Toronto Blue Jays accused of stealing signs

[Megatron]

A story has developed recently about a possibility that the Toronto Blue Jays have been stealing signs during their home games with the assistance of a man in a white shirt 400+ feet away. There were 4 unidentified players that said they knew the Jays were stealing signs and both the Yankees and Red Sox had instances where they used multiple signs for pitches even when nobody was on base. However, when asked of this, anyone associated with the Jays (including players and front office) they've constantly denied anything happened.

So I ask you:
1. Do you think the Blue Jays were/are stealing signs at home? Are these people just paranoid or is there a legitimate story here?
2. What do you think about stealing signs? Is it just apart of the game, or should the cheaters be punished? Does it depend on the circumstances?
3. Will anything be done on this story, or is it just some news to chew on in the dog days of August?

I think there is no story here, at all. The Blue Jays have said all the right things: if they were stealing signs, wouldn't they be performing better then what they are? I think some teams are just paranoid since the Jays do have a significant power surge at home compared to on the road. I think stealing signs are apart of the game if done right. A player relaying signs at second is fine, but if the allegations on the Jays are true, that wouldn't be right since it's outside of the park. And I don't think this is much of a story other then to get people talking. Nobody has reported anything to MLB, so it seems like a non issue to me.

Your thoughts?

(Source: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...-suspicion-again-stealing-signs-rogers-centre)

 

[hatehabsforever]

Again? As a lifelong Jays fan, this is a story that crops up almost every year to some extent, dating back to their glory days of nearly two decades ago. While the Jays were on their way up in the late 80's, when they were winning World Series in 92 and 93, and in all the years since when they have ranged from mediocre to bad, they have been accused of stealing signs. Players have come and gone, the coaching carousel has turned numerous times, the front office has changed, yet the allegations remain, and I for one don't understand it. If they are stealing signs, they aren't very good at it, because they are still struggling near .500 and have been for years. If they were cheating, I would expect their record to be better.

The Rogers Centre is a very hitter friendly stadium. Of course their power numbers surge there, I think I could jack one out of the former Skydome if I had an opportunity at the plate. Do I think the Jays are guilty of stealing signs? Absolutely not. Paranoia on behalf of the opposition. And nothing will come of this story since the Jays are not in contention for the AL East or the Wildcard race. It would be extremely difficult to prove if it were true, and j don't think it would be worth the effort to investigate for a team who will be lucky to finish with 85 victories and out of contention.

In terms of stealing signs on the field, I have no problem with it. If a team is careless with their signs and the opposing players or coaches can pick up on it and relay it to their teammates, good for them. This happens all the time, always has, always will. That's why catchers routinely change their signs with a baserunner on second base, or why pitchers cover their mouths with their gloves during conferences on the mound. However, if signs were to be stolen with the aide of someone in the stands, that would be totally unacceptable and should be punished severely. However, I for one don't believe this to be the case here, and this story will just quietly go away, at least until next season. Just imagine if the Jays were even a decent team within a glimpse of a playoff berth.