Sports

Chicago Cubs Spark Gamesmanship Debate With Legal Sign Stealing

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Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell in the dugout


The Chicago Cubs were caught stealing signs from the Arizona Diamondbacks during a recent MLB matchup. It was perfectly legal, but did it cross the line in terms of integrity?

Viewers are split. The signs were swiped by a coach not a player. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was not happy about it.

The drama unfolded in a Monday night contest. Chicago led 2-0 at the time of the controversy. They’d go onto win, 7-0.

Were they aided by shady tactics? Lovullo believes so. He and starting pitcher Merrill Kelly called the Cubs out after the fact.

Did Cubs’ sign stealing cross line?

Action was interrupted by a shouting match in the fifth inning. Kelly believed his pitches were being tipped by the third base coach. More specifically, he thought Quintin Berry knew when he was throwing changeups to left-handed batters.

“Sign stealing is as old as baseball,” he said after the game. “I think it’s a little bulls— when it comes from a coach.”

Kelly left the game after 5.2 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits in a loss.

Lovullo and his coaching staff echoed their pitcher’s sentiments. They were visibly frustrated with the sign stealing during the contest. The fact that it was coming from the third base coach amplified their rage.

After the game, though, Lovullo reverted course. He apologized to the Cubs for his outburst after being told the sign stealing was legal.

Chicago did not break the rules.

Quintin Berry was tipping pitches. That is not up for debate. He did so from the confines of this third base coaching box. The assistant did not leave his designated area. Whatever he sees from the box is fair game.

The Diamondbacks failed to hide their signals from Berry’s view. The responsibility is on them.

Gamesmanship is common in baseball. The sport is difficult. Catching a sign or two to gain an advantage can be the difference in outcomes.

Berry did just that, though he clearly sparked a debate on ethics and integrity. While the Diamondbacks denounced the actions, former big leaguers provided a different perspective.

AJ Pierzynski and Erik Kratz say the blame rests on Arizona. It is the Diamondbacks’ job to keep Kelly from tipping his pitches.

Information is important in the game of baseball. It does not matter whether that intel comes from a player or a coach.

And again, it was perfectly legal. The Cubs did nothing wrong.

Lovullo apologized after a discussion with the league. It seems he’ll focus on fixing his own team’s issues after blaming others of nefariousness.