was interesting and wrote up into something of an energy sink today.

To the more reasonable of you, thanks for the discussion.

]]> By: DMZ http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-357 DMZ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:11:46 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-357 Seriously, go re-read the original post. To re-state: In the 4/2 game, K-Rod comes out and has a white... something... under the edge of the right hand side of the hat brim. During the inning, he repeatedly grabs the hat and rubs his thumb back and forth where that something is. This could be him loading something up on his thumb, it certainly doesn't look like he's wiping rosin off to me. Some here argue that he didn't then get unusual movement on pitches after he did that, I think he did. That's all. There's no argument that he doesn't ever touch his hat, or use a rosin bag, or whatever you want. Seriously, go re-read the original post. To re-state:

In the 4/2 game, K-Rod comes out and has a white… something… under the edge of the right hand side of the hat brim. During the inning, he repeatedly grabs the hat and rubs his thumb back and forth where that something is. This could be him loading something up on his thumb, it certainly doesn’t look like he’s wiping rosin off to me.

Some here argue that he didn’t then get unusual movement on pitches after he did that, I think he did.

That’s all. There’s no argument that he doesn’t ever touch his hat, or use a rosin bag, or whatever you want.

]]> By: mojorisin http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-355 mojorisin Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:07:34 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-355 Then maybe the Rangers, Mariners, A's, and other baseball teams don't call him on it because their pitchers are doing it as well. Then maybe the Rangers, Mariners, A’s, and other baseball teams don’t call him on it because their pitchers are doing it as well.

]]> By: Richard http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-354 Richard Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:07:24 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-354 I'm confused. Are you suggesting Rodriguez holding his cap that way is new? Cause if you are, and since you clearly have MLB.tv, go watch the Angels game from Sept. 30th of last year. That's been part of Rodriguez's setup on the mound for a long time now. It's not something different he just started doing. I’m confused. Are you suggesting Rodriguez holding his cap that way is new? Cause if you are, and since you clearly have MLB.tv, go watch the Angels game from Sept. 30th of last year. That’s been part of Rodriguez’s setup on the mound for a long time now. It’s not something different he just started doing.

]]> By: Zu Long http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-353 Zu Long Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:05:22 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-353 It's clear that he's rubbing his thumb on the brim of his cap. What if he's just wiping off rosin from his thumb, because for whatever reason, he doesn't want that much on it? What if, as I mentioned earlier, it's just a nervous habit he's displayed his entire career? It’s clear that he’s rubbing his thumb on the brim of his cap. What if he’s just wiping off rosin from his thumb, because for whatever reason, he doesn’t want that much on it? What if, as I mentioned earlier, it’s just a nervous habit he’s displayed his entire career?

]]> By: DMZ http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-352 DMZ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:03:24 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-352 Nope, they had different spring training caps. And I find it hard to believe that K-Rod managed to load his hat up that severely with rosin that there was a visible white build up under the brim during one warmup session that night. Nope, they had different spring training caps. And I find it hard to believe that K-Rod managed to load his hat up that severely with rosin that there was a visible white build up under the brim during one warmup session that night.

]]> By: Zu Long http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-351 Zu Long Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:01:21 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-351 I would argue it could be the same cap he was using in spring training. I would argue that there's a rosin bag in the bullpen for use while pitchers warm up. I would argue it could be the same cap he was using in spring training. I would argue that there’s a rosin bag in the bullpen for use while pitchers warm up.

]]> By: DMZ http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-350 DMZ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 04:00:25 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-350 It doesn't matter if it's rosin, soap, or pixie dust. You can't put a foreign substance on the ball, and in the 4/2 game, it's clear on several occasions he's working his thumb in whatever's on the underside of the brim before he delivers a pitch. You can't do that. If you want to argue it's rosin and that's accepted, and that he didn't get any advantage from it, there's a debate there. It doesn’t matter if it’s rosin, soap, or pixie dust. You can’t put a foreign substance on the ball, and in the 4/2 game, it’s clear on several occasions he’s working his thumb in whatever’s on the underside of the brim before he delivers a pitch.

You can’t do that. If you want to argue it’s rosin and that’s accepted, and that he didn’t get any advantage from it, there’s a debate there.

]]> By: mojorisin http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-349 mojorisin Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:56:46 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-349 "But whatever. If you don’t want to believe the pictures, that’s your choice." Believe what? All you have is a picture of something white on the bill of his cap. You have no idea what the substance is, but you call him a cheater. Sounds fair... Again, apparently the Rangers didn't care enough to stop the game today. “But whatever. If you don’t want to believe the pictures, that’s your choice.”

Believe what? All you have is a picture of something white on the bill of his cap. You have no idea what the substance is, but you call him a cheater. Sounds fair…

Again, apparently the Rangers didn’t care enough to stop the game today.

]]> By: DMZ http://www.cheatersguidetobaseball.com/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-348 DMZ Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:52:51 +0000 http://www.zumsteg.net/cheatersguide/2007/04/03/francisco-rodriguez-doctoring-the-ball/#comment-348 So Opening Day, when he was flashing the same under-cap action, you would argue that's a cap from... last year? So Opening Day, when he was flashing the same under-cap action, you would argue that’s a cap from… last year?

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