White Sox knew the Astros signs in the 2005 World Series

Yeah, don't know what I was thinking, guess I got "deception" and "cheating" mixed up.

 

I agree fully with all of this - execution is paramount. But execution is easier if the defense isn't waiting for your specific play.

In MLB, the equivalent is knowing what pitch is coming. If you know a fastball is coming, you still have to hit it on the barrel. But it's a lot easier than if you also have to be worried about a splitter dropping straight down or tailing away. You might still miss, but you aren't going to flail at something a foot off the plate. Biggio and his down-and-away splitter problem would have been solved by trashcan banging, for example.

 

Pena needs that trashcan.

 

Buuuut. If the Astros win the world series that is too costly in the major media markets. So they must be crucified. Am I on the right track?

 

Stealing signs is only a short leap from tipping pitches or telling batters how to recognize the type of pitch a pitcher is throwing. It's a continuum that is a part of competing. But MLB likes to pretend normal isn't really happening as long as the favored teams are the most successful at it because what's good for NYC is good for baseball.

https://nypost.com/2002/07/29/51-giants-come-clean-admit-to-sign-stealing-scheme/

This is 1951 or 66 years before cheating was NOT OK because it wasn't done by a NYC based team.

 

For receivers, yes. It's called making them think in when it's out or long when it's short, etc. Unless you have the studs to say, we're going through the middle and you can't stop us like the Oilers with Earl.