TORONTO -- Yankees catcher Russell Martin said the Blue Jays were stealing signs from second base during Toronto's 16-7 win here Thursday night. The Yankees changed their signs so much Friday night they think it caused a big distraction for pitcher Freddy Garcia in their 7-1 loss. (I say Garcia had nothing but that's just me).
Now comes a ramping up of this chatter prior to today's 1 p.m. game on YES: Manager Joe Girardi actually said the Blue Jays might be doing it from somewhere off the field in Rogers Centre. Seriously.
"We're going to protect our signs and I told the guys there's things you have to do at certain ballparks," Girardi said.
Now, this isn't a new accusation. In the glory days here, Cito Gaston was one of the best sign stealers there was and plenty of teams have worried about the hotel rooms that overlook the field housing a potentially clandestine operative.
But come on. The Jays are 21-22 at home. Last night was the fourth game I've covered here this year -- and the first one the Jays have won! A team stealing signs would not be below .500 at home.
Yankee beat writers left Girardi's pregame meeting in the first-base dugout and bolted over to John Farrell's scrum in the third base dugout with Girardi's words and I'm told Farrell was baffled because of his team's home record. (Disclosure: I was not there as I was working on my Sunday Inside Baseball column).
Part of me tells me Farrell is involved because he got very familiar with the Yankees during his time in Boston. But a bigger part of me says the Jays probably will have a lot tougher time stealing signs today with CC Sabathia on the mound than they did with Garcia or Bartolo Colon.
Always some sort of sideshow when the Yankees are in town. Great stuff for reporters to chew on.
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
tagged
Bisons/Blue Jays | Yankees
