The Gambler's legend grows

DETROIT — This is getting seriously historical, what Kenny Rogers is doing in this October of his redemption.

Rogers is snorting and snarling his way to one of the all-time great postseasons, one that started out evoking the name of Orel Hershiser and now is moving rapidly into Christy Mathewson territory.

On a bitterly cold night at Comerica Park, Rogers on Sunday put another indelible stamp on his growing legend, and added a bit of intrigue and controversy in the process.

Just what was that dark blotch on the palm of his pitching hand, isolated on TV still shots after the first inning? Was it pine tar, as some Cardinals hitters seem to have suspected? Or merely dirt, as Rogers insisted, and umpire supervisor Steve Palermo concurred?

It hardly mattered in the big picture. Once Rogers washed it off before the second inning, at the request of plate umpire Alfonso Marquez, he was no less brilliant in Detroit's 3-1 win that evened the World Series at one game apiece.

In fact, cleanliness was next to godliness for Rogers. He worked eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits, to run his streak of scoreless innings in the postseason to 23.

"They were talking about a smudge on his hand, I guess," said Tigers closer Todd Jones, who nearly undid all of Rogers' good work in a tense ninth before getting the final out with the bases loaded.

"He threw seven scoreless innings after that happened," Jones added of the conversation between Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and crew chief Randy Marsh that instigated Smudge Gate at the end of the first inning. "If there are any conspiracy theorists out there, I guess that's proof that there's no conspiracy."

Rogers' scoreless streak is just four innings behind Mathewson's record of 27 for the New York Giants in 1905, causing Rogers to demur, "I'm no Christy Mathewson, that's for sure."

Maybe not, but he's not Kenny Rogers, either — not the Rogers who always felt it behooved him to keep his emotions in check. And certainly not the Rogers who always seemed to wilt when the games started to mean so much in October.

Oh, and that 2004 shoving incident involving a cameraman, which is what many fans think of first when the name Kenny Rogers comes up?

One more game like this, and that will become an afterthought, or at least the second thought, in the litany of defining moments in Rogers' career.

And those playoff washouts with the Yankees and the Mets? Nothing but a dim memory now. Ancient history. Since he decided to wear his emotions on his sleeve (and who knows what on his hand), Rogers has been flawless.

The Tigers again fed on Rogers' emotion. Indeed, they are gorging on it, a feast that began when he blanked the Yankees over seven innings in the AL Division Series. The second course was another seven-inning shutout against the A's in the AL Championship Series.

One more game like that was essential for the Tigers, who faced the prospect of going to St. Louis trailing two games to none, with the Cardinals' two best pitchers lined up at home.

"When he shows such heart and intensity on the mound, you're going to follow," said Brandon Inge. "We're following Kenny. He's our leader."

Still, most of the buzz after the game involved Rogers' dirty hand. Some pitchers have been known to use sticky substances in cold weather to improve their grip on the ball. In fact, Dodgers pitcher Jay Howell was suspended in the 1988 NL Championship Series when umpires found pine tar on his glove.

"We're not supposed to be doing those things, putting pine tar on anything," said Cardinals second baseman Aaron Miles. "Who knows if he did anything? You can give someone a high-five and the next thing you know, you have pine tar on your hand. I don't think he's been cheating. He's been good all year."

"I think he's more veteran than to do that," said Albert Pujols.

"If he was using it, that's something for him to worry about, not us," said Scott Spiezio. "We had our pitches to hit. It was our fault. ... If he was doing something, you want him to stop doing it. To me, he looked like the same guy."

Right now, that's not a good thing for any team that has to face Kenny Rogers. The same Kenny Rogers is a very good thing for the Tigers.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com