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.