The Player Rob Manfred Should Be Trying to Clone for each 2020 Roster

[Nate Palmer]

While Rob Manfred is currently trying to put together plans for when baseball might resume, the sign-stealing scandal is still a reality that is lingering out there. One former Minnesota Twin had the sort of conviction about cheating that caused him to speak out about sign stealing twice during his career.Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball will have coronavirus to thank when the 2020 MLB season isn’t marked only by the effects of the Astros and unresolved Red Sox sign-stealing sagas in history books. Even so, there is one player from baseball and Minnesota Twins history that the commissioner may want to clone and have his presence in each major league clubhouse in order to gain back the trust of fans.

 

That man is right-handed pitcher Al Worthington. There are likely few reasons someone in 2020 that wasn’t living in the 50s and 60’s or spends potentially too much time on baseball reference would know about the Alabama native Worthington. For Twins Daily readers, he did finish the last six years of his major league career with the Twins so you may have come across his name because of that.

 

Worthington was part of a great stretch of Twins teams from 1964-1969. After first coming over to the Twins and pitching as a reliever he appeared in 41 games, the first 20 without allowing a run, and finishing with a 1.37 ERA. Worthington had the best ERA of the ‘65 World Series roster of pitchers. Then in 1969, manager Billy Martin thought highly enough of him that he was able to get the right-hander to come out of retirement to join his squad’s bullpen.

 

While Worthington isn’t getting confused for Sandy Koufax or even his teammates such as Jim Perry, Mudcat Grant, or Dean Chance, he was a solid part of all those competitive Twins teams. Before coming to the Twins, Worthington was nothing more than a journeyman. Traveling back and forth between the minor and majors with a sprinkling of pennant-winning baseball in there too.

 

None of that is the reason why Manfred needs to consider clones of Worthington putting on each team's uniform. Worthington has a track record of calling out cheating, specifically sign stealing. He did it first as a member of the San Francisco Giants in 1959. Manager Bill Rigney in that occurrence chose to listen to Worthington and stop the practice. Which unfortunately for them led to losing three straight games at a critical point at the end of their season.

 

The following season, after just being acquired by the White Sox from the Red Sox, Worthington again found out that there was cheating happening once again. He again approached his manager Al Lopez on the issue. This time it seems things did not go the way Worthington had hoped. He then chose to leave the team after pitching only 5 1/3 innings for his new team.

 

We can only imagine how different the current state of sign stealing may have gone if someone on the rosters in question had chosen to stop it while it was happening. Mike Fiers deserves credit for shedding light on the issue, but it seems fair to wonder what reality we may be living in if someone had followed Worthington’s lead and stopped the practice while it was happening.

 

So if Manfred really wants to make us feel secure again about the integrity of the game when it comes to sign stealing, cloning Worthington might be the best way to do just that. He has a track record of calling these practices out into the light. He also was not a fan of the spitball, calling it cheating as well. We will have to report back about his feelings on pitchers using pine tar.

 

As I will recommend several times, at least until baseball starts, go read Cool of the Evening by Jim Thielman. It is where I first encountered this unique little side story to Worthington’s career. Thielman has done a good job of making each player I read about my new favorite of the team, Worthington now included.

 

Thielman, Jim.Cool of the Evening: the 1965 Minnesota Twins. Minneapolis, MN: Kirk House Publishers, 2005.

 

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[mikelink45]

I just finished reading Cool of the Evening and I could not recommend a book more.  What great history, all based on the 1965 Twins season and roster.  Thank you for putting it here.  I was trying to figure out how I could recommend it to the TD readers. 

[Doctor Gast]

I`m a big fan Al Worthinton but now I admire him more! What I like about the Twins is that they attract good character players. What I dislike is what others practice & try to cover up. 

[Trov]

I cannot speak to what sign stealing Worthington found to be cheating, but unless it involved using non-human methods, I would not find that cheating.  If players can see in and see the signs and figure out what pitch is coming and can signal the hitter, to me that is not cheating.  

 

However, what the Astros, and other teams were doing went way beyond that.  Using closed circuit camera feeds, a computer algorithm, and from the dug out banging on a trash can is crazy.  I mean, for years catchers would use multiple signs when runner on second, sometimes even when runner was on first, but never with no one on base, until this.   

 

As long as the game has been around there has been teams trying to gain an edge, and as long as it is a skill of the person, that is not cheating.  Just like in Blackjack, counting cards is not cheating, it is using a practiced skill to help gain an edge.  Why do players cover their mouths with gloves when they are on the mound, fear of a lip reader on the team learning what they talking about, should anyone have that skill.  That would not be cheating, but a hidden mic in the pitching rubber hearing everything would be.

 

I personally do not even think using video of past games to try and figure out signs from 3rd base coaches is cheating, if you want to take the time to crack the code and the opposing team takes no steps to change it.   

[Nate Palmer]

 

I cannot speak to what sign stealing Worthington found to be cheating, but unless it involved using non-human methods, I would not find that cheating.  If players can see in and see the signs and figure out what pitch is coming and can signal the hitter, to me that is not cheating.  

 

However, what the Astros, and other teams were doing went way beyond that.  Using closed circuit camera feeds, a computer algorithm, and from the dug out banging on a trash can is crazy.  I mean, for years catchers would use multiple signs when runner on second, sometimes even when runner was on first, but never with no one on base, until this.   

 

As long as the game has been around there has been teams trying to gain an edge, and as long as it is a skill of the person, that is not cheating.  Just like in Blackjack, counting cards is not cheating, it is using a practiced skill to help gain an edge.  Why do players cover their mouths with gloves when they are on the mound, fear of a lip reader on the team learning what they talking about, should anyone have that skill.  That would not be cheating, but a hidden mic in the pitching rubber hearing everything would be.

 

I personally do not even think using video of past games to try and figure out signs from 3rd base coaches is cheating, if you want to take the time to crack the code and the opposing team takes no steps to change it.   

If my memory is serving me correctly, the Giants situation involved someone positioned in the center field bleachers with binoculars relaying signs. 

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

I am currently reading cool of the evening. What an amazing book. If you are a twins fan or even just a casual baseball fan, you will enjoy this book immensely

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

I am currently reading cool of the evening. What an amazing book. If you are a twins fan or even just a casual baseball fan, you will enjoy this book immensely

[mikelink45]

 

I cannot speak to what sign stealing Worthington found to be cheating, but unless it involved using non-human methods, I would not find that cheating.  If players can see in and see the signs and figure out what pitch is coming and can signal the hitter, to me that is not cheating.  

 

However, what the Astros, and other teams were doing went way beyond that.  Using closed circuit camera feeds, a computer algorithm, and from the dug out banging on a trash can is crazy.  I mean, for years catchers would use multiple signs when runner on second, sometimes even when runner was on first, but never with no one on base, until this.   

 

As long as the game has been around there has been teams trying to gain an edge, and as long as it is a skill of the person, that is not cheating.  Just like in Blackjack, counting cards is not cheating, it is using a practiced skill to help gain an edge.  Why do players cover their mouths with gloves when they are on the mound, fear of a lip reader on the team learning what they talking about, should anyone have that skill.  That would not be cheating, but a hidden mic in the pitching rubber hearing everything would be.

 

I personally do not even think using video of past games to try and figure out signs from 3rd base coaches is cheating, if you want to take the time to crack the code and the opposing team takes no steps to change it.   

They had a man stationed with binoculars in the scoreboard and outfield.