# Sign stealing in baseball **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [January 13, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380 "2020-01-13T23:55:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/141 "2020-02-18T20:00:43Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [Ross Stripling forgot to use his indoor voice.](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2876382-dodgers-p-ross-stripling-says-hed-intentionally-hit-astros-batters-amid-scandal?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=referral) > > And I’m OK with that. I’d like to see every single Dodger and Yankee pitcher go head-hunting against the Astros. Every single batter that was on the team in 2017. And none of that “plunk them on the butt” shit either. You cashed a check for cheating, you better have a damn good helmet. (Yeah, yeah - shut up. This is my fantasy.) > > Better yet, the Dodgers and Yankees can just refuse to play either the Astros or the Red Sox. Just forfeit the games. Think of the size of the asterisk that would make in the record books! > > Sigh. The daydreams of a vengeful Dodger fan… I don’t think there’ll be much head hunting. Everyone gets plunked maybe once a game or once a series and over the course of the season, we call it square. I have no doubt that Astros are going to want rib/kidney protectors. They can pick them up at Dick’s in the Lacrosse section. It might mess with their swing a bit. It’s going to be a long season for them. I’ve been beaned in the back with an 80 mph fastball and I got up pretty quick but I felt like crying. And I was limping to first… from getting hit in the back. I probably deserved it so I sucked it up but I was very nice to people after that. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/142 "2020-02-18T20:24:33Z")
I’m against beanballs. These guys throw hard enough to kill somebody. Cheating may be a big deal, but it’s not a capital crime. I expect the Astros’ team average to drop by at least 20 points- not only are they not going to know what’s coming, they aren’t going to get to comfortable in the batter’s box. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/143 "2020-02-18T20:53:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Safest bet in the coming season is that the Astros lead MLB in being hit by pitches. As long as they’re getting hit in the hips, I’m fine with that- they deserve it. I wonder if Gerrit Cole will comply if Gary Sanchez tells him to drill Altuve. I doubt it. And no one is going to have to tell a pitcher to plunk them. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/144 "2020-02-18T21:02:31Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > People are going to buy tickets just to boo at the Astros. I know I might. I’d bring a sign, but I’m afraid they’ll steal it. I think it’d be classy to bring a sign that just says, “Steal this sign Asstros!” With a picture of a dented metal trash can on it. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/145 "2020-02-18T21:03:43Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [A sports bettor is also suing](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/draftkings-sports-gambler-sues-mlb-for-houston-astros-sign-stealing-scandal/): It’s only fitting a gambler would have a law suit like that; just another bad bet. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/146 "2020-02-18T21:18:28Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I think it’d be classy to bring a sign that just says, “Steal this sign Asstros!” With a picture of a dented metal trash can on it. A freeway kind of sign. White lettering on Dodger Blue background. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/147 "2020-02-18T22:06:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s wildly inflated; they aren’t going to lose 27% to anything short of cancelling another season or a comet hitting the earth. Seven percent would be a disaster. > > People are going to buy tickets just to boo at the Astros. I know I might. I’d bring a sign, but I’m afraid they’ll steal it. Fell 4.1 last year. I’d take the over on 7 Wonder if MilB will actually go up. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/148 "2020-02-18T22:09:12Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It’s only fitting a gambler would have a law suit like that; just another bad bet. I don’t think the lawsuit is a bad bet at all. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/149 "2020-02-18T22:23:45Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Fell 4.1 last year. I’d take the over on 7 > > Wonder if MilB will actually go up. I’ll take that action in a heartbeat. The fact it dropped a lot in 2019 is evidence it will NOT drop by even more in 2020. 2019 had really bad early weather - April was arguably the worst weather MLB has ever had - and a very unusual level of competitive imbalance. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/150 "2020-02-18T23:21:29Z")
[Players on other teams show no signs of calming down](https://apnews.com/b02d3d30823c8f25a56fbaecb35a078d): > [@Nick Markakis](#): > > I feel every single guy over there deserves a beating > [@Nick Markakis](#): > > I think the commissioner completely handled it the wrong way. But that’s the way he did it and we got to live with that. I know a lot of people disagreed with the way he handled this decision. He should be embarrassed of himself. And to really get to the heart of the matter 9bolding mine): > [@](#): > > “It angers you, especially from a guy who played the game the right way his whole career,” said the 36-year-old Markakis, a 14-season big league veteran. “No short cuts. I know how hard it is to prepare for this game. To see something like that, it’s damaging to baseball.” > > “I know we’re all competitors. We’re out to compete, but there are right ways to do it and wrong ways to do it,” he said. “I 100% disagree the way with the way they did it. A lot of people were hurt by it. Everything has been handled the wrong way.” > > Markakis said the Astros’ actions were clearly wrong. > > “You got two guys sitting at home, kind of getting a little leeway but they’re out of the game right now,” he said of Hinch and Luhnow. “Then you got the players who did it who are scot-free. I know there’s a lot of political stuff behind it but it’s wrong. You don’t want to see that.” > > “As players, we do not agree with what they did or don’t stand behind them or support them, their actions,” he said. “I think they got off pretty easy. **They’re going to be able to go out and compete with no ramifications at all.** ” ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/151 "2020-02-18T23:25:39Z")
