Buehrle gets tweaked by Cub `cheater'

[rangercal]

By Dave van Dyck. Special to the Tribune. Tribune staff reporter Paul Sullivan contributed

 

June 18, 2005

 

 

As if next weekend's Cubs-White Sox interleague series needed any added "substance," Mark Buehrle's commenting that a North Side pitcher "very well" may be cheating has become a "slippery" subject.

 

And though the Cubs may think Buehrle is "all wet," one of them has confessed to a moist misdeed, although it was not the one Buerhle was presumed to have fingered, Greg Maddux.

 

It should be noted Ryan Dempster did not have his fingers in his mouth but did have his tongue inserted in his cheek while, ahem, coming clean.

 

"Basically I use snot if I have it," Dempster said. "Mark, you caught me. I'm glad, with your busy schedule, you had nothing else to do but imply I was using spit on the ball."

 

Actually, Buerhle was busy Friday, pitching the White Sox to a 6-0 victory over the Dodgers at U.S. Cellular Field, but his off-day remarks on WSCR-AM sure started a slimy saga, although he said it wasn't "that big a deal."

 

"He must get bored in-between the four days off," Dempster said before the Cubs played the Yankees in New York. "As a [former] starter, I can appreciate that.

 

"Doing the relieving thing, I don't have enough time to think of things like that. Although I know that one of the White Sox players, I heard, is using some sort of atomic bomb in his jockstrap."

 

The messy matter began when the Angels' Brendan Donnelly was accused of doctoring the baseball against Washington after the White Sox complained he was licking his fingers on the mound. Donnelly was suspended for 10 days Friday for using pine tar.

 

Buehrle said many pitchers lick their fingers off the mound, which is legal, but that they may not wipe it off completely.

 

Like who?

 

"I can't get myself in trouble because he's on the North Side," Buehrle said Thursday on WSCR. "I don't know personally, but I'm just saying from years of experience that he has had success that he very well may be using something."

 

Maddux, who could start next Saturday against the Sox, often walks around the mound taking big licks of his fingers.

 

"I don't know where Maddux's name was brought up," Buehrle said after Friday night's game.

 

"I don't want him coming back to me saying I'm a bad guy [and] talking behind his back. I don't even know the guy.

 

"I said I don't know personally. You hear rumors around the league [about] guys cheating. There are guys on every team that cheat. Take it and run whichever way you want to go, but I didn't think it was a big deal."

 

Buehrle admitted he "cheated," perhaps leaving pine tar on his hands after batting in interleague games.

 

"Hitters get to use pine tar, so why can't pitchers?" he asked. "I know it's illegal, but it's a good argument."

 

Can Buehrle now expect some retaliation, like having teams ask umpires to check him?

 

"If they want, umpires can come out and check guys after every inning, I'll be more than happy to drop my drawers and they can check whatever they want to check on me," he said. "I don't care."

 

Naturally, Sox manager Ozzie Guillen helped fan the fire Friday by saying if his pitchers win games by cheating, "I'll help them cheat. As long as they win games, I hope they cheat."

Was Guillen serious? You never know with him. But he sure wasn't being flip.

 

"Everybody cheats," he said. "If you don't get caught, you're a smart player or pitcher. If you get caught, you're cheating. It has been part of the game for a long time. . . .

 

"If you're doing whatever you're not supposed to do and you don't get caught, keep doing it."

 

 

 

 

Dempster= Tool

[fathom]

Not so sure I like Buehrle admitting that he left pine tar on his hands when he was pitching in NL home games. I don't see a reason for someone to admit that they did something illegal the day after someone got suspended 10 games for doing the same.

[rangercal]

Not so sure I like Buehrle admitting that he left pine tar on his hands when he was pitching in NL home games.  I don't see a reason for someone to admit that they did something illegal the day after someone got suspended 10 games for doing the same.

I didnt care too much for ozzies comments at the end of the article :headshake

[AssHatSoxFan]

mark's admitted cheating was in the minir's not in interleague like the guy suggests that was his own thought he is making

[fathom]

I didnt care too much for ozzies comments at the end of the article :headshake

 

Yeah, but that's a pretty common thought that many of us have whenever Ozzie opens his mouth. Thankfully we're winning, but I hate the way we've acted in the press lately. It's flashbacks of the Cubs from the last few seasons on Dusty.

