Cheaters never prosper? The Astros made out OK
So it’s quite clear the Houston Astros cheated the Dodgers out of the 2017 World Series championship by stealing the catcher’s signs electronically, then letting the Astros hitters know which pitches were coming so they could launch balls so high and far into the late October sky that when they returned to Earth, they formed a layer of cold, wet disappointment on my Boys in Blue. Sort of like flurries during El Nino.
Stealing the other team’s signs has always been a part of baseball. Even at the high school level. My Stagg High teammates decoded the signs from the Mira Loma catcher in a semifinal game of the section tournament many, many years ago. Our skullduggery led to our upset of the top-ranked team in Sacramento en route to our second consecutive section championship. Of course we weren’t using cameras and monitors in the dugout like the major leaguers. We simply figured out the catcher would give the sign then tap somewhere on his mask or chest. A fellow Delta King who was coaching first base would call out our batter’s first name if the pitcher was going to throw us a fastball, our last name if it was going to be an off-speed pitch like a curveball or change up.
“Get a hit Chris” = a fastball was coming. “Put the ball in play Piombo” = a curve ball was on its way. “Surprise us and get a hit for a change, pumpkin head” = the first base coach wanted my spot in the lineup. Not exactly Windtalkers but it did the trick. Knowing what pitch is coming gives the hitter a little more confidence up to bat, especially against a great pitcher.
Typically a catcher will put down only one sign for the pitcher. He’s telling him that’s the pitch he wants him to throw. The catcher crouches and puts down one finger between his legs for a fastball, two fingers for a curve ball, etc.
An opposing player who is on second base can see the catcher’s signals if he’s paying attention to the game instead of who his girlfriend is sitting next to in the stands.
When there’s someone leading off of second base, the catcher should be smart enough to put down a couple of different signs, including the one indicating which pitch should be thrown. But they call the catcher’s gear the tools of ignorance for a reason. If he doesn’t flash a fistful of Morse Code to the pitcher, the runner figures out what’s going on and subtly signals to the batter which pitch is coming. It could be something as simple as tapping his helmet or putting one hand on his knee. That’s been part of the game since Ty Cobb was punching people under the stands and slicing up infielders for fun back before the War to End All Wars. It’s part of the game … as long as you’re only using your peepers and your noggin.
The Houston Asterisks morphed sign stealing into high tech cheating. They linked a high resolution camera, the kind that showed every ravine on De Niro’s face at the Golden Globes, in center field to a monitor near the dugout. Someone would watch the live feed, instantaneously figure out what pitch was coming, then bang on a garbage can to let the hitter up to bat know what pitch was coming. Sort of like the 1951 New York Giants using binoculars in center field to relay Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Rube Walker’s signals via a wire in the Giants’ dugout to Bobby Thomson. Thomson then hit a home run known for (sigh) eternity as The Shot Heard ‘Round the World to give the Giants the National League pennant. Wait, what? Your beloved Giants have a history of cheating too? The great Giants announcer Russ Hodges should have actually been screaming, “The Giants Steal the Pennant! The Giants Steal the Pennant! The Giants Steal the Pennant!” as Thomson circled the bases. I was bitter before I was born.
People say cheaters never prosper. Based on the fact each Astros player received a check for $438,901.57 for winning the 2017 World Series, I’d have to disagree with them.