Signs Of Stupidity With Todd Jones



The Philadelphia Inquirer's Todd Zolecki reports on a security breach that has reliever Todd Jones all bent out of shape.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Bill Hall just happened to look toward second base before Todd Jones threw fastballs in the eighth inning yesterday at Miller Park.

He just happened to look toward third base before Jones threw breaking balls.

"I don't put up with that," Jones said after the Phillies enjoyed a 9-6 victory over the Brewers in 10 innings. "If you want to beat me, that's one thing. But if you're going to give signs and I find out, you're going to pay for it."

Jones said Hall stole signs from second base and relayed them to Brewers hitters Russell Branyan, Ben Grieve and Chris Magruder. Jones picked up on it and had a few conversations with Hall.

"He was changing signs before every pitch," Hall pointed out. "How smart does he think I am?"




(while with Detroit, Todd flashing the sign for "the Amboy Dukes rule")

Stealing signs is not completely uncommon. In fact, Jones partly blamed himself. He played with Brewers catcher Gary Bennett in Colorado and never bothered to change his signs since then. Perhaps Bennett told Hall what to look for.

"It's kind of obvious," Jones said of Hall. "He has to do a better job concealing what he's trying to do."

Jones and catcher Todd Pratt eventually stopped using signs altogether with the go-ahead run on second. Jones just called Pratt out to the mound to tell him what he wanted to throw.

If Hall was stealing signs, it didn't help much. After Branyan walked, Grieve flied out to center and Magruder struck out swinging.

Given that hitters are trying to guess what Jones will be throwing (along with location), isn't the burden of concealing something on the pitcher rather than the other team's baserunner? This is one of those unwritten rules of baseball etiquette that I've never quite understood. If the opposition isn't allowed to take note of signs being flashed, then why bother with them in the first place?

Posted: Mon - August 23, 2004 at 12:53 PM      

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