Sports Memo
Exactly what does “cheating” mean? One definition is “to act dishonestly; practice fraud.” That sounds good. A second definition is “to violate rules deliberately, as in a game.” That sounds good too. Let’s use these as our definitions of cheating.
The Giants Allegedly Stole Signs
In 1951, New York won the National League pennant, overcoming a Brooklyn 13 ½ game lead. On January 31, 2001, an article in the Wall Street Journal claimed that the Giants had an elaborate sign-stealing scheme involving a telescope in the scoreboard and a system of bells and buzzers that allowed reserve catcher Sal Yvars and reserve infielder Hank Schenz to tip off hitters about the next pitch.
No Rule Against Stealing Signs
If it is true, were the Giants cheating? Well, they were not acting dishonestly. They were acting surreptitiously. Were they violating any rules? Absolutely not. There was nothing in the baseball rulebook in 1951 that prohibited stealing signs by any methods a team choose to employ. There still is not.
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