NY Times just calls it a "mysterious toss" at (Mariano) Rivera-- doesn't name Gagne--they're so polite that way.

"The episode may help explain why Rivera pitched so poorly after entering the game at the start of the ninth inning with the Yankees leading, 4-2. He allowed a run-scoring double with two outs before hitting Jacoby Ellsbury with a pitch and walking Dustin Pedroia to load the bases. He then got David Ortiz to pop out to end the game, earning his 28th save.

• Why did Manager Joe Torre allow Rivera to pitch with a numb finger? Torre said he did not know about the injury until yesterday morning, when General Manager Brian Cashman told him. Cashman also did not learn about the injury until yesterday.

“I don’t know really much of the specifics, but thankfully, he’s O.K.,” said Cashman, who added that the Yankees had no plans to start an investigation into how Rivera was hurt.

Torre and Cashman said, in some ways, they were glad they did not know about what happened when it happened.

“I would have been more freaked out if I was told before he was coming in that, by the way, he can’t feel his finger because he got hit,” Cashman said, adding with a laugh, “It would have made the ninth inning worse.”"

From NY Times article by David Picker,"MYSTERIOUS TOSS ADDS DRAMA TO RIVERA'S NINTH AT FENWAY, 9/18/07

• P.S. As I pointed out last night, the NY Times has very opinionated headline writers. Here, their opinion is they don't want you to know what really happened, just something 'mysterious' involving a "toss," and they sure as heck don't want you to know the ball was thrown from the Red Sox bullpen by Eric Gagne as other outlets have reported. (sm)

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