We’ve got big drama in the Little League World Series.
For the second year in a row, sign-stealing accusations have blown up on the internet, with the latest taking place in Friday’s game between Wisconsin and Iowa.
It just means more in Williamsport!
Davenport Northwest (Iowa) defeated Whitefish Bay (Wisconsin), 7-6, in the Midwest Regional Championship game on Friday. The win sent Davenport to the Little League World Series, and sent poor Whitefish home to, presumably, start school.
But was there something nefarious at play? Let’s head to the bottom of the second inning, where Iowa plated a couple runs and raised a few eyebrows along the way:
This isn’t the first time the LLWS has dealt with this
“They’re taking signs on second,” the catcher tells his coach during a mound visit.
“Who is?” manager Kyle Fox responded.
“The second baseman.”
The kids go on to tell Fox that Northwest players are tapping their leg when the sign is put down, which is pretty clear from the video. Fox ignores it, and proceeds to give his pitcher a scouting report for the next batter.
Umpires confer about a play during the Little League World Series U.S. semifinal between Southeast Georgia and West California at Lamade Stadium in Williamsport, Pa., on Aug. 27, 2009. California defeated Georgia 11-10. (Getty Images)
An inning later, things reached a boiling point with the bases loaded. That’s when another Iowa player on second appeared to motion something with his arms right before the pitch, prompting Fox to call time from the dugout and tell the umpires exactly what was going on:
… And that was it.
No warnings. No protests. No talking to the other coach, or the other team. The umpires congregated for 15 seconds, and then went back to playing ball.
So, what are our thoughts here? The initial response, for me, would be …
So what? Runners have been relaying signs to the hitter from second base for a century now. It’s on the catcher to put down better signs. It’s on the manager to figure it out.
Except, it’s deemed “unsportsmanlike behavior” in Little League baseball. Rule 9.00 (d) states:
Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager, or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field. If an umpire disqualifies a player while a play is in progress, the disqualification shall not take effect until no further action is possible in that play.
NOTE: The local league has the option to adopt this rule application. The stealing and relaying of signs to alert the batter of pitch selection and/or location is unsportsmanlike behavior. If, in the judgment of the umpire, this behavior is occurring, the team manager and those responsible including any player(s) and/or coach(es) shall be warned after the first offense. Those responsible including any player(s), coach(es), and/or manager shall be ejected from the game for a team’s subsequent offense.
Japan Region catcher Seiya Arai shakes hands with an umpire during the Little League World Series championship game against USA Southwest Region at Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa., on Aug. 27, 2017. (Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
So, an umpire must first give the opposing team/player/coach a warning, and if it happens again, someone is getting tossed. This happened last year in a game between Oklahoma and Texas West, when play was stopped to get an actual ruling.
Nothing happened, and things really went off the rails when play resumed:
Lordy. What a moment! After all that, the kid belts a grand slam and Oklahoma goes on to win. You can’t make it up.
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Anyway, sign-stealing has always been a thing. It happened when I was in Little League many moons ago. I was a catcher. From what I recall, we didn’t just lay down and turn over. We mixed up the signs, and moved on with our day. It wasn’t rocket science.
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Put down three signs, and the second one is the sign. Something like that. It’s not hard.
But, rules are also rules. And if the rule says it ain’t allowed, the umpires probably shouldn’t let it happen.
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Thoughts? Let me know!