PHILADELPHIA – Manny Corpas’ cool-down routine left the Philadelphia Phillies boiling. The Phillies filed a formal complaint before Game 2, implying that the Rockies’ closer doctored the baseball in Wednesday’s save.
After Thursday’s game, the only thing still hot was the Rockies. Corpas’ save ended their 16th win in 17 games.
“The (fans) were out there in the bullpen yelling ‘Cheater. Cheater.’ I just smiled,” Corpas said.
He refuted the accusations, explaining he typically pours water over his head and onto his jersey before entering the game on hot days. It became an issue when a TBS camera showed Corpas’ ritual. On Thursday, he didn’t take even a drink of water as he jogged in for his four-out save.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. It was water (Wednesday),” said Corpas, his claim supported by the video.
The Phillies’ reaction suggested they were more interested in playing mind games than enforcing a rule about applying a foreign substance to the baseball. Manager Charlie Manuel said he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, and when Corpas pitched Thursday, the Phillies didn’t ask to have his jersey or the baseball inspected after any pitches.
In Corpas, the Phillies probably picked the wrong player to irritate. He doesn’t read the papers and is inflicted with selective amnesia.
“No, no, no, that won’t work with me,” Corpas said, waving his finger.
Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca was bothered by the Phillies’ tactics, saying, “Unless there are chemicals in water than I am not aware of, I don’t even understand why this is a story.”
