Buehrle admits downing 'a few' beers before '05 World Series save

Mark Buehrle has set the record straight - and where there's smoke, there were suds after all.

Don Cooper, Buehrle's former pitching coach on the Chicago White Sox, told reporters in 2015 that he'd caught Buehrle drinking a beer in the bullpen two days after pitching 7 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series. Cooper said it was normal for the team's starters to enjoy a cold one during their rest days. However, Game 3 went 14 innings and Buehrle was unexpectedly called upon as the last available reliever in the bullpen. He managed to pick up the save in the 7-5 win, and the White Sox went on to sweep the Houston Astros.

Buehrle never confirmed or denied Cooper's tale until a piece published in the The Players' Tribune on Friday.

"In short: Yeah, sure, OK fine, so I had a few. I can admit to that. But you gotta let me explain," the retired pitcher wrote.

To be fair to Buehrle, he didn't try to hide it from his coaches, and he was never scheduled to actually take the mound for Chicago that fateful night. He continued:

And it was just like one or two beers.

Every time I grabbed one, I’d go over and check in with the coaches.

“Hey, you guys are sure you’re not going to need me, right?”

“No, Mark. You are not pitching today. You just went.”

So I’d hear that and grab a beer.

It was only like three beers….

Max.

Definitely no more than three, though.

I swear.

It may have taken 12 years, but at least he was honest.