Kenny Rogers: guilty of cheating or plain mishap?

The last 2 days all the sports media keeps talking about is what was on Kenny Rogers' pitching hand in Game 2 of the World Series. He claims it was mud rubbed off spit and dirt on baseballs in the bullpen he was using to warm up with before the game and others are confident that it was indeed pine tar. Obviously, it was cold during game time and after all it is October, but the umpires didn't question the veteran southpaw until afterwards. What is the point of doing this at the conclusion of a game? This delayed reaction is quite odd and makes fans wonder if the umpires were doing their job.

If Rogers was guilty of using pine tar for a better grip on the baseball in the 7 or 8 innings he pitched then MLB needed to assert a balance of fairness and power here. They could've even restarted Game 2 even though doing so would create another wave of controversy and make the Tigers mad. I'm pulling for Detroit, but MLB can't allow any cheating to disrupt or alter the championship from either side. Someone in MLB has some explaining to do and have this mess sorted out. Issuing an statement to the media explaining what actually happened would be appropriate.

When I was watching Game 2 on television I couldn't tell what Kenny Rogers had on his hands. The only people who knew for sure were his teammates, the umpires, and Cardinal players. They had the best look at him throughout the game. Apparently, Tony La Russa was upset when questioned again about the incident Monday and let his feelings be known to the media. He saw a dark smudge on his Rogers' pitching hand, but was uncertain as to the substance. La Russa wanted to put the dirtclump case behind him. The focus resumes on the rest of the World Series.

Tonight there will be mixed emotions on the field and in the stands as the Cards return to St. Louis. Chris Carpenter gets the start at home where he owns a 1.81 ERA this season. I know Cardinal fans will be yelling and screaming in Game 3 tonight and giving Kenny Rogers a bunch of crap. Until firm evidence that he used pine tar is presented they should reserve judgment and not blame him for their team losing. I think it's unusual if Rogers has used pine tar throughout the postseason and people are just now noticing it. It's still unclear to critics what was really on Rogers' hands...may be it really was just dirt.