Mariano says no way he threw a spitter
Photo credit: Youtube.com screengrab | Video replays appeared to show Mariano Rivera spitting on or near the ball during the 10th inning of Game 3. MLB officials investigated the incident, but cleared the Yankees' closer from any wrongdoing.
ALCS Game 3: Angels 5, Yankees 4
ALCS Game 4: Yankees 10, Angels 1
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ANAHEIM, Calif. - Well before Mariano Rivera arrived at Angel Stadium Tuesday, Major League Baseball cleared the Yankees' closer of any wrongdoing regarding a "spitball controversy" from Monday's American League Championship Game 3.
And that, the Yankees' closer said, meant nothing.
"I cleared myself," Rivera told reporters before ALCS Game 4 at Angel Stadium "Nobody had to do that. I cleared myself, because I know I'd never do things like that."
The Internet nearly imploded Tuesday upon the arrival of a video purporting to show Rivera spitting on a baseball when he entered ALCS Game 3 in the 10th inning, with Jeff Mathis on second and none out.
As first displayed by Halos Heaven, a blog geared toward Angels fans, Rivera turned his back to the plate, appeared to look back toward the plate and then expectorated. It could not be seen where the spit landed.
After its Department of Operations viewed video and still photos concerning the incident, MLB announced that it found no evidence that Rivera spit on a baseball.
For Rivera, who has 526 career saves and 36 more in the postseason, the story served as nothing more than a good laugh. He offered to put his money next to his mouth, as long as the inquiring reporters felt the same way.
After counting the 14 reporters interviewing him, Rivera said, "If we find a different angle, you'll see the spit was never on the ball. If you have some tape [that shows I spit on the ball] I'll take you to dinner anywhere. Anywhere in the world.
"But if I'm OK, you have to take me. I think there's enough people here to afford [to take] me anywhere I want. Deal or not?"
Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who claimed not to be aware of the brouhaha, said, "There are certainly some guys that might be suspected. Never Mariano with anything that I've heard or been a part of."
Said Yankees manager Joe Girardi: "I kind of laughed. Mo's been throwing one pitch for a long time. I happened to catch him. He was accused of throwing a spitter. The one thing about a spitter is, it consistently does not go one way like Mo's ball consistently goes one way."
Dodgers manager Joe Torre, in Philadelphia for the NLCS, said he didn't see the video of Rivera, whom he managed on the Yankees from 1996 through 2007, "but Mariano Rivera is above and beyond for me."
With David Lennon
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