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MLB clears Rivera

Print | Comments () Posted by Steve Silva, Globe Staff October 20, 2009 10:54 AM

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Mariano Rivera has used one devastating pitch -- his bat-shattering cutter -- to put together a career so accomplished that he will someday be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

For a brief moment during Game 3 of last night's American League Championship Series, however, it appeared that Rivera may have been using a second pitch -- a spitball.

While Major League Baseball quickly cleared Rivera of any transgression, he did appear to spit on the ball during the 10th inning in Anaheim. The spitball, while a fun element of baseball's gamesmanship, has been outlawed since 1920.

To see the footage, check the 11-second video above.

Information from the blog Halos Heaven was used in this report.