Stealing signs

People have mentioned "stealing signs" on another thread, but I believe it can be its own thread. Stealing signs has always been done in baseball and softball and should be expected. Coaches develop signs to tell their team what they want done and not let the other team know. I remember in my baseball days we always attempted to figure out the opposing teams signs such as the steal or bunt signs. We also always looked for ways to see if a pitcher tipped his pitches. Most catchers back in the day gave their own signs so it was real hard to steal pitching signs, but today signs are given more and more by someone in the dugout...even in baseball. If you are sitting on a bucket and putting down signs for the catcher so that everyone can see them you should fully expect your opponent to use that to their benefit. There are ways to give signs to the catcher so the other team cannot figure it out so easily. If you are sitting there putting down a "1" for fastball and then tapping one leg or the other for location and it is in plain view of the opposing team you can expect that to be relayed to your opponent's hitters at times. If they know for a fact what your change-up sign is and you put it out there for all to see they will tip their batter off and you will not know they have tipped them off. Bottom line..if someone is stealing your signs then change your signs!

 

can be very discreet

I went to 2 SEC baseball games one weekend this season at USC and noticed the signals on the offensive side of things. Apparently USC is extremely discreet in their signals. Rarely did the 3rd base coach seem to give the typical signs at his place on the field. Or either they were very non-typical signs.
I looked at the dugout coaches as well and never could pick up much of anything.
BTW, they are ranked # 6 with a 41-11 record so someone is giving and receiving the signals adequately.

 

I agree Cheese, but I have seen coaches get down right irate over the fact that someone was stealing their signs...they should expect it and do something about it rather than get bent out of shape over it.

 

Agree it is part of the game and if you are going to be obvious about it, expect your opponent to steal them.

As cheese said, use it to your advantage. Work with your pitchers/catchers ahead of time on what to do if you think someone is stealing signs so you can change it on the fly. Nothing like the batter 'thinking' a change up is coming and here comes a fastball high and tight!

For how to avoid it, many things you can do. Have two coaches giving the signs (offense or defense) and alternate which one is real. Have the catcher learn how to call the game but have a coach giving signs anyway (and that coach intentially tries to get them stolen). Etc...

The one I HATE more than anything is the girls on second base being completely obvious about it looking around the pitcher and raising her arm when the catcher sets up. To me that is classless and unsportsman like. Teach the catchers to recognize that, call a pitch, setup somewhere, wait for the girl on second to do her thing, then signal the pitcher and move.

I seem to remember a thread on here a while ago that talked about the above and I believe someone said they will plunk the batter when the girl on second is doing that. Gets the message across pretty quickly...

 

I agree with you on the second base thing Jav, but that is to be fully expected. Like you said...you should be able to do it from second without being so obvious about it. Afterall, you do not want them to know you are tipping the batter off.

 

...I was listening to the UNC v. UVA baseball game on the radio yesterday and the announcers actually discussed the "runner on 2nd" giving a sign to the batter. They said that what UNC did at one time or another, not in this game, but in general, they would lean left or right and that would help the batter as an indication of where the catcher was setting up.
Be careful folks about trying to gain an advantage by stealing a signal or maybe where the catcher sets up because you've still got to hit the ball.
while ya'll focus on stealing signals and waving from 2B, I'm going to bat locked in on the pitcher and focused on making good contact.

JMO

Marlin

 

part of the game

it is also part of the game, to change, reverse, decoy, or miss-direct your communication with your catcher... I see teams focus more on trying to steal signs, and forget about the task at hand..... hit the ball!

 

......very true my friend. I've posted many times that a hitter can get in a pitchers head and set up subsequent pitches for that time at bat.
Seems like each time I make this comment, I get a handful of naysayers on the side of the pitcher as still being in control.

Hitters can make bad pitch calling or better yet, predictable pitch calling, help them at the plate....bigtime!

Batters are in the box they're defensive and at the mercy of the pitcher, Hitters are focused and are offensive without the use of "signs or stolen siganls".

Now as for the defensive side of the ballgame, I'm all for making use of stealing signs from a coach to tell my team that the bunt is coming or a kid stealing a base.

Marlin