When word went out yesterday that The Gambler had been shut down for the season, I assumed there was a health issue. After all, he will be 44 in November.

But then I read this:

Leyland didn’t go into any specific reason to shut down the 43-year-old Rogers, although he did say that Rogers was fine physically.

My eyes narrowed in suspcion. The mental wheels turned. But I came up with nuthin’. So color me shocked today to read this:

Kenny Rogers said Tuesday it was his suggestion to come out of the rotation for the rest of the season so the Tigers could evaluate other starting pitchers.

“I told Skip (Jim Leyland) that I didn’t want him to feel like he had to start me anymore,” Rogers said. “I don’t want starts unless I’ve earned them, and the last thing I’m going to do is stand in the way of some development of a younger kid who needs a game or two that could give the information to Skip and the Tigers to have a better read on him.”

And actually, considering that his contract is up at the end of the season and that he’s given up 25 earned runs in 18 and two-thirds innings over his last four starts, he’s either ridiculously selfless—helping the ballclub at the expense of trying to re-establish any sort of free-agent value for himself—or completely demoralized and thinking of hanging up his spikes for good.

Or maybe both.

I’m still not sure what to think. Guys?

David Ortiz (.070, 1 HR, 3 RBI) “I’m just trying to figure things out for a minute so I can go back to being Big Papi again. You see this in baseball, where a guy will have a hard time, go home, chill out and come back with a fresh mind. It happens to everybody. I always do what Terry tells me to do. I’m an employee.”

Jason Giambi (.107, 2 HR, 4 RBI) “If I’ve been frustrated by anything, it’s that I feel so good and I’m hitting the ball hard and I had nothing to show for it.”

C.C. Sabathia (0-2, 11.57 ERA) “Of course people are going to say that — what else could be the reason?” he said. “It can’t just be that I’m pitching bad. It’s got to be something bigger; why not that? I don’t really care how it looks or seems. I can’t control what people think. I’m just trying to get it right and win baseball games.” — on whether his struggles are caused by contract-year pressure.

Jose Reyes (.225, 0 HR, 6 RBI) “I’m gonna get there. I want to finish my career here.”

Prince Fielder (.222 AVG, 0 HR, 6 RBI) “This game is all mental, anyway. It’s never physical” (so don’t even think about blaming this on my weight or my new vegetarian diet, asshole).

Miguel Cabrera (.175 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI) “It’s bad. I’m playing bad. … I feel bad. I feel like everybody’s behind me, laughing.”

Kenny Rogers (0-3, 6.75 ERA) “I’m supposed to be consistent and I was very uncomfortable out there and inconsistent.”

Andruw “The Tubbo” Jones (.100 AVG, 0 HR, 1 RBI) “Do I have to be sad all the time? My mom is still living, my dad is still living, and my mom thinks I’m fine and that’s what matters.”

So, I was talking with Nick about this whole saga, and thinking about Alejandro’s post (s), and it became today’s Boston Metro column.

(And just so he doesn’t feel left out, I’m sure I chatted about it with Coley too!)

I’d like to point all you Rogers apologists out there to ESPN.COM’s Page 2 feature and the revelation on the kind of cap he uses during games:

To explain: Rogers prefers to wear a batting practice cap, instead of the standard-issue New Era 5950 game cap that all the other players wear. He’s been pitching with the BP cap all season, as you can tell from the slightly puffier, more rounded brim and more synthetic-looking fabric (5950s are made of wool, while BP caps are polyester). Detroit’s BP cap has a colored sandwich brim — white at home, orange on the road — which would be a no-no for regular game action, so Rogers apparently fills in the colored edge with a dark marker, which means he doesn’t match his teammates during pregame workouts.

More evidence for my theory that Rogers cheats during home games.

So Kenny sez it was dirt; he also said he didn’t speak to an umpire, yet he was obviously approached by home plate umpire Marquez after the first.

(As a side note; isn’t it a little late for La Russa to be saying he doesn’t think it was dirt?)

Here’s the evidence.

The above collage captures the following:

A. World Series, Game two against the Cards. B. American League Championship Series, Game three against the A’s. C and D, American League Division Series, Game two against the Yankees

Below you’ll find, left, against the Texas Rangers, September 12 ; middle, August 12, against the White Sox, and right, against the Indians, April 14.

What you see is the same consistent beige spot on the bottom of Rogers’ thumb on his pitching hand. Now, if applying a foreign substance to the ball is illegal, then why is Rogers allowed to pitch with that crap all over his hand (see note C on top image)?

For whatever reason, Rogers seemed to be pitching extremely well towards the end of the regular season. He went 6-4 in his last 10 starts with an ERA close to 0.24.

In his August 12 start against the Sox, he pitched 7 innings, he took the loss, but no earned runs (4 unearned).

In his September 12 start against the Rangers, he pitched 7, allowed 2 runs (10 hits) and took the win.

In his April 14 start against the Indians, he pitched 8 innings, allowed 1 run, (7 hits) and took the win.

The White Sox game was played in Chicago, while the Cleveland and Texas games were played in Detroit; same as all of his starts in the post season.

I don’t know if it’s too late, but I sure smell one stinking rat.

In a New York Times op-ed, Espn.com “Uniwatch” columnist Paul Lukas weighs in on a matter that’s been concerning me for some time. Socks:

Of this year’s 64 All-Stars, only five — Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Zito, Jim Thome, Alfonso Soriano and Brad Penny — routinely hike up their pants to expose a once-crucial element of the baseball uniform: the colored sock.

This is indeed a sad development. I, for one, am greatly in favor of ballplayers showing some leg.

Behold Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B:

“Nothing is dumpier,” writes Lukas, “Than today’s baggy, full-length pants, which look like footie pajamas.” Indeed, I think the pictures speak for themselves.

More exhibits (and Heidi Klum) after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

In a New York Times op-ed, Espn.com “Uniwatch” columnist Paul Lukas weighs in on a matter that’s been concerning me for some time. Socks:

Of this year’s 64 All-Stars, only five — Ichiro Suzuki, Barry Zito, Jim Thome, Alfonso Soriano and Brad Penny — routinely hike up their pants to expose a once-crucial element of the baseball uniform: the colored sock.

This is indeed a sad development. I, for one, am greatly in favor of ballplayers showing some leg.

Behold Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B:

“Nothing is dumpier,” writes Lukas, “Than today’s baggy, full-length pants, which look like footie pajamas.” Indeed, I think the pictures speak for themselves.

More exhibits (and Heidi Klum) after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »