""What are you talking about?"

That was Jose Valverde's response when he was first asked about it.

So it was spelled out.

Last weekend, on camera in the ninth inning against the Reds, it looked like he was spitting on the ball before reaching down for dirt to rub on the ball.

And it's gotten a ton of attention since.

"I saw the video," said Valverde, the Tigers closer. "But I didn't do it. People can make of it what they want, but I never spit on the baseball.

"Sometimes I sweat too much, and that's what I was doing. It was hot. I had my glove up to wipe away the sweat.""