Stealing Signs Poor Form in Baseball?

Photo taken by Daniel Millhouse of Derek Norris, San Diego Padres Catcher

 

In almost any aspect of baseball, signals are given to communicate on the field to prevent your opponent from knowing what you want to be done. Catcher signal pitchers, base coaches signal hitters and runners, and infielders signal each other to communicate who will be covering what base.

These signals are communicate through all kinds of hand motions, displaying numbers using fingers, and touching various parts of the body. Nothing that would be obvious to their opponents. A third base coach might want the batter to bunt by doing a series of motions then touching the brim of his hat to let his player know what he wants him to do.

Some players today on the Major League Level claim there is an unwritten rule of "no sign stealing", but is there really? Coaches get angry when they see a corner fielder charging in toward the batter when they thought they signaled for a surprise bunt. Catchers and pitchers get angry when they think the runner on second base is signaling the batter what pitch is coming. If there is an unwritten rule then what is the point of these signals that at times can seem like a ridiculous set of motions to someone that doesn't know the game.

Whose fault is it really when a sign is stolen? If the sign is easy to pickoff, then the fault should lie with the coach, not the opponent who was able to figure out what the signal meant. What would be the point of doing the "secret signals" to a player if no matter what, the opponent can't react to it if they picked off the sign? If that is the case, why not have a coach yell "steal" to a base runner? If the other team can't react to the signal they stole, it's essentially the same thing.

Another question should be asked...if it's an unwritten rule at the professional level, then why on the amateur levels is it considered a positive when you can steal your opponent's signs? Little league coaches will tell players to watch the coach to see if they notice a pattern to the base coach's signals to his players. At the high school and college levels, catchers will signal a series of numbers to his pitcher before flashing the indicator to the pitcher know what pitch he wants him to throw.

Just as recently as Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, a team was accused of stealing signals. In this case, Royals players claimed that the Blue Jays were stealing signals from the catcher to the pitcher.

"That's your fault," Royals pitcher Edison Volquez said before Game 4 to ABC News reporters. "You've got to hide the ball and have better communication with the catcher giving you signs when you're pitching. So it's nothing wrong with it. We just have to hide the ball and give multiple signs to hide it from them."

Multiple signs is what catchers do on all levels up to the Major League level. So why should it be an unwritten rule at the highest level? Nowhere in the baseball rule book on any level say you can't. There are unwritten rules that are just in nature, but this is not one of them.

Baseball isn't the only one that has had these problems. Football teams have made the same complaint, but in the same manner, if it is illegal to steal a coaches signal to his quarterback, then why go through all the motions. Just hold a big sign up that says something like "swing right". If the defense acts according, the coach can claim the defense stole the signal.

It is just part of the game and has been for as long as baseball has been around. If it was really a poor form of the sport, then why teach kids how to do it while they play at the amateur level and applaud them when they do it well?

Maybe the team that gets their signs stolen should work on better signs and stop their whining.

Halloween Asteroid to Buzz by Earth

Nine days from now, on Halloween night, our planet will be getting buzzed by an asteroid that will be flying nearby. Hurling through space at 78,830 miles-per-hour, the asteroid is expected to safely pass by Earth with no problem. The asteroid that is called 2015 TB145, will be as close as 300,000 miles from Earth, which is just a little farther that our own moon at 238,900 miles.

This particular asteroid is fairly large in size at 2,034 feet in diameter. In comparison, the asteroid that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in 2013 was only 66 feet across before it disintegrated and caused a load of damage to buildings.

Now while NASA has informed us that this won't be a threat to the world, it wasn't discovered until three weeks before it is scheduled to fly by the planet. If this had be a serious threat to colliding with Earth, this wouldn't be enough time for us to do anything. Even the best prospective plans that scientists have come up with would require more advanced notice than three weeks. We would be doomed. I'm sure there might be a conspiracy nut or two that might be claiming that 2015 TB145 IS a planet killer and that NASA isn't being truthful with us.

Now what if this isn't an asteroid that will miss us? JPL scientists estimate an asteroid the size of a house, traveling at 30,000 miles-per-hour would be approximately equal to the power of the energy released from the atomic bomb that flattened Hiroshima. 2015 TB145 is traveling over twice as fast and is at least forty times larger. This is supposed to be the biggest asteroid scheduled to pass by Earth until 2027, so if this one passes, at least for the next twelve years, they won't be as big.