[Kalapse]

I f***ing hate Jesse Rogers for starting all this s***. Rogers set him up with that damn question, asking him what Sox players are doctoring the ball, asking for names. WTF kind of question of that? Buehrle should never go back on any Jesse Rogers show again, Buehrle was clearly half joking when he said it too, now he's got some s***ty f***ing Canadian nobody pitcher taking shots at him. Buehrle's accomplished more in his 5 full years in the big leagues tham Dempster has in his 8. Dempster should shut his f***ing mouth and go back to sucking ass in the Bronx.

[3E8]

Dempster had a perfect chance to zing Buehrle, but, atomic bomb in jockstrap? Good one ass.

[peanut33tillman]

Dempster had a perfect chance to zing Buehrle, but, atomic bomb in jockstrap? Good one ass.

 

LMAO no s*** beautiful comeback douchebag..this would be understandable if this were over maddux but s***ster doesnt deserve to place that "atoimc bomb" in MB's jock the guys straight garbage

[sayitaintso]

I don't like what Ozzie said at the end, but I can see why. Why change something if nobody else knows your doing it. Keep doing it until you get caught. But the downside is everyone would classify you as a cheater, and your career would have a dark cloud over it.

[whitesoxjr27]

do we face dempster next weekend? if we do i hope we tee off that rat bastard.

[Kalapse]

do we face dempster next weekend? if we do i hope we tee off that rat bastard. 

Dempster's a closer now. So we could.

[peanut33tillman]

yup he's their new closer but the chances of us seeing him are slim because their whiney asses wont ever lead in this series past the latter innings but if we do i hope we can take his words out use them as motivation and drill his sorry a$$

[Milkman delivers]

Don't pay attention to this garbage article. This s***ty writer left out key parts that need to be in there. He's just trying to sell more papers.

 

CHICAGO -- The postgame media session for Mark Buehrle had lasted about seven minutes when one of the members of the White Sox media relations' staff asked the final question.

"Are there any more questions about the game for Mark?" he asked.

 

"By the way, we won tonight, too," added Buehrle with a laugh.

 

Buehrle had just finished off a nine-inning gem against the undermanned Dodgers, winning for the seventh straight time, but most of the questions dealt with the left-hander's comments Thursday evening on a local Chicago sports radio station. During a casual interview that didn't totally center on baseball, Buehrle intimated that one of the current Cubs pitchers cheated by possibly using an illegal substance.

 

He talked about guys licking their fingers, a legal move, but then not really wiping it on their pants when they act as they do. When asked to name a player or two in question, Buehrle chose to take a very vague route to the subject.

 

"I can't get myself in trouble because he's on the North Side," Buehrle said during the interview. "I don't know personally, but I'm just saying from years of experience that he's had success that he very well may be using something."

 

The "years of experience" and "North Side" reference led most observers to intimate that Buehrle was talking about Greg Maddux, the Cubs' certain Hall-of-Famer and winner of 310 games. When asked about the comments in New York, Maddux casually denied any wrongdoing and then wondered aloud, 'Who is Mark Buehrle?'

 

Buehrle took umbrage at the media assumption that he was talking about Maddux, although never flat-out denying that he wasn't. The usually easy-going hurler seemed a bit charged-up due to the entire uproar stemming from his statements.

 

"I want to know how what I said was wrong, first of all," Buehrle said. "I don't know why it's such a big deal. I said, personally, I don't know if it's true or not. I don't know any of those guys over there.

 

"Maddux's name keeps getting thrown out there. I have nothing against Maddux, and I don't know him. I don't know where Maddux's name got brought up. Whoever brought that up, I want to know why.

 

"I don't want him saying that I'm a bad guy and I'm talking behind his back," Buehrle added. "He's the only Cubs pitcher over there?"

 

Buehrle, who was informed of Maddux's comments and comments made by other Cubs pitchers, pointed out that hurlers such as Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior also have been pitching for 'years.' He also was basing his statement on rumors heard around the league.

 

In a refreshing change of pace, Buehrle admitted that he had cheated before when questioned directly. Of course, it was something minor, at the Minor League level, when he might have grabbed a bat with pine tar on it before going to the mound and then not cleaning off his hands.

 

Hitters can use pine tar, Buehrle reasoned, so why can't pitchers.

 

"I know it's illegal, but it's a good argument, ain't it?" said Buehrle with a smile.

