The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 82

00 Akron Beacon Journal Sunday, July 19, 1959 0 Wont Sign-S eaiin aiming TV Lens Stop t's Respected Baseball Pastime THE OLD ATHLETICS presumably did most of their sign-stealing and tipping by hand, by runners after reaching second base. One day the opposing manager put on a new set of signals for his catcher and the next A's batsman lost most of the flesh on his nose via a fast pitch he wasn't expecting. That's the dangerous part of this business. It is said that the night Joe Medwlck of the Dodgers was hit on the head by a pitch by Bob Bowman of the Cardinals in old Ebbets Field. Medwick had been tipped off by Charlie Dressen, his third base coach, that a curve was coming.

The pitch was a high hard one, however, that hit the left side of Medwick's head and Ducky woke up long after in a Brooklyn hospital. promptly charged the Highlanders with trickery. Farrell and Devery were vehement in protesting Innocence. The half eaten sandwich and the bottle of beer? Oh, they had undoubtedly been left there by a painter at work on the fences early in the Spring. "Some bread and some beer," Tuthill snorted when he heard this.

"The bread was as fresh as if it had just come out of the oven, and the foam was still on the beer." away but on a platform Tuthill found a half eaten sandwich and freshly-opened bottle of beer. Inspecting the fence at that point he discovered a handle that operated a shutter over the letter on a sign easily visible to the Yankee, er Highlander batsmen. TLTHII.L RKI'ORTKI) his discovery and conclusions to Hughie Jennings, the Detroit manager, and Jennings OFFERS TRWHIM6 COURSE BY CORRKPOHDtHCt (YOU'VE BEEHj OPENING I MY MML AGAIN CHARLES GRIFFITH, ROOKIE, SIGHS WITH VfASHIN6TOH (SWtt SAYS PlTCHW, I fjj "7h0W MHi JJW IS "PIMM LttY" WEECK TO GIVE TRADING Sooks R) By JIM SCHLKMMLK BOSTON Ford Frick has spiked the safest and easiest sign-stealing gimmick of modern times by outlaVing further use of the 80-inch telephoto lens in televising baseball games. From its position in the centerfield bleachers it gave televiewers a better closeup of the catcher's signs than most pitchers get from 60 feet It was used last week by NBC In covering the All Star game and enahled Mel Allen to set a new record for bore-some broadcasting by continually reading the signs from his monitor, announcing the pitches in advance, and regaling his listeners with vocal applause for himself for his astuteness. The lens was used last Sunday, too, from the bleachers in Fenway Park while the Red Sox beat the Yankees for tha fourth time In as many days.

This time both Allen and Phil Rlzzuto "called the pitches" In advance. One finger, they explained, called for a fast ball; two fingers, a curve; wiggling all fingers, a change of pace. They were always right FKICK WASTKD NO TIMK In outlawing the lens. "Continued use of this lens could cause all kinds of trouble," he said, Implying that there are other persons as smart as Allen and Rlzzuto and some of them might be found on the Red Sox bench, the Indians bench, and on other enemy benches. What better way to break up the Yankees than through closed-circuit television in parks where the Yankees play, with receiving sets Installed In the home dugouts! Frick pointed out that no official protest had been made by any club, and a Yankee spokesman endorsed this by adding that "while we discussed among ourselves the dangers Involved In such practice, wc made no I HAVK HEARD NUMEROUS complaints voiced against Frick for outlawing the 80 Inch lens, the objectors arguing that sign stealing Is as old as baseball Itself; a respected pastime practiced by many.

The big lens made It easy but' what the hell, there are a million other way. Because of the nature of my Job I get few opportunities to see baseball on television. I have long been ptmled and slightly amused however, by hearing fans rave about the wonderful view television give them from the centerfield bleachers: some of the loudest support for this view being voiced by fans who quit going to the ball parks because they ssld they couldn't get choice seals In the home plate area. TAKING TITS I RO.M a courtier on what the next pilch Is to be Is risky business, Some hatters are grateful for such Information but others object strenuously and don't want to be told. There are no accurate statistics available but the belief Is that the latter group lives longer.

Yet all clubs practice sign stealing as regularly as they engage In sign giving. Sleuths ar constantly trying to break the other team's code; not only In regards to the pitches but all other phases of the game for which algns are given. Heaviest concentration Is given, however, to stealing the catcher's signs to his pitcher, and In watching the pitcher, himself, for some slight peculiarity, some odd gesture or movement, that will tip whether ht Is about to throw his fast ball, curve or t-hangeup. WHO Wll.l. F.

VCR 1 OIMJLT the stink stirred up by Catcher Joe Tipton after the Indians traded him to the While Sox In 104!) and he told his new teammates how the Indians had won the Y.HH pennant with the aid of high powered binoculars used by a friend Inside the big scoreboard In the stadium. This fellow reud the opposing catcher's signs and tipped off the Indians on the pitches by opening, closing, or partly closing a small vent in the big board. Later, when Sieve O'Neill managed the Red Sox, he suspected the Indians were still using this method. Still Inter, when Uu Roudreau managed the Athletics, he had a near fit one Armed Forces I)ay when he saw Indian pitcher Hal Newhouser peering through a surveyor's transit that was part of a display set up on the track near the Indian bullpen. riTTSIU lUill MR ATI used the same scheme as the Indians years ago at the old Exposition I'ark.