This only exacerbates the need for humanity to A) develop a way to find potential "Earth Killers" sooner, B) develop a way to destroy them when they are getting too close, C) and eventually find a way to colonize planets or other planetary bodies to preserve the human species.

While this asteroid will be flying close by and is over 2,000 feet in diameter, you'll still need a telescope to catch a visual of it on Halloween night. That is if you're not too busy passing out candy.

Photo Courtesy of NASA

Themed Parties, Not Just for Halloween

Why must Halloween be the only time of the year for themed parties? Of course other holidays have their own themed parties such as July 4th barbeques with American flags and good food being cooked up on the grill, but parties rarely costume themes unless it is a Halloween party.

Masquerade balls used to be something that people who aren't hurting for money would have, but even then many times, attendees of these of these balls only wore a domino mask with something formal. Not much of a costume at all. Kids on the other hand sometimes have pajama party sleepovers with their friends, but these parties usually dissipate after the kids hit their early teenage years.

Adults, ones of average means and usually between the ages of twenty-one to their mid-forties, don't tend to have a themed party beyond the ones that celebrate the holidays. They may have get-togethers, but they usually involve little more than someone buying some beer and ordering up a pizza or two. While hanging out with friends is the key point of the get-together, sometimes a party theme adds enthusiasm to the party and can even sway the friends that were on the fence to show up, to actually attend the party.

Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy throws one of these parties every year that all of Hollywood, models, and various other celebrities look forward to every year. The theme is Midsummer Night's Dream Party. Now being a Playboy party, many of the models do show up in lingerie obviously, but there is also a Shakespearean quality to the theme because the party is named of the famous playwright's work.

Once again, a party for people of means, but it's not something that a person couldn't do in their own home and why not? When Americans are working harder for their money than ever and have less spending cash available, something like a themed party could be something cheap to throw and enjoy if all those attending pitch in. Bring your own beer or alcohol would be a start since that is usually the most expensive thing a party host has to pay for. Wear your own themed costumer, whether it be an adult pajama party, a beach themed party, a superhero party, or anything else you can come up with, only cost money to the costume wearer. Even then, most people have elements of most of these themes in their own closet without having to spend too much money.

Now think back to the parties you have thrown that weren't centered around a particular holiday. Can you remember the specifics to any of these parties? Now think about it. Would that party be more memorable if it had a theme to it? Say you threw a party with a "Favorite Movie Character" theme, wouldn't it be more memorable if you had friends show up as Jay and Silent Bob? Charlie Chaplin's tramp? Marilyn Monroe's dress raising "The Girl" from Seven Year Itch? Not only would the parties be more memorable, but an element of fun would be added to it that your average party doesn't have.

So why must kids and rich people have all the fun? Everyone should be given an opportunity to not just party, but have a memorable one that creates longer lasting memories.

The Top 8 Fictional Cities to Live in

For those of us who read books and/or comics, watch movies and/or television, and play games, we don't just enjoy the characters that we read about and their adventures, but sometimes we also get lost in the cities or towns they live in. Many times, we wish the city was a real place. One that we could visit in person whether on vacation or even live in. Some fictional cities can be hell on Earth, but many others can seem like a utopia. The following is a list of fictional cities that might be the best ones to live in...

1. Hill Valley, California: As seen in the movie trilogy Back to the Future, this city seems to be the epitome of a nice and quiet town that has a low crime rate depending which timeline is in effect. Obviously Biff destroyed the city when he built his casino, but Marty was successful in restoring Hilly Valley back to normal. Even in the 80s, it appeared that it was the type of town that you could watch a movie with your date and get a milkshake afterward without worrying about being mugged. The city appeared to have everything you needed while still keeping the appeal of being small enough not to be overcrowded.

2. Storybrooke, Maine: The town that everyone in the television show Once Upon a Time is stuck in, provides everything a person could need and more. Storybrooke has a museum, a pawnshop that is more like an antique store, a beach, a low crime rate, and best of all, apparently no one ages. Despite being stuck in Storybrooke for nearly 30 years, not a single resident aged a single day. Now of course the Evil Queen from Snow White has been the mayor, but for most of the residents, she was a good mayor unless you're Emma Swan. Hell, the town only needed one sheriff and no deputies when she first discovered the town.

