<acronym title='Base runner at 2B'>R2</acronym> relaying signs to batter

[csabo17]

First of all I can not believe at the hs varsity level F1 and F2 arent using some sort of indicator or mixing their signs up somehow. coach calls time and comes to me to say their stealing our signs!

First I almost laughed out loud standing there, and I said what? He said its obvious the runner on second is telling the batter whats coming. Then he said your supposed to eject him for that. How can I justify ejecting a kid for having his hands on his knees one pitch and standing straight up another pitch.

I told him stealing signs was a part of baseball and as long as a coach wasnt doing it from the box, they werent using a camera or something similar, or the batter wasnt looking back then it was fair game. Am i wrong here? Ive just never heard of Stealing signs to be illegal.

So when I got home i started looking for rule support and cant find anything in our rule book. Can someone help me find rule support for this?

[scrounge]

Rule support for what? For not ejecting a kid for doing nothing against the rules?

[csabo17]

I guess what i meant to ask is, is their any wording at all about the situation that I can read and have a better answer. Although telling him what I did i guess is about all i could say right?

Coach: their stealing our signs!

Me: call the police!

[alex7]

csabo

you won't find any wording about the situation. It's nothing, so they say nothing.

Just tell the coach that it's not against the rules.

[Umpire in Chief]

You could say there's an unwritten rule about handling this, but the umpires have nothing to do with it.

[24sdad]

You could say there's an unwritten rule about handling this, but the umpires have nothing to do with it.

Obviously Clueless Coach: Really? What is it?

You: Well, you give a sign for/and set up for an outside pitch. But really its an inside pitch.

OCC: Ok, then what happens?

You: Well, the batter, thinking the pitch is going to be outside because R2 relayed that to him, leans over to get at the pitch but instead gets drilled in the earhole with a 90 mph fastball. That will put a stop to stealing signs really quick.

OCC: That is a great idea! Thank you Mr. Umpire!

Batter gets drilled, OCC claims umpire told him that is the way to handle this scenario.

I would recommend just telling him it is not illegal.

And seriously, a varsity coach questioning a penalty for stealing signs?

[carolinablue]

I had a coach complain to me about a spectator giving location. I told him nothing I could do about it, get a TD if he wanted to.

[Rich Ives]

I told him stealing signs was a part of baseball and as long as a coach wasnt doing it from the box,

Uh - that's not illegal either.

[TNCoach]

As a coach, we deserve to have our signs stolen if we are not keeping our signs hidden (you may not believe it, but from the 3B box I can see 90% of the pitches being called). You have to camoflage your signs as a coach, using an indicator. As a catcher, you must hide your signs from the base coaches, but you also have to know how to get a system so that your signs are not being stolen from 2B. That was something I found humorous the other day when Chipper was accused of stealing signs. That's not his fault that your signs are too easy to steal.

[catsbackr]

EAR HOLE!

[Mr Umpire]

I told him stealing signs was a part of baseball and as long as a coach wasnt doing it from the box,

Uh - that's not illegal either.

I was wondering how much I had to read before I saw something like this or stated it myself.

[cyclonehokiece]

Stealing signs is part of the game. I had non shaving age game last year where catcher was doing a horrible job on signalling, and all the batter had to do was look down and he got the sign. Coach approached me and asked if I could do anything before he had to take action. I said I can do nothing about stealing signs, but if he acted now (I assume he meant plunking someone), I now know and would have to act accordingly, and he nodded and it wasn't an issue the rest of the game.

[csabo17]

Its not illegal for a coach to leave the box to get a look at the catchers signs?

I wanted to give him my ear hole theory as well. But I kept it to myself. If he wast smart enough to know stealing signs wasnt ilegal, i sure wasnt going to explain that to him.

[johnnyg08]

Coach is trying to talk you into something. Remember, they're all looking for an advantage.

Don't dialogue with him.

Umpire: "It's not illegal coach. Let's get back to work."

[Mr Umpire]

Its not illegal for a coach to leave the box to get a look at the catchers signs?

I wanted to give him my ear hole theory as well. But I kept it to myself. If he wast smart enough to know stealing signs wasnt ilegal, i sure wasnt going to explain that to him.

That's not what you said and it is quoted. Now, if you even acknowledge the coach leaving the box, you will have to enforce it for both teams. That is better left alone until the other team complains about it. You will be opening a can of worms better left closed.

[24sdad]

Stealing, or attempting to steal, signs is part of baseball.

Coaches out of their box is also part of baseball. They have a job to do over there and remaining in that box to do that job is usually difficult. If another coach at the HS level complained about this, it would be a first around here. If they did, I would tell the complaining coach, "I got it, I will watch for it" and go back to the calling the game. If they complain again, then follow Mr. Umpire's advice.

The only time I had to tell a HC to move back to the box was a three-man game. Don't know if he was trying to peek at signs or not (I doubt it), but he would like to stand between the box and the 3rd base foul line. When in D, he was close enough to block some of my view of the plate. As soon as I told him, he immediately moved back. I only had to repeat it every inning or so...and after I told him the first time, all I had to do is say, "Bill." He would turn and look at me, say "damn, sorry" and move back. Habits are hard to break sometimes.

Don't go looking for it and don't make a big deal out of it.

[csabo17]

Sorry, wrote it wrong. Your right.

[James Walker]

If I was playing, this would be a definite fastball to the earhole. As an umpire, the coach coming out and co mplaining set me up to toss him and his F1 when they pitch at him next AB.

[Jeremy_UEFL]

Stealing signs is not illegal. Intentionally throwing at the batter is. Nobody should ever suggest to a coach or imply of any sort to throw at a batter. That is a liability issue ESPECIALLY at the youth and high school levels. Wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole.

[Jocko]

"Hey Blue, they're stealing my signs!" "My name is Gregg, not Blue, and I don't give a rat's a$$!"

[mstaylor]

The only time I had to tell a

HC

to move back to the box was a three-man game. Don't know if he was trying to peek at signs or not (I doubt it), but he would like to stand between the box and the 3rd base foul line. When in D, he was close enough to block some of my view of the plate. As soon as I told him, he immediately moved back. I only had to repeat it every inning or so...and after I told him the first time, all I had to do is say, "Bill." He would turn and look at me, say "damn, sorry" and move back. Habits are hard to break sometimes.

How was the coach obscuring your view? In D you are supposed to be in fair so he could be shoulder to shoulder with R3 and you should still be OK.

Stealing signs, really coach, glad we could talk. I was doing an adult wooden bat regional and the coach would walk out of his box and stand by his dugout. The DM asked me to keep him in his box because he was in the pitcher's line of vision. WTF? With a RH pitcher, anywhere he stands on that side is in his line of vision. The manager asked if I was going to do anything about it. I asked him if he was seriously asking me to do something about nothing in a semi pro regional? He said absolutely. I told him to go to his dugout.