[Yankees’ Judge says Astros should be stripped of 2017 title](https://apnews.com/15a39c96f1580d948d0e45128cabce87): > [@](#): > > “You cheated and you didn’t earn it,” Judge said Tuesday after the Yankees’ first full-squad workout. “That’s how I feel. It wasn’t earned. It wasn’t earned the way of playing the game right and fighting to the end and knowing that we’re competing, we’re competitors. The biggest thing about competition is laying it all out on the line, and whoever is the better player, better person comes out on top. To know that another team had an advantage that, nothing you can really guard against, I just don’t feel like that’s earned.” > [@](#): > > “It affected a lot of games, no matter what anybody says,” Judge said. “It affected the game big time. People lost jobs, people lost money, people lost a lot of things important to them.” > > No players were punished by MLB. > > “I wasn’t a fan of the punishment, I thought that was a little weak for a player-driven scheme,” Judge said, “that no players involved got any punishments.” ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/152 "2020-02-19T00:17:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I’ll take that action in a heartbeat. The fact it dropped a lot in 2019 is evidence it will NOT drop by even more in 2020. 2019 had really bad early weather - April was arguably the worst weather MLB has ever had - and a very unusual level of competitive imbalance. I also predict expansion teams within three years…like dangling a shiny object in front of the fans. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/153 "2020-02-19T02:26:18Z")
I’m fine with that. More places should have baseball. I don’t know what owners and stadiums you think will have teams, though. Of course, to repair market imbalance, the best places to put them would be New York, LA, and New England. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/154 "2020-02-19T02:49:11Z")
Manfred said the WS trophy’s a hunk of metal. LOL! That’s striking exactly the right tone. This scandal ain’t goin away, and the reason is that there’s not enough transparency. The blanket immunity guarantee was a mistake. They could have offered lesser penalties: a suspension for a few games as opposed to a year-long ban, but there’s no accountability and the rest of the players, teams, and fan-bases justifiably feel screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/155 "2020-02-19T03:11:47Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I’m fine with that. More places should have baseball. I don’t know what owners and stadiums you think will have teams, though. > > Of course, to repair market imbalance, the best places to put them would be New York, LA, and New England. I wanted in the past to move the Rays to Brooklyn…but everything is going to be chaos, so thats probably not a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/156 "2020-02-19T03:32:17Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Manfred said the WS trophy’s a hunk of metal. LOL! That’s striking exactly the right tone. > > This scandal ain’t goin away, and the reason is that there’s not enough transparency. The blanket immunity guarantee was a mistake. They could have offered lesser penalties: a suspension for a few games as opposed to a year-long ban, but there’s no accountability and the rest of the players, teams, and fan-bases justifiably feel screwed. I think the only solution is to strip the title, and have a vacant 2017. Even the Astros have a big decision on whether to leave the banner up in their stadium. It would only infuriate other teams. Make the decision for them. While it won’t make the Dodgers or Yankees feel much better, the rest of the teams will feel that they got their pound of flesh. Also, doesn’t it feel like it’s been quite a long time since we’ve heard anything about the 2018 Red Sox investigation? Hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/157 "2020-02-19T15:33:47Z")
Sports news these days is full of MLB players denouncing immoral behavior by the Astros. It’ll be fun to see which of these upright types wind up suspended for prohibited drug use or for beating their spouses - or even get caught sign-stealing. Such haughty moral indignation is bound to backfire. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/158 "2020-02-19T16:05:29Z")
It’s not haughty to see players get away with one of the worst cheating scandals in sports history and not even get a slap on the wrist, and feel upset. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/159 "2020-02-19T16:07:40Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Such haughty moral indignation is bound to backfire. Yeah. But even ordinary, flawed mortals have some right to be annoyed with elaborate cheating schemes. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380/160 "2020-02-19T16:07:39Z")
I heard an appropriate nickname for the Houston AL franchise - the Houston Asterisks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-stealing-in-baseball/846380.md?page=9)