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Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 8:40 am
I admit I know little about baseball, not a fan at all.
But this recent scandal about "stealing signals" I don't quite get.
In my life, I have flipped through channels, and sport clips, and like any viewer, have seen the catcher and coaches signal the pitcher or batter. If it is all on camera for the world to see, how the hell is it possible to steal?
Even with the NFL, I get not letting rivals peek in on your practices between games. And I even get why coaches in the NFL cover their mouths when play calling.
But can someone explain to me what this scandal is about?
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 8:46 am
Its about them using technology to steal signs. Its perfectly acceptable to have a guy on the bench trying to steal signs as long as he is not video recording.
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 8:51 am
(January 15, 2020 at 8:46 am)Mr.wizard Wrote: Its about them using technology to steal signs. Its perfectly acceptable to have a guy on the bench trying to steal signs as long as he is not video recording.
Ok, I get that.
Not being a baseball fan It's hard for me to understand, but I guess it is the difference between studying a rival between games, and then using technology during the game.
But again, hard for me to understand since I am not a fan. I see the fingers move from the catcher, and the coaches wipe their brow or hat or rub their arm.
Maybe it is akin to a marathon runner who hitches a rid 10 miles in? The car would be the technology helping him cheat?
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 11:37 am
Say what you will, but to take that walk, certainly took balls.
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 3:51 pm
(January 15, 2020 at 11:37 am)no one Wrote: Say what you will, but to take that walk, certainly took balls.
Real men have 4.
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 7:48 pm
(January 15, 2020 at 8:51 am)Brian37 Wrote: (January 15, 2020 at 8:46 am)Mr.wizard Wrote: Its about them using technology to steal signs. Its perfectly acceptable to have a guy on the bench trying to steal signs as long as he is not video recording.
Ok, I get that.
Not being a baseball fan It's hard for me to understand, but I guess it is the difference between studying a rival between games, and then using technology during the game.
But again, hard for me to understand since I am not a fan. I see the fingers move from the catcher, and the coaches wipe their brow or hat or rub their arm.
Maybe it is akin to a marathon runner who hitches a rid 10 miles in? The car would be the technology helping him cheat?
It's really the fact that it is against the rules and they were told twice to stop doing it and they continued. I grew up playing baseball and stealing signs was common place, hell we had are own set of signs to indicate to the rest of the team we had in fact stolen the signs, and then we would relay through signals or verbally what pitches were coming.
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 15, 2020 at 8:29 pm
Conventional sign stealing is a part of the game and has been for the whole history of the sport. Doing it by electronic means though is stepping way over the line. The home team is accessing a resource unavailable to the visiting team (the center field camera) so it makes for an un-level playing field.
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 16, 2020 at 9:21 am
All this over adult males who play with their balls in public.
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 16, 2020 at 1:04 pm
Reminds me of 'ghosting' a tournament game.
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool." - Richard P. Feynman
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RE: Stealing signals.
January 17, 2020 at 2:35 pm
(January 15, 2020 at 8:29 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: Conventional sign stealing is a part of the game and has been for the whole history of the sport. Doing it by electronic means though is stepping way over the line. The home team is accessing a resource unavailable to the visiting team (the center field camera) so it makes for an un-level playing field.
I agree. Lets face it, all contact sports, but especially baseball and American football are about deception and misdirection. And on a literal evolutionary scale, all life prey and predator rely on both. But when it comes to a cognitive game which is supposed to be about rules and fairness, there is a line.
For example, any NFL fan knows what a "flee flicker" is. I am no fan of that play. Perfectly legal as far as rules, but the reason I don't like it is because it is a high risk, low yield play for the offence. BUT, as far as breaking rules, most NFL fans remember the RAMS/SAINTS pass interference play that should have given the Saints first and goal.
But yea, "spying" in sports to me, beyond using your eyes without electronics on the field of play is a dick move. Spying with electronics on other teams is no different to me as Lance Armstrong using steroids and the Terminator on top of that.
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