Honest Question.

Baseball players have stolen signals since the beginning of the game.

What did Houston and Boston do that caused the latest penalties?

TIA

What has changed is the use of technology outside the field of play.

Teams routinely don't hide signs when no one is on base because no one from the other team can see them. But with a camera in the outfield, someone in the dugout can be watching the signs and relay them to the batter via hits on a trash can, whistles, etc.

Now, teams can always assume someone outside the field of play is relaying the signs and employ the same method used as when a base runner is on second base. And games that are now 4 hours will become 5 hours long. So MLB agreed - ALL teams agreed - it was forbidden to use technology out side the field of play.

Houston and Boston have been proven by MLB to have violated that agreement. Fans of those teams argue "everyone does it". Well, just produce the evidence for MLB and they'll decide.

wbt5845 said:

---

So MLB agreed - ALL teams agreed - it was forbidden to use technology out side the field of play.

---

When was this agreement made?

I saw a news story on ESPN yesterday that described the late Herman Franks (sitting in a hidden area in the outfield, using a telescope back in the early 50's relaying a sign to the bullpen and the bullpen relaying the pitch to the hitter).


A telescope was high tech back then. Wouldn't that be the equivalent of high tech today?

Again, not trying to be argumentative but just trying to understand.

pepe the dog said:

---

wbt5845 said:

---

So MLB agreed - ALL teams agreed - it was forbidden to use technology out side the field of play.

---

When was this agreement made?

I saw a news story on ESPN yesterday that described the late Herman Franks (sitting in a hidden area in the outfield, using a telescope back in the early 50's relaying a sign to the bullpen and the bullpen relaying the pitch to the hitter).

A telescope was high tech back then. Wouldn't that be the equivalent of high tech today?

---

Agreement was implicit with the MLB rule changes a few years ago. The commissioners report spells out those details.

Anything prior to that rule change was fair game. There are all sorts of stories about home teams having a guy in the outfield relaying signs.

DallasAg 94 said:

---

Was the other thread not thorough enough?

Quote:

---

What the Astros did, was setup a system of stealing signs that was not equally available. They setup a camera at home, which is not something available for both teams. Only them.

---

---

Thank you for your patience. I think I understand.

I had never heard of a technology agreement. If that is the case they were wrong and deserve what they got.

Quote:

---

Well, just produce the evidence for MLB and they'll decide.

---

Or they will decide that if it truly was a league wide issue then it might be better to just punish those that were directly implicated in the Atlantic article that they cannot sweep under the rug, and just sweep the rest of the cheating by other teams under the rug and expect these punishments to keep all teams from doing it in the future, so as to not further damage the reputation of the league in the eyes of the viewers and risk losing more eyes on their product.

Texaggie7nine said:

---

Quote:

---

Well, just produce the evidence for MLB and they'll decide.

---

Or they will decide that if it truly was a league wide issue then it might be better to just punish those that were directly implicated in the Atlantic article that they cannot sweep under the rug, and just sweep the rest of the cheating by other teams under the rug and expect these punishments to keep all teams from doing it in the future, so as to not further damage the reputation of the league in the eyes of the viewers and risk losing more eyes on their product.

---

Produce your evidence.

Quote:

---

Produce your evidence.

---

That's the same thing a guilty crime boss says to the cops. Knowing full well they have good lawyers.

They were caught recoding another team using technology on the road. But don't let the facts get in the way of your little brain.

wbt5845 said:

---

What has changed is the use of technology outside the field of play.

Teams routinely don't hide signs when no one is on base because no one from the other team can see them. But with a camera in the outfield, someone in the dugout can be watching the signs and relay them to the batter via hits on a trash can, whistles, etc.

Now, teams can always assume someone outside the field of play is relaying the signs and employ the same method used as when a base runner is on second base. And games that are now 4 hours will become 5 hours long. So MLB agreed - ALL teams agreed - it was forbidden to use technology out side the field of play.

Houston and Boston have been proven by MLB to have violated that agreement. Fans of those teams argue "everyone does it". Well, just produce the evidence for MLB and they'll decide.

---

Catchers hide signs on every pitch.

03_Aggie said:

---

wbt5845 said:

---

What has changed is the use of technology outside the field of play.

Teams routinely don't hide signs when no one is on base because no one from the other team can see them. But with a camera in the outfield, someone in the dugout can be watching the signs and relay them to the batter via hits on a trash can, whistles, etc.

Now, teams can always assume someone outside the field of play is relaying the signs and employ the same method used as when a base runner is on second base. And games that are now 4 hours will become 5 hours long. So MLB agreed - ALL teams agreed - it was forbidden to use technology out side the field of play.

Houston and Boston have been proven by MLB to have violated that agreement. Fans of those teams argue "everyone does it". Well, just produce the evidence for MLB and they'll decide.

---

Catchers hide signs on every pitch.

---

They hide signs, but they don't go to a sequence of signs with no one on base.