Is Rangers' Cliff Lee Up To Sticky Tricks?

NEW YORK (AP) -- Cliff Lee has pitched so well in the postseason, some fans started wondering whether he doctors the ball.

The Texas Rangers ace had a white patch on the back of his weathered cap during the division series against Tampa Bay and it became a topic on sports-talk radio in New York last week.

Lee, scheduled to start Game 3 of the AL championship series Monday night against the Yankees, assured reporters that it's simply resin on his hat, which is perfectly legal.

The left-hander had a sense of humor about the commotion, too.

"It definitely makes me way better. I know that much. Without that hat, I don't know if I could do it," Lee deadpanned. "I go to the resin bag quite a bit. I touch my hat in the same place over and over. And it just accumulates. I couldn't pitch without it for sure."

New York manager Joe Girardi said Lee's cap is not a concern.

"It's resin. It's available to everybody," Girardi said. "I haven't seen it to be a problem."