So the Yankees tattled on the Red Sox stealing signs during a recent series. The Sox copped to it. We told you about this. 

As for Sox honcho Dave Dombrowski, here's what he had to say about the matter ... 

He's right. Sign-stealing is an ancient baseball tradition, and it'll always be a part of the game. That's a good thing, as it's a compelling bit of gamesmanship and, in its purest form, is an exercise of skill and counter-skill. Dombrowski's qualifier -- "I guess it depends on how you do it" -- is also correct. 

Is it cheating? Sure, but even cheating has rules. Here, I would submit, are the rules for Right-Wise and Proper Sign-Stealing ... 

  1. The stealing of signs cannot leverage technology of any kind. 
  2. The stealing of signs cannot involve non-uniformed personnel. 

No, you can't use binoculars or telescopes, as the 1951 Giants are said to have done; or lights in the scoreboard, as the 1980s White Sox are said to have done; or Apple Watches, as the 2017 Red Sox are said to have done. You can't rely upon video replay in a darkened corner of the clubhouse.

Stealing signs should involve the human eyeball -- LASIK-corrected, even -- and nothing else. Also, no interns in moisture-wicking polos can be part of the crew. Only rostered players, bullpen catchers, and uniformed members of the coaching staff can be in on the con. 

In the case of the Red Sox, you've allegedly got a member of the training staff using, as noted, an Apple Watch, so they're in violation of both sacrosanct principles. If it had been, say, the bench coach tracking signs and figuring out the indicator or a runner on second base signaling to pitch location to the hitter, then we're all good and fully in keeping with ancient baseball tradition. 

Even when cheating you gotta have a code, people. Even Dombrowski, who's invested in this outcome, seems to realize this.

Sign-stealing via eyeballs by players and coaches? Cool. Sign-stealing via the Sharper Image family of products? Beyond the pale, I say!