There was a big sign III centerfield erected by some "(V as In company. In the "()'' of the "(V was a dial hand. One afternoon when the Cincinnati Rods' pitcher was being pounded hard one of the Reds players observed that Portocarrero Bags First Victory Dvtvolt Winn nightcap Cardinal Gain 6-5 Veclttlon Braves Lose Fifth In Row Hurls Orioles By Tigers, 5-2 BALTIMORE (UPD Arnold Portocarrero, a 13 game two-out ninth-inning The winning pitcher was second base to give rookieSouthpaw Marshall ST. LOUIS (UPD-Ken Boyer's single scored Joe Cunningham from the St. Louis Cardinals a 6-5 victory over Milwaukee Saturday night as the Braves dropped their fifth straight The Redbirds, who handed winner last year, finally won his first game of the 1959 season Saturday night as the Baltimore Orioles handed the Milwaukee its 10th defeat in the last 14 games, went into! Detroit Tigers their slxth straight loss In the first game of Bridges, who relieved starter Dick Ricketts in the seventh inning.

Bridges is now 41. lor the season. The loss went to the third of three Braves pitchers, Bob Buhl, victim of the Cardinal ninth-Inning defeat gave Buhl a record of 6-6 for the year. a twirugnt aouoieneaoer, d. the final frame trailing by, 5-4.

The Tigers finally hit the1 to center. Then came Boyer's winning hit. The Braves had taken a 5-4 lead in the seventh Inning on Pinch-Hitter Joe Adcock's two-run homer. It was his eighth round-tripper of the season. win column in the second llplrnll Kumn.rr Clroth.rf Reserve Infielder Wally Shannon, batting for Shortstop Alex Grammas, singled to right to start off the Inning.

Curt Flood ran for Shannon. Dick gray sacrificed Flood to second after Don Blasln-game went out, Cunningham Viral II Haltimnre 4 0 OTaahy.rf 0 0 OHoyd.ili 4 0 1 4 0 OWoodllng.lf 3 1 lTrtanrioi.R 4 11 pparaon.rf 5 2 4 0 1 KIhui.m 2 0 Oc-Nleman 10 0 Miranda, 1 0 0 0 0 10 0 llnpft.p 0 0 0 Walker.p 10 0 BR 4 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 2 5 1 2 4 0 0 4 1 1 4 0 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 I 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 04 Maawell.lf HnlllnaYJh HrlfltPi.aa Vfnl.ii. a-Chrinlpy RurnalriP.p FIRESTONE ALBIE TEARSON game when Frank Lary blanked the Orioles, 2 0, on a six-hitter. Portocarrero barely lasted long enough to get the decision, hurling five innings before giving way to Billy Hoeft and later Jerry Walker, who retired the last 10 Tigers in succession, Paul Foytack was the victim, taking his eighth loss against as many victories. I ccnroH Plnnrl uHh a islnfle to .14 5 1 1 Tolala 32 2 A Total nil Into double play Pt Moreno rod tlx atralarhti wlnnan at tht Hollywood Park Center.

Cunningham Went to Iw'il1 ov'r p'rlod. on Bill White's single (or foy- C5 tai'K in am. r'llPfl ntlt for RrldePt In nth. out fnr Klaua In fllh. (.

rounded out (or Hurruldt In 7th. Dpirnlt (MIO 101 0002 Haltimnre 12 OW Olx Kiroth, Boiling. RFII Rprlieret, Polling, 'Canny 2, llnhlmon 2. PO-A Detroit 24 10, Baltimore 27-12. DV (lardnar, Klaua and Bnyd; Bnlllnn, Brldapa and Harrle.

Detroit A rm LOU eighth homer accounted for the Tigers' run In the fourth. They collected another In the sixth to get rid of Portocarrero who 'aaw lialllmnr 7. 211 Woonilna, Urn Dropo, Hit Hnlilnann. SB laahy, Ftaraon. tierberel.

8 Miranda. was yanked when he walked IP En BB SO leadoff man Charley Maxwell. Hoeft fanned Berberet but Portocarrero (W, I S) Htwft Walkar roytac (L, 1 1) Btirntldt Srhultl ri JS 1 18 0 2 2 .1 gave a single to Gall Harris. Hoeft cut loose a wild pitch -Vfe4aaaaa4 LphSmbJ. SOJ2 a'h Summra, WrKlnlay, which permitted Maxwell to take third but Harris held 8oar.

