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Pitch-Tipping Is Not Just A-Rod

This is a posting about the latest accusations that A-Rod was tipping off opposing players about which pitches were coming. In essence, he was a spy against his own team. A great article by a former major leaguer frames the issue nicely. And I’ll tell you about a confession of pitch-tipping told to me.

LAS VEGAS, NV (May 7, 2009) – Doug Glanville is a former major league centerfielder who played ten years. He’s written a good piece for the New York Times about pitch-tipping allegations made in Selena Roberts’ new book, “A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez”.

It’s worth reading for baseball nuts and for those who want to know more about “inside baseball.” Glanville does a great job of explaining how defensive players – namely shortstops, second basemen, and centerfielders – can improve their chance of making a play by knowing what pitch is being thrown by the pitcher.

Glanville also looks at the severity of the allegations against A-Rod. In short, A-Rod, if the allegations are true, was a traitor to his own team or at best to his pitching staff.

Yet, Glanville also cautions us about blaming A-Rod too quickly. He writes:

A more likely scenario for how he may have been tipping pitches: he was sending signals to his own team, something that could easily be stolen by a sage opponent. Just as we knew when certain pitchers were throwing a curveball (based on their glove habits, or the way the catcher crouched), or throwing home instead of picking off to first (the pitcher may have turned his front foot inward, or widened his base).

Steve Phillips of ESPN mentioned this the other night. He says A-Rod might be guilty of sending sloppy signals to his own team. For those of you just learning the intricacies of baseball, watch the shortstop on every pitch when there is a runner on base. He will put his glove to his face, shielding his mouth to base runners, and then open or close his mouth in the direction of the second basemen to signify who will cover the base in the event of a steal, a pick-off, or a quick grounder back to the pitcher.

A-Rod can no longer be accused of pitch-tipping, though, since he is playing third base where he can’t see the catcher’s signals.

Pitch-tipping is not new. There have been plenty of allegations that the old New York Giants had a guy with binoculars and a phone in the centerfield scoreboard at the old Polo Grounds sending signals to Giant hitters. Nothing was ever proven.

I head about pitch-tipping from a couple of major leaguers who play in some of the celebrity golf events with me. The telling of the story was interesting as was the reaction from a major league pitcher who was with us.

However, I’m not going to use their names here. First, this story was told to me without them knowing I would write about it. Secondly, I think it’s more important to tell the story rather than possibly malign any one of these players who are now long retired. And lastly, we had had a few libations at the time.

The two players sitting with me were an Infielder and a Relief Pitcher. We were talking about a Catcher who was at the event but not sitting with us at the time this story was told. Anyone who follows baseball knows these three.

The Infielder tells the story which is similar to a couple of scenes from the movie “Bull Durham”:

Before this particular game, the Infielder, who was in a slump, was told by his manager that he was going back to the minors if he didn’t start hitting. He was a rookie and this was his first hitch in the bigs.

The Catcher – who was on the opposing team – heard about the Infielder’s possible demotion. As the Infielder came to bat for the second time, the game was already lop-sided affair with one team way ahead. So, the Catcher while in his squat, said to the Infielder, awaiting the pitch, “Here comes a fast ball inside.” At first, the Infielder thought it must have been a joke.

He let the first pitch go. The Catcher again told him the pitch and location. This time the Infielder took the advice and lined a double down the line.

The same thing happened in the next at-bat. The Infielder got a hit. I believe he had three hits that night. As a result, he stayed with the major league club, never went to the minors, and went on to a successful career.

“I was always grateful to him for doing that and I never forgot that,” The Infielder told me about the Catcher.

And they have remained friends. Ironically, they didn’t know each other before that pitch-tipping incident. The Catcher, according to the Infielder, was helping a young rookie. And he says, “It had no effect on the game.”

While the Infielder was trying to show what a good guy the Catcher was, the Relief Pitcher, sitting with us, was beginning to fume. “I don’t know if I like hearing that,” he said.

Later he told me, if that Catcher was on his team and he heard about that happening, that Catcher would be in a lot of trouble. I’m guessing the punishment might be the Relief Pitcher throwing a fastball when the Catcher called for a breaking ball or change-up. That could smart.

Was that incident cheating or an act of kindness? Your thoughts.

Pacquaio Observation

Take another look at the knock-out of Hatton. Pacquaio’s motion — his head dropping down below and blindly throwing his round-house pitch — reminds me of Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima. I wish I had said this when we went live Saturday night with Joe Cortez. You can see our live analysis in the next post.

Two Of The Best Baseball Books

Since it’s Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball and MLB-TV is talking about the day’s theme, there are two books that kep popping into my head.  I highly recommend them.  The first is 1947: When All Hell Broke Loose In Baseball by Red Barber.   Barber was the voice of the Dodgers so he saw it and lived it.  The other book is by the late, great David Halberstam; The Summer of ‘49.  This is truly a baseball book, but it’s also a history book of America seen through the eyes of baseball.  You’ll notice a number of references from that book in future columns here. 

