Basbeall has evolved more than any other sport within the last decade. There are so many traditions that are carried within this great game along with numerous controversial 'unwritten' rules that are expected to be followed out of respect for America's past time.
On Saturday, some excitement broke out north of the border when Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher José Berríos felt like a member of the Seattle Mariners dishonored one of those unwritten rules. Berríos felt like his opponents had an advantage thanks to some alleged Houston Astro-esk behavior.
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José Berríos accuses Cal Raleigh of stealing signs
The Toronto Blue Jays had a 1-0 advantage over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Before the home team had their at-bat in the bottom half of the frame, Berríos had some words for Raleigh and benches emptied. Berríos suspected Raleigh to be stealing signs and relaying to his teammates from second base what pitch was coming next. Raleigh quickly denied these allegations and even validated Berríos for standing up for himself.
Raleigh told MLB.com, "They thought I was relaying. I wasn't. I didn't have the pitches. But that's just how it is. I'd want my pitchers doing the same thing if somebody thought they were tipping."
Were the Seattle Mariners stealing signs?
Berríos was unapologetic for starting the conversation but admitted to not believing things would escalate to the level they did.
"I didn't feel like benches were going to go out, but between the hitter and I, it's a war. I am there by myself and I know that hitters can take advantage of many people. As a pitcher, I can't let that happen," Berríos said. He justified his actions by saying, "I was trying to stand up for myself, but also my teammates."
If you break down the entire altercation, Raleigh seems confused when he is confronted by Berríos. After all, it is interesting that anyone would suspect a catcher of all people to be stealing signs. If anyone is going to uphold the integrity of the game, it is going to be the one calling pitches and trying to hide that information from his opponents.
After benches cleared, things settled rather quickly. This whole situation was just simply two competitors who weren't on the same page. Don't expect this to cause fireworks on Sunday or later in the season when these teams meet again. This type of altercation is good for Major League Baseball and it is refreshing to see that players still have the guts to stand up for what they believe is right and others can respect that, even if they disagree.