Did The Yankees Also Illegally Steal Signs?

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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2 second broadcast (including replay room) delay and real-time issues go away
How? Runner on second, pitch comes in. Two seconds later, you realize that a fastball was the fourth sign in the sequence. You wait another pitch and it's a curveball, which happened to be the...fourth sign in the sequence. Ok, you figured out that it's the fourth sign. Even if it doesn't work for that batter, because of a 2-second delay, it probably works for the *next* batter, as a team isn't likely to change up sequencing from batter to batter. Two second delay really doesn't solve anything, I don't think.
 

tims4wins

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How? Runner on second, pitch comes in. Two seconds later, you realize that a fastball was the fourth sign in the sequence. You wait another pitch and it's a curveball, which happened to be the...fourth sign in the sequence. Ok, you figured out that it's the fourth sign. Even if it doesn't work for that batter, because of a 2-second delay, it probably works for the *next* batter, as a team isn't likely to change up sequencing from batter to batter. Two second delay really doesn't solve anything, I don't think.
Huh? By the time the 2 second delay elapses, the pitcher has begun his motion, so it would be really hard to "notify" the batter of what the pitch is
 

Murderer's Crow

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I would be fine with any electronic solution that allows communication with the dugout but do managers really want that? They have to pay attention to the game. I can't imagine managers leaning over the dugout calling every pitch into a small microphone.
 

tims4wins

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I would be fine with any electronic solution that allows communication with the dugout but do managers really want that? They have to pay attention to the game. I can't imagine managers leaning over the dugout calling every pitch into a small microphone.
Make it the responsibility of the pitching coach. And give him a headset, like football coaches.
 

terrynever

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I don't know how much sense it makes or not, but I do hope they come up with a way to enable pitchers and catchers to exchange signs in a more secure way. Lots of options for that I think, some discussed around here. All the slow-ass sign/countersign stuff has been part of the game for a long, long time, but when the potential means of deciphering those signs is so much greater than before, I think it is better to just move on with a better system.

Hopefully a system that also improves the pace of the game.
Interesting that NFL allows photos of defensive alignments to be taken in game and analyzed within seconds by offensive players. It is an accepted part of the game, new technology making it a much faster process in recent years.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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Huh? By the time the 2 second delay elapses, the pitcher has begun his motion, so it would be really hard to "notify" the batter of what the pitch is
Maybe I wasn’t clear. This only works with a guy on second. You use the first couple of pitches in an at bat to determine the sign sequence. Then relay that info (“it’s the fourth sign”) to the runner on second, who then peers in and sees the sign in real time and relays it to the hitter. Doesn’t work obviously without a runner on second.
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tims4wins

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Maybe I wasn’t clear. This only works with a guy on second. You use the first couple of pitches in an at bat to determine the sign sequence. Then relay that info (“it’s the fourth sign”) to the runner on second, who then peers in and sees the sign in real time and relays it to the hitter. Doesn’t work obviously without a runner on second.
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I see. Man on 2nd will always create some sort of issue, unless they just go to ear pieces.
 

bankshot1

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They could "Green dot" the pitcher and catcher and have the DC call in plays.

I really want to hear Vaz then align the D with a shout "Omaha-52's the mike"
 

The Gray Eagle

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There's other ways to get rid of hand signals. The pitcher and catcher could have wrist bands-- each time the catcher presses a button, the pitcher feels a silent buzz in his wrist band. One buzz for fastball, 2 for curve, etc.

I'm sure there are plenty of other possible solutions people can come up with. MLB should recognize that this problem is not going away and start experimenting with these ideas immediately. The sooner they get a working solution in place, the sooner they can get past this issue that makes the players and teams look bad and slows the game down.

They need to find a way to replace hand signals with a system that's quicker and can't be stolen just by looking at video. Players are going to look at video if it's out there. It's silly to make it illegal for a player to see what any fan at the ballpark with a cellphone can see.
 

Murderer's Crow

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There's other ways to get rid of hand signals. The pitcher and catcher could have wrist bands-- each time the catcher presses a button, the pitcher feels a silent buzz in his wrist band. One buzz for fastball, 2 for curve, etc.

I'm sure there are plenty of other possible solutions people can come up with. MLB should recognize that this problem is not going away and start experimenting with these ideas immediately. The sooner they get a working solution in place, the sooner they can get past this issue that makes the players and teams look bad and slows the game down.

They need to find a way to replace hand signals with a system that's quicker and can't be stolen just by looking at video. Players are going to look at video if it's out there. It's silly to make it illegal for a player to see what any fan at the ballpark with a cellphone can see.
If they do solve it, I think you might see better catchers and faster games in addition to less cheating. @jon abbey alluded to it a few times but Gary Sanchez looked overwhelmed in the postseason when it came to the constant sign switching and cross-ups. There were multiple mound visits and game delays because of it.
 

uncannymanny

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Is it for the reason you’re inferring though? Presumably that’s from a scouting report. If teams know that some teams are watching live feeds (and the Yankees would, having done so themselves), Judge is probably wise to block the visual of what they’re discussing. I’d love the schadenfraude as much as the next Sox fan but this seems like nothing.
 

Ed Hillel

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Is it for the reason you’re inferring though? Presumably that’s from a scouting report. If teams know that some teams are watching live feeds (and the Yankees would, having done so themselves), Judge is probably wise to block the visual of what they’re discussing. I’d love the schadenfraude as much as the next Sox fan but this seems like nothing.
Yeah, it's probably nothing. Are teams allowed to take still shots of pitchers from broadcast footage of the same game and use it real time? In order to figure out pitch-tipping, for example?
 

uncannymanny

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Hitters, JDM comes to mind, watch video of their at bats in-game, right? Who’s to say what game these printouts are from anyway (I would assume they’re from a pregame report myself).