Baseball Explains Our Changing Economy

Baseball is more than a game.  It’s a metaphor for America.  I use this theme a lot.  Along with two great films, I use baseball to explain what is happening in this changing economy over at JohnDalyLive.  Give me your thoughts here or there.

2009 Baseball Picks: Join in

These are my picks for the season. I usually do this with three other long-time friends — Ken Hyne, Jason Hyne, and Tom Prior. They will post their picks as well in the comment section. Feel free to do the same. As you can see I’ve led with my heart by choosing the Red Sox to win it all; my head tells me the bullpen is the key. I also think the Rays will be like past World Series losers and not make the playoffs the following year. Since Manny has a two year deal, he will be fine this year to go along with a great line-up under Joe Torre. Dodgers-Red Sox would be a class World Series. So here are my picks.

 

WORLD SERIES CHAMP: Boston Red Sox

AL CHAMP: Boston Red Sox

NL CHAMP: Los Angeles Dodgers

AL EAST: New York Yankees

AL CENTRAL: Cleveland Indians

AL WEST: Oakland A’s

AL WILDCARD: Boston Red Sox

NL EAST: NY Mets

NL CENTRAL: St. Louis Cardinals

NL WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers

NL WILDCARD: San Francisco Giants

AL MVP: Josh Hamilton

AL CY YOUNG: Roy Halladay

NL MVP: Albert Pujols

NL CY YOUNG: Brandon Webb

Bosox Fans Offer Prayers To Heal A-Rod

LAS VEGAS, NV – There is almost no worse news for Red Sox Nation.

Sure, maybe Youklis or Pedroia deciding to join the PGA Tour would be more devastating. Imagine Youk in knickers. Peewee would be mistook for a caddy.

But the worst news possible happened when A-Rod announced he’d be out six to nine weeks for hip surgery. Adding insult to injury, so to speak, for Sox fans was the hint that A-Rod might miss the whole season.

Yes, I know his numbers. But what you don’t know is The Curse. Or should I say The New Curse. This one is on the Yankees. It’s A-Rod.

Look at what the Yankees have done since he has arrived. No World Series Championships. And look at the excess distractions. A-Rod is really doing the work of three men: Moe, Larry, and Curly. Nyuk nyuk nyuk nyuk.

What’s the source of the curse? The Yankees stealing A-Rod, thankfully for Sox Nation, from the Red Sox and excessive overspending. I wouldn’t be surprised if A-Rod’s signing was one of the causes of the financial crisis on Wall Street. Talk about a toxic asset.

So what if A-Rod misses the whole season? I don’t know. Frankly, the book on curses is not explicit. My guess is this. If A-Rod misses the whole season and does not appear in that dugout, then the Yankees just became the World Series favorite.

When that specific medical news pops, I’m heading to the Wynn Sports Book and dropping a c-note on a Yanks’ futures bet.

Don’t believe me?

ESPN’s Rick Sutcliffe snuck in an interesting comment about the current American team in the WBC. He said that this current is different than the previous team. This current team is cohesive and they get along. The 2006 team had A-Rod and Rocket Roid Clemens sitting in their corners away from everyone.

Yup, A-Rod turned the greatest baseball country in the world into an eighth place finisher last time.

Trust me, when many folks in Sox Nation heard that A-Rod had signed that 10-year deal, the chances of Yankee World Series wins were as good as Cornell winning the NCAA basketball championship.

That’s why if you go to Boston this weekend and head to one of their fine churches, you will see Sox fans lighting candles, kneeling, and praying to Jesus that A-Rod comes back soon.

A-Rod Should Be Happy About The Hip

LAS VEGAS, NV (March 10, 2009) – So I’m watching Roy Oswalt pitch Sunday night for the American team in the WBC.

I didn’t really pay much attention to how he was pitching. Sure, he was a little rusty with his breaking and off-speed stuff. That forced him to rely on the fast-ball; though it was decent the The Chavezes (my nickname) were able to hit him pretty good.

But that wasn’t what I was thinking about.

Instead I kept saying to myself, “A-Rod is lucky.”

Remember a month or so ago when the A-Rod juicing flap began. Oswalt admitted he was angry. A-Rod had hit him pretty good in interleague play. In short, Oswalt said that A-Rod played unfairly and my have taken money out of his pocket.

Think about it. If a pitcher gets bonuses based on wins and A-Rod has hit a few dingers off you to win some games, then you could be might steamed. Then again, A-Rod’s homers don’t mean anything since they’re usually in April or May when the game is already decided.

But if I’m a pitcher and that has happened to me, I might do something about it next time I face A-Fraud. Speaking of Roid Frauds, isn’t that what Rocket Clemens would do? Hey if he’s willing to decapitate Piazza for crowding the plate, imagine what he would do if he thought you were stealing from him?

Maybe when A-Rod returns, he may have something more than a hip to worry about.

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