3. Basin City: From the graphic novels and the Sin City movies, this black and white city has a high crime rate, but only for those who are looking for trouble. Especially once Roark Jr. was arrested and almost killed by Hartigan, after Roark kidnapped little Nancy. Of Course, if the Roark family would just be removed from the city entirely, Basin City would probably be a lot better. Cardinal Roark was hiding Kevin's obsession with cannibalizing the prostitutes of Basin City and Senator Roark seemed to have his hands in every little element of crime in the city. Otherwise, if you're an adult, the town wasn't too bad. There was a neighborhood in the city with prostitutes who looked like models and who ran their neighborhood without interference from the police (and crime free by the way), and a strip club named Kadie's which featured some of the best looking strippers in the world. It didn't appear to be that hard to find a card game to get into either. While this might not be considered wholesome, it seemed that as long as you kept to yourself, you'd be okay.

4. Shermer, Illinois: The city where dreams come true--if you're a teenager. The hometown to all of John Hughes' 80s characters such as Ferris Bueller, the kids of The Breakfast Club, the kids of Sixteen Candles, the pair of kids who engineered their dream girl out of a doll, and an uncle by the name of Buck tries to win over the hearts of his family. Shermer provides so much appeal for those who want to move there, that even Jay and Silent Bob get lost in Illinois, searching for the city that doesn't exist.

5. The Citadel: Famous for being the deep-space city with five wings and a ring spinning to keep gravity going, this city in the stars has 13.2 million residents. Supposedly thought to be constructed by the extinct race called the Protheans, the Asari discovered the abandoned space city/ship after they learned how to control the mass relays. multiple species soon joined them and a council was formed to keep the peace between the different alien races. The space station features parks, shopping, restaurants, apartment-like homes, buildings dedicated to running the ship, and can protect itself from outside attacks.

6. Bedrock: The stone-age town that calls itself home to the Flintstone family, is probably one of the most green friendly fictional cities. Everything is run on manual power, the use of rocks to make things work, and even smaller dinosaurs and mammals to do the rest. It's doubtful that a wooly mammoth shower hurts the environment in any way. It's also doubtful that a care powered by Fred's bare feet can hurt the environment either. What does seem evident is that food portions are massive and Bedrock must be located in an area that sustains a nice climate year-round.

7. Mayberry, North Carolina: A peaceful town where everyone knows each other, crime never appears to be a problem. The only resident of the Mayberry jail only appears to be Otis, the town drunk. In all honesty, it's hard to come up with a reason why they need even two law enforcement officers who appear to work the same shift (Andy and Barney). The downfalls of the city could be that if you're looking for something to do other than hunt or fish, you're probably out of luck. Even the bar that Otis gets drunk at is never seen.

8. Smallville, Kansas: Sure a storm of kryptonite rained down while a space pod carrying a baby Kryptonian landed near the Kent farm, but other than that, the town was pretty peaceful. In the TV series Smallville, there does appear to be a lot more drama than what the comic book version of the town deals with. The comic book town appears to be fairly quiet though and almost completely free of the tornados that Kansas is known for. In the small chance something does happen, Superman finds himself in town just as the right moment.

Photo: Screencap from the movie "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For"

2015 Millhouse MLB Awards

It's that time of year again. With the Major League Baseball season coming to an end and the playoffs around the corner, it's time to announce the winners of the Millhouse 2015 MLB Awards.

American League:
MVP: Josh Donaldson...This was a real close race between Donaldson of the Blue Jays and Mike Trout of the ANAHEIM Angels. Very close in all their stats, the most notable differences between the two players was in the RBI's department. Josh Donaldson led the league with 123 RBI's compared to Trout's. In the runs department, Donaldson also led the league with 122 runs compared to Trout's 103. Trout did field better during the season, playing at a Gold Glove level, but Donaldson wasn't a bad fielder either. Donaldson also was the motivational leader that helped boost his team's play higher while Trout's slump in the month of August was one of the major factors to costing the Angels a wild card spot in the playoffs. 2nd: Trout, 3rd: Nelson Cruz

Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel...in a fairly close race, Keuchel edges David Price out for Cy Young. Keuchel was the pitching leader of the Astros quicker than expected ascent in the baseball standings. In the preseason Millhouse predictions, the Astros were predicted to take third place with about a .500 winning percentage. The biggest difference between Keuchel and Price was their quality starts. Keuchel, even when leaving the game with the opponent in the lead, would leave his team in a better scenario more often than Price. For those who follow sabermetrics, this reflects on Keuchel's WAR which was at 7.2 compared to Price's 3.6. 2nd: Price 3rd: Sonny Gray