2 24 A 17.500 Allen Frick Rlrxuto Tipton using th sensational nw electronic the Allen-Scope first. Maxwell scored on Boiling's force out, Alble Pearson's triple and Rnhlnson's double gave the Orioles an extra Insurance run In the eighth. ii i MH 4 I I 4 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 I 4 0 0 .10 0 2 I 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 Sfrfind Oam II lirlmlt 4 0 1 Yoat.Hb 4 0 limn, rf 2 II OChrlalpy.rr 1 0 0 MhhwpII.K 4 0 0 Wllann.r 4 0 1 Harrla.lh 4 0 0 .10 0 Vral.na 2 0 1 tary.p 1 0 0 2 0 0 10 0' 0 0 0 (lie dial band whs maneuvering uncannily when a rills-ImiikIi player came In bat. The discovery was tlpied off and several Reds made a rush for (lie signboard. They canitht Chief Zlmmcr, (be great catcher, holding binocular with one hand and working (he dial with the oilier.

Chief limner at the tlinii was president of the Bawhall Mayer' Association. Baltimore I'r laua.aa Titv lor, If rCnniillnf 1)1 1K), lb lanliy.i-f f.lnlir.r rtnvd Wllhrlin.p Ii I'llan lk ifjuiagiiers Slid Champs Lets you see for yourself the cause of trouble and the solution The Gallagher brothers, Mike and Doc, retained their world tag team wrestling Receive these 4 beautiful Totala SI 0 Totata 27 2 2 a DIpiI out for Cardiipr In Sth. I (Iroundrd out fnr Wllhflm In Sth. ritd out for Tavlor In 8th. net roll lot) 000 1002 Baltimore 000 000 0000 lUII-Yont, Kiinn.

PO-A ItPtrolt 17 8. Baltimore 27 10. DP Bohlnnnn. (iardnpr and Dropo; Wllwn and Boll-h I.OU Dptiolt Baltimore 6. 8 Vtal, lp PR 10 S) 2 2 2 A f'lahpr 1 0 0 0 2 0 Lary (W.

10 71 9 A 0 0 1 8 Hill' lly Wllhplm iBolllnii. WP WllhPlm. I'll Ulnalwr 4. ti Niimmpri, McKlnlpy, Soar. Chy-lk.

A 23.IAH. 100 From Chile crown by dropping the Llsow- precision pens skis, Stan and Reggie, In the best two out of three falls at the Armory Saturday night. In other matches, the Mighty Atlas took Dick Byers wow ONLY with black, red, blue and green ink 5 Arty Clx CWntzr SANTIAGO, Chile (UPD and Ivan Kalmlkoff defeated Leo 1CMTGM Ten TO The Chilean Olympic commit The wrestlers take a week off next Saturday because of tee announces It will send about 100 athletes to the Pan-American Games at Chicago the National Guard going to camp. Cylinder Ccr SJJU next month. Call for a demonstration of the "Thermo-Fax" Copying Machine today! mm CINCINNATI IILI I'l l) expose an even more elaborate sign stealing scheme used by the Phillies In old Raker Dim long since abandoned.

Ted Hreltensleln, a lefthander, was pitching for the Reds. lie was one of the top pitchers of his day and the way the Phils plastered his offerings on this day aroused suspicion. Hull Chllds was In the third base coaching box for the Phils. He would shift from one foot to the other hut always end up with one foot planted In a certain spot. This aroused the curiosity of Tommy Corcoran, the Reds' shortstop.

Suddenly Corcoran raced to the coaching box and begHn displacing the lurf at that spot with the toe of his shoe, He uncovered a buzzer burled an Inch or two beneath the surface. Other Reds got Into the act. They found the buzzer fastened to wires. They traced the wires to the Phillies' dugout and beyond, along the right field wall to the clubhouse In centerfield. There they found Morgan Murphy, then a catcher with the Phillies, with powerful binoculars at window In the clubhouse.

One buzz, a slow ball; two buzzes, a fast ball, a long buzz, a changpup. When Murphy pressed the buzzer Chllds felt the vibration In his foot and promptly relayed the Information on the forthcoming pitch by means of a word code to the Phillies batsman. THEY TELL THE STORY or breakdown In plans one day In St. Louis when the clubhouse was In center-field. There wa a little coop on top the clubhouse and In that coop during every home game was a smart and alert youngster.

He would sIkiiiiI the pitch lo the St. Ituls batsmen wllh a folded or unfolded newspaper. Naturally someone had to tell him what to signal. For two Inning on this day In question there wa no signal by the boy In the coop. That wouldn't do at all, so some of the benehwarmer strolled lo the clubhouse and there found their star pitcher sound asleep with a beer bottle In his lap, some empties and his binocular on the floor.

THE YANKEES OF COURSE would never stoop to anything like that! Or would they? And If so, It wouldn't be their first time-although they were the Highlanders and playing In the old Hilltop In New York when they, stole their first signs, It was 1909, Frank Farrell and Rill Devery owned the dub and George Stalling managed the team, The Highlanders couldn't win on the road but pounded every pitcher at home. Many persons figured there had to be a reason, and Harry Tuthill, trainer for the Ivtrolt Tigers, derided to find It. One day, while the Tigers were being battered, Tuthill msde a lone raid on a spot close to the scoreboard on the centerfield fence. At his approach someone hurtled mafcE i NATIONAL LF.AGl'K Horo'o What Wo Do: 1. Clean and adjust spark plugs 2.

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