Which Cubs Players Want Their Teammates To Steal (Signs) The Most?
Old news first: All Star big league middle infielder and Denver-area snowflake, DJ LeMahieu, threw a temper tantrum/bickers with Javy about stealing signs. There’s a longer article at the Trib on it that explains the inner-workings. In an elevator, Baez thought the Rockies were stealing signs from 2nd off Darvish. Baez blocked DJ during a Nolan Arenado AB. Nolan struckout. Javy made a comment to DJ. DJ told him if you don’t like it change the signs. So Javy got mad. Pretty cool story of the behind-the-scenes cat and mouse with Javy which is made cooler by the fact that he’s en fuego right now. As are the Cubs.
But that’s not the point of this blog. What I want to get at is how frequently do MLB hitters actually want stolen signs? Understand that means a bit of an ego sacrifice in baseball (accepting help) and hitters don’t like to do that. It’s all a one man show when you get in the box. I know plenty of guys from my extremely limited career that would get mad if you tried to tip them off about stealing signs. The mentality is simply: don’t fuck with my at-bat. This is my at-bat. Get your own at-bat. Some guys are weird like that.
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So I looked up and down the Cubs lineup and thought to myself, who would want a stolen sign from second base during their AB? Who are the psychopaths? How would they react?
Also, worth nothing that you’d ypically steal a pitch by looking at the catcher’s signs which are usually given in sequences with a runner on 2nd base. Sometimes there’s a wristband involved. It doesn’t matter. Just know you could steal pitch selection, which happens because catchers are lazy assholes who usually just go second sign 99-100 times. So again that’s pitch selection. What’s coming.
Or you could steal pitch location based on where the catcher sets up. Generally, hitters prefer location over type, but for purposes of this blog lets assume just in general that a baserunner on 2nd has stolen the catcher’s signs and wants to relay that information to the Cubs’ hitter regardless of selection or location. Let’s keep it general. What hitters want to know? Who doesn’t?
Wants to Know
Ben Zobrist – he wants to know but it won’t change the fact he’s looking fastball. Guy has been looking fastball for 30+ years and that’s not changing because you got a read on Cervelli. Zobrist would still want to know though just to be a good teammate and reward your efforts, really. I love the thought of him getting a stolen sign, knowing a fastball is coming, then taking it right down the middle of the plate for a strike. Then telling both the catcher and the umpire “that’s a nice fastball” as a big smile creeps across his face. I guess what I’m trying to say is Ben’s a weird guy.
Jason Heyward – He’s been good at the plate lately. Not better. Good. So I don’t want to pile on a guy climbing out of a burning dumpster in the middle of a stranded island inhabited with man eating bears. But at the same time it’s hard not to imagine Heyward is looking for any type of edge available if you know what I’m vaguely saying.
Ian Happ – I feel like Ian Happ would treat stolen signs like getting adderall for midterms. Like of course you’re planning and stocking up for finals. I’m talking about that random oh fuck that’s tomorrow? moment and you have to call in a favor to some random dude you marginally know but you were nice to him freshman year and he’s got 30 XR mags stacked deep. That feeling of thank fucking god for that guy is probably how Ian Happ feels when someone steels a sign and he’s hitting. That’s a top 5 feeling.
Kyle Schwarber – Schwarber has anger management issues with major league baseballs. Like rumor has it he has to talk to a therapist before every home game because he hates baseballs so much. Like the actual ball itself. He says he wants to eat them for breakfast and when he’s full he wants to send the rest into lake Michigan. Scouts honor I know a guy who went to IU and played club baseball with a guy who knows Schwarbers friend from home. Guy is crazy. Anyways, he wants to hit every ball 7,000 feet. There is no way Kyle Schwarber turns down a sign.
Willing To Listen
Rizzo – I think Anthony’s ego would have prevented him from listening a few years ago but at this point I think he’d want to know. Again, this one probably depends on where the info is coming from and who the pitcher is, but under circumstances above with runner on second going after the catcher’s signs, I think Rizzo would probably take it from KB. But then again the idea of KB stealing signs kinda makes me laugh. He’s not that guy only because I don’t think he can be bothered to steal signs. If it came from Zobrist, Rizzo would definitely take it. Heyward, probably. Everyone else is a maybe.
Addison Russell – he wants to know. Trust me. I just think there’s so much going on in his head with his swing right now he’s kind of in a mental straight jacket in the batters box. It’s Paralysis Analysis! or whatever your sales leader/HR director says. You know the saying. That’s Addison. I could be wrong (could be) but he just strikes me as a loaner and I feel like he answers 95% of questions with I got this. He doesn’t need your signs. That said he has the tendency to slump for long periods of time and that’s when you’re going to get him on his best behavior wiling to listen to his teammates.
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Javy – Willson Contreras is the only person on the team who can give Javy a sign from the other team. It can come from the dugout or on the field or really anywhere. I’m convinced they communicate via telepathy. Really though any other player would easily get ignored if they tried to tell Javy they had the pitcher’s signs at second base. I can’t imagine he would care. Really. But if it came from Willson I think he would care more. Idk why but I like that.
GTFO
Willson Contreras – Willson is the kind of guy who got burned on a stolen sign 7 years ago via bad information from the baserunner and has NEVER forgotten. Like he strikes me as the guy who only needed one bad experience to write something off forever. In his home country Venezuela, they call that loyalty. I call it a guy who doesn’t want someone messing with his vibe or in other words mind your own fucking business. That’s my read.
Kris Bryant – This is the easiest one hands down. Talking to KB about his at-bats and trying to communicate with him about his shit is social suicide. He would stare a hole through your soul so fast. I would feel more comfortable talking to him about how nice his dick hangs getting off the team plane than I would about what pitch was coming next in his at bat. It’s intimidating how focused he gets at the plate not to mention I don’t want his marginally psychotic father steaming in the parking lot over a misinterpreted signal. You said slider and it was a change. Boom now I’m dead at the hands of Mike Bryant.
Albert Almora – Too fundamental to listen. He’s got the kind of approach that doesn’t deviate. Doesn’t waiver. Doesn’t matter the circumstance. You’re getting a professional at-bat that’s been handcrafted in a small Florida residential batting cage since he was 5 years old. This dude wakes up dialed-in. He doesn’t want your advice because he wouldn’t know what to do with it. Sincerely, stay out of his way.
Doesn’t Play Enough
Tommy La Stell doesn’t play enough to figure into this blog. Sorry Tommy. Regular guys only.