Rookie of the Year: Carlos Correa...in what turned out to be a battle between the shortstops, the much anticipated debut of Astros' Carlos Correa didn't disappoint. Correa led AL rookies in homeruns while Francisco Lindor of the Indians led AL rookies in batting average. Lindor had a slightly better glove. Correa also led all shortstops in the American League in homeruns as well. The difference maker is how much they meant to their respective teams. Correa became the motivational leader in his clubhouse, while Lindor played more silently and earned some his biggest hits this season in less clutch scenarios. 2nd: Lindor 3rd: Miguel Sano

Fireman of the Year: Andrew Miller...the Yankees had two relievers that could have contended for this if given the chance. Miller had a WHIP of .86, 26 saves, and a 2.04 ERA. 2nd: Zach Britton, 3rd: Huston Street

Breakout Hitter: Xander Bogaerts
Breakout Pitcher: Shawn Tolleson

Manager of the Year: John Gibbons of the Blue Jays...this was a team that wasn't predicted to be a 93 win team and yet they did. They entered the season, losing their best pitcher in Spring Training, being criticized for having subpar pitching, and a subpar bullpen. The Blue Jays started the season hanging their hopes on several star rookies who ended up not panning out, only to find a couple of other rookies and rarely used players that stepped up big for the team. 2nd: Jeff Bannister 3rd: Ned Yost

Silver Sluggers: Catcher-Brian McCann, 1B-Chris Davis, 2B-Robinson Cano, 3B-Josh Donaldson, SS-Xander Bogaerts, OF-Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain, JD Martinez, DH-Edward Encarnacion

All-Rookie Team: Catcher-James McCann, 1B-Mark Canha, 2B-Devon Travis, 3B-Miguel Sano, SS-Carlos Correa, OF-Eddie Rosario, Billy Burns, Delino Deshields, Pitcher-Carson Smith


National League:
MVP: Bryce Harper...in a closer race at the halfway point of the season between Harper and Paul Goldschmidt, Harper broke away in the second half. He had a .330 batting average, 42 homers, 99 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .460. 2nd: Paul Goldschmidt 3rd: Joey Votto

Cy Young: Jake Arrieta...in the closest award race in the NL, Arrieta just edges Zack Greinke out. True Arrieta's ERA was 1.77 compared to Greinke's 1.66, but Arrieta had less run support and struck out more through the season. For those into traditional stats, Arrieta also led the NL with 22 wins compared to Greinke's 19. 2015 turned out to be the year of the pitcher in the National League as at least five candidates could have made decent arguments for the Cy Young Award. 2nd: Greinke 3rd: Clayton Kershaw

Rookie of the Year: Kris Bryant...at the half, Joc Pederson looked like the possible favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year, but Bryant turned up his production. He tied Pederson for most homers by a rookie in the NL and had a .275 batting average compared to Pederson's declining .210. Bryant even stole 13 bases compared to the faster Pederson. 2nd: Justin Bour 3rd: Jung Ho Kang

Fireman of the Year: Mark Melancon...51 saves, a .93 WHIP, and a 2.23 ERA wins the award for this Pirates reliever. 2nd: Jeurys Familia 3rd: Aroldis Chapman

Breakout Hitter: AJ Pollock
Breakout Pitcher: Carlos Martinez

Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle...the Pittsburgh Pirates entered the realm of playoff possibilities last season, so it wasn't a surprise that Clint Hurdle was one of the better managers in the MLB. Getting 98 wins was a lot more than most people predicted, especially in possibly the toughest division in Major League Baseball. Even though 98 wins only earned the Pirates second place in the NL Central, they will be accompanied by the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the division and the Chicago Cubs who won the other wild card spot.

Silver Sluggers: Catcher-Buster Posey, 1B-Paul Goldschmidt, 2B-Dee Gordon, 3B-Nolan Arenado, SS-Jhonny Peralta, OF-Bryce Harper, AJ Pollock, Andrew McCutchen, Pitcher-Madison Bumgarner

All-Rookie Team: Catcher-Kyle Schwarber, 1B-Justin Bour 2B-Addison Russell, 3B-Kris Bryant, SS-Jung Ho Kang, OF-Joc Pederson, Randall Grichuk, Odubel Herrera, Pitcher-Noah Syndergaard

Photo by Daniel Millhouse

Multi-Talented Actors/Athletes/Musicians

Actors, athletes, and musicians that have gained fame are often seen in a one-dimensional view by those who enjoy their work. When someone shows talent in multiple aspects of life, such as music and acting for example, people often criticize that famous person for branching out into something other than what they are known for. In reality, most people in the world are talented in more than one aspect in life which is also true for celebrities and athletes too.