 

With the recent 10-day suspension of Angels pitcher Brendan Donnelly for having pine tar in his glove, Buehrle's off-the-cuff remarks took on a rather large life of their own. Jon Garland, Buehrle's close friend and the top winner in the American League at 11, at first declined comment on the subject but added that a competitive edge should not be gained through cheating.

 

Garland also mentioned that an opposing hitter has never asked to have him checked on the mound.

 

First baseman Paul Konerko, one of the team's voices of reason, pointed out that the umpires check the baseball so frequently, even on pitches in the dirt or balls cued off the end of the bat, that it would be very tough to sneak a foreign substance on the baseball. Hitters joke about it, according to Konerko, but it's just an excuse for not making contact.

 

But manager Ozzie Guillen had the most interesting take, as usual. He doesn't condone cheating of any sort, but it's only cheating if you get caught.

 

"Everyone cheats," said Guillen after getting a good laugh upon hearing Buehrle's radio analysis. "If you don't get caught, you are a smart player. If you get caught, you are cheating. It has been part of the game for a long time."

 

Guillen would have to be "200 percent sure" in order to have an opposing pitcher checked, not wanting to put himself "in the idiot, arrogant manager position." He would make the move, though, to protect his team.

 

The actual act of cheating was far more palatable to Guillen than putting anything into a player's body, such as steroids. He even joked that nobody knew for certain that Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio didn't used corked bats because nobody checked back in their time. As for his own players cheating, Guillen categorically stated that he was all about the victories.

 

"If they win games, I will help them cheat," said Guillen with a laugh.

 

"Guys can used cork bats and if they don't break bats, you never know," Buehrle added. "If they want to check pitchers and have the umpire check every guy after every inning, I'll be happy to drop my drawers and they can check whatever they want on me. I don't care."

 

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

And I just wanted to add, I no longer like Greg Maddux after what he said. I guess anyone on the Cubs automatically becomes a huge asshole.

Edited June 18, 2005 by Milkman delivers

[Kalapse]

Mark Buerhle is by far the most underrated pitcher in baseball this side of Jake Peavy.

[rangercal]

Don't pay attention to this garbage article.  This s***ty writer left out key parts that need to be in there.  He's just trying to sell more papers.

f***en twisted media!! :fyou

[WHarris1]

HAHAHA

 

Who's Mark Buehrle?

Good one dips***.

 

One more thing, does Ryan Dumptster right his own stuff? Because he is sooooooo funny.

 

Hahaha, Who's Mark Buehrle - that slays me.

Edited June 18, 2005 by WHarris1

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 18, 2005 -> 11:59 AM)

Dempster's a closer now. So we could.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't hold your breath. That would actually required the Cubs taking a lead into the 9th inning against us.

[AirScott]

And I just wanted to add, I no longer like Greg Maddux after what he said.  I guess anyone on the Cubs automatically becomes a huge asshole.

yeah, it's pretty stupid when you say things like, "Who's Mark Buehrle?", when Buehrle is 8-1 and the ace of the staff for the best team in baseball, and you're 5-4 on the tail end of your career. check your f***ing ego at the door.

[southsider2k5]

Boy you can say one thing for the White Sox team, they love to talk. Geesh, somebody get these guys a media relations course... (looking at you 49ers)

[kev211]

Anybody think that what Buerhle and Evert said this week were pubilicity stunts.

[Milkman delivers]

Boy you can say one thing for the White Sox team, they love to talk. Geesh, somebody get these guys a media relations course... (looking at you 49ers)

 

No, I like this attitude they have. They're becoming the Oakland Raiders of baseball. We say what we want and we're a little crazy.

[Kalapse]

Anybody think that what Buerhle and Evert said this week were pubilicity stunts.

No, Everett was stating his opinion and Buehrle was being honest, Rogers set him up and MB answered honestly, that he had heard some things about a pitcher on the Cubs doctoring the baseball.

[WHarris1]

God I can't believe what has evolved into.

I heard MB say what he said on the radio and that was it. I figured it was done...

[AirScott]

God I can't believe what has evolved into.

I heard MB say what he said on the radio and that was it.  I figured it was done...

same here. just Buehrle joking around on sports-talk radio. I don't even think the question to Buehrle was baited as much as it was just a light-hearted joke.

[kev211]

God I can't believe what has evolved into.

I heard MB say what he said on the radio and that was it.  I figured it was done...

If you say anything about anyone nowadays the media is gunna eat you alive.