Skulduggery? Corpas says he was cooling off

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 4, 2007 at midnight

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More Rocktober 2007: Colorado Rockies Playoff Run

PHILADELPHIA — Rockies reliever Manny Corpas figures the Phillies were playing mind games when they complained to Major League Baseball about Corpas pouring liquid on the front of his uniform as he warmed up to enter Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

"They might be trying to upset me, but it doesn't upset me," Corpas said Thursday. "It was hot. I dumped a cup of water to cool off. I do that in Arizona, Florida, Atlanta, even Colorado when it is hot.

"I did that growing up (in Panama). Sometimes I dump a cup of water over my head, too."

Corpas said the issue hasn't been raised before, but then he also hadn't been the subject of TBS cameras giving a national TV audience a view of him dumping liquid on his uniform.

"It is not bad," he said. "It is just water. When I saw television (Wednesday) night, I said, 'What's that all about?' "

After being alerted by TBS, Phillies officials questioned whether Corpas was putting an illegal substance on the ball to get his exceptional movement.

Phillies general manager Pat Gillick and assistants Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle met with the umpires before Thursday's game.

Corpas, who converted 19 of 20 save opportunities after becoming the Rockies' closer the first week of July, retired the Phillies in order for the save in the 4-2 victory in Game 1.

Publicly, the Phillies did their best to downplay the issue before Game 2.

"I saw (the video). It's not like we won't ask questions, but we won't make a big deal about it," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We'll watch him, but at the same time, what I got out of it was how much liquid there was. He didn't put a whole lot on him. In my mind, I don't know how much it affected him. What the hell? It was definitely caught on film and everything. It's probably like anything else. You might think it had some kind of effect."

Manager Clint Hurdle said the Rockies were not contacted by baseball officials and "will deal with it internally."

There was little Major League Baseball could do Thursday.

"If it's something to give a competitive advantage, it's illegal," baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said. "It's up to the Phillies to bring attention to it, and if the umpire inspects the pitcher and decides he's doing something wrong, he can be immediately ejected."

None of the three Phillies hitters Corpas retired — Ryan Howard, Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell — accused him of skulduggery.

"I didn't notice anything," said Howard, who struck out.

"I was concentrating on hitting."

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