Red Sox sign-stealing penalties

I'll admit that I may be biased as a Red Sox fan, but if what MLB described is accurate I really think that its no big deal.  Basically the video guy who (legally) charts sign sequences for use the next day leaks out some real time info to a limited number of players.  They are only using the information while on the field.  Hard for me to believe that the Red Sox are the only team doing this.

Now - if you want to say that the Red Sox actually went much further but that MLB wants this whole thing to die with a whimper so swept it under the rug...I could buy that.

K9, serious question:  What would you have said if I asked you in April 2019 whether it would be a big deal if the Red Sox were caught illegally stealing signs during their WS run the prior year (even to the limited extent MLB suggests happened)?  I'm not sure I think the penalties on Boston are too light (still thinking that over).  But I am surprised at the (non)reaction.  Every baseball writer in the country has nothing else to cover right now--I thought they would be all over this.  Maybe they used up all their indignation over the Astros?  From what I can see, everybody is just shrugging this one off.  (Mostly including me, to be honest.  I think the Houston scandal desensitized me.)

The Red Sox removed the interim tag from Roenicke’s title. But, unless the Sox go to the ALCS  (very unlikely with this year’s lack of pitching) I expect Cora to return next year. 

Cora is very well liked by the players. Plus it’s becoming increasingly valuable for managers to be bilingual.

@Chico Escuela posted:

K9, serious question:  What would you have said if I asked you in April 2019 whether it would be a big deal if the Red Sox were caught illegally stealing signs during their WS run the prior year (even to the limited extent MLB suggests happened)?  I'm not sure I think the penalties on Boston are too light (still thinking that over).  But I am surprised at the (non)reaction.  Every baseball writer in the country has nothing else to cover right now--I thought they would be all over this.  Maybe they used up all their indignation over the Astros?  From what I can see, everybody is just shrugging this one off.  (Mostly including me, to be honest.  I think the Houston scandal desensitized me.)

If you mean before the Astros news broke and before we were all distracted by the virus would this be a bigger story?  Heck yes....huge.  However, I honestly think that players helping themselves to some intel from the video room during the game is pretty common.  On the other hand, the Red Sox should probably be considered repeat offenders based on the Apple Watch stuff, so maybe they deserve something harsher.

My opinion is the penalty on the Astros created a much bigger/more vitrol reaction than the MLB anticipated.  The owners saw the potential impact on the "real integrity of the game" and asked their mouthpiece to pull it back on the Red Sox.

And by "real integrity of the game" I mean their earnings and club value.  And by mouthpiece, I mean Manfred.

@K9 posted:

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  On the other hand, the Red Sox should probably be considered repeat offenders based on the Apple Watch stuff, so maybe they deserve something harsher.

They do deserve something harsher for both offenses, but they didn't get it!   Ha!  I can't believe it, my prayers were answered in this time of desperate need with no Mookie, Brockstar, or pitching staff to speak of  This topic is closed.  Time to sweep it under the rug where it belongs and move on....

We'll just call it divine intervention or the immaculate deception.  This is proof that the Pope wears a Red Sox cap during quarantine or at least during his off hours.  ;-)

And if RJM (and others) are correct, Cora's "suspension" means missing at most the truncated 2020 season, then he's back in the manager's office.  It's good to be smart, but being lucky is better.

I'm in the middle of reading Seasons in Hell, and at one point Whitey Herzog accuses Milwaukee of a sign-sealing scheme from the outfield.  Of course, that's because the Rangers' pitchers were getting hit. 

For the guy that was suspended for a year for his actions who's probably not making a Cora salary - I cannot imagine he thinks it's fair.  I think it may be a bit harsh, but that penalty could be spelled out in some employment manual/contract I didn't read.  Cora's penalty just follows the other punishments meted out. I would think if MLB thought Cora did *more* with the Red Sox, they would have penalized him harsher, but they wanted to wait. I will assume the Red Sox and Cora were told, Cora will be missing 2020 to match other penalties, but it could be worse.  As for the Astros penalty - perhaps a bit harsh, but that's what happens when you're the first one to be caught and flogged publicly as a way to dissuade future attempts.

Hard for me to get too worked up about a situation where during a game someone watching replays figured out a new sequence and relayed it to some players who would have to use their own mechanism of signs if/when they got on 2nd base to relay it to the batter (part of baseball for a long time I think)... Also, by the time they were able to use it, the other team could have switched signs again and it'd then be bad/wrong. As a batter do I trust or care or remember to look is also part of the equation.

Compare that to the Astros who regardless of situation (men on base) would/could make some sort of audible pronouncement what pitch the batter was going to see. Again, there's a certain level of trust, but I do see a difference between thinking you know because of information gathered just prior to the pitch, seeing, and reacting instead of guessing based on situation, known tendencies, what's been working that day, seeing, and reacting. Oh someone's banging the trash can lid, I'm looking for a curve, yep it's a curve because I see his hand position - seems to me to be a whole lot easier for those that can actually hit one of those things.