The following is a list of celebrities and athletes that almost took a different route in life that could have derailed their fame or made them famous for something else.

1. The Undertaker: The WWE's legend, perhaps the best wrestler of all-time, played college basketball. He played two years at the junior college level before transferring to Texas-Weslayan University. During this same time, the Deadman discovered his love of wrestling and made the choice to try to go pro. After several failed character gimmicks, Mark Calaway developed the Undertaker personality and has been a star since.

2. Dexter Holland: The lead singer to the Orange County punk rock band, The Offspring, could have been a successful college professor instead. He has a B.S. in biology, a M.S. in molecular biology, and was heading towards a PhD in molecular biology at USC before he found some success in the music industry. By the mid-90s, The Offspring had produced several hits including "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem". The hit band released multiple albums that went multi-platinum and because of that success, Holland could have easily ignored his schooling. Instead, Holland jumped back into microbiology and became a doctoral student at the Laboratory of Viral Oncology Proteomics Research at USC. He also created the successful hot sauce, Gringo Bandito.

3. Jason Lee: The famous actor known for being a mainstay in Kevin Smith movies and for in being in movies and TV shows such as My Name is Earl, Almost Famous, A Guy Thing, and The Incredibles, was actually a famous skateboarder before he was an actor. He cofounded Stereo Sound Agency, known as Stereo Skateboards, with fellow skater Chris "Dune" Pastras. He was featured in several skateboarding videos in the late 80s that grew his fame as an athlete. On a whim, he tried out for a part in Mallrats and landed a starring role as Brody.

4. Geena Davis: Known for her starring roles in movies such as Thelma & Louise and A League of Their Own, she was also an accomplished archer. She was so good in fact that she tried out and just missed making it to the United States Olympic team that went to Sydney in 2000.

5. Vanilla Ice: Obviously known for his hit single "Ice Ice Baby", the rapper rose to fame along the same time as MC Hammer. Shook down by Suge Knight for the rights of his music, Vanilla Ice eventually faded out of the music scene. Before being known as the most famous white rapper until Eminem came around, Vanilla Ice was a dirt bike racer as a kid. He was so good at it that he won three Grand National Championships. Later in life, after his music career faded out, he spent his money in real estate, flipping houses and making big profits. He was so good at this that he even got his own TV show flipping houses.

6. Neil Patrick Harris: Originally famous for being Doogie Howser and then later for the hit show How I Met Your Mother, Harris is also an accomplished magician. He currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Hollywood's Magic Castle and often shows off his abilities on the various shows he appears in.

7. Steve Martin: Known for being a comedy legend and actor, he is talented in magic, as well as banjo playing, and writing. As a banjo player, he won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2010 for The Crow: New Songs for a 5-String Banjo. He has also written two best-selling novellas Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company.

8. Danica McKellar: Known for her role as Winnie Cooper on the hit television show Wonder Years, McKellar went on to UCLA and earned of B.S. in mathematics, summa cum laude. She co-authored the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem and wrote four books on mathematics aimed at teenagers. Three of those books made it to the children's best seller list for the New York Times. She continues to act as well, guest-starring on shows such as The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and appearing on West Wing as Will Bailey's sister. She even appeared on ABC's hit show, Dancing With the Stars.

9. Jennifer Tilly: If it weren't for her career in acting, Tilly would be on tour, playing professional poker and winning more often than she already does. Using her sexpot image from the movies to her advantage, she will often wear low-cut tops at the tables to distract her fellow players. She has a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005 and has finished a dozen times in a money spot. She has finished eleven more times as a money spot winner with World Poker Tour, being crowned the Ladies Night Champion and WPT Bellagio Cup 5K Champion.

10. Hedy Lamarr: So talented in the sciences, Lamarr was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014. Her ideas and inventions have been incorporated into modern Wi-Fi technology, CDMA used by some cell phone companies, and Bluetooth. During World War II she developed technology that would prevent torpedo signals from being jammed by opponents, but the technology wasn't fully utilized until the blockade of Cuba in 1962. Other inventions included improved traffic lights and carbonated drinks that she said tasted like Alka Seltzer. She not only had the brains, but also the sex appeal as she was considered one of the most beautiful actresses during her time.

Photo: Screencap taken of Danica McKellar on Dancing With the Stars