2 weeks Ago
The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners had an eventful game Saturday afternoon. The game went 12 innings with the Blue Jays eventually losing 8-4. The game was tied 3-3 heading into extras, though.
Early in the game, Toronto and Seattle cleared the benches after Jose Berrios and Cal Raleigh had some choice words for each other. The reasoning for the two teams almost brawling was revealed at the conclusion of the game. Berrios suspected Raleigh of tipping pitches and relaying signs to his teammates when he was on the bases.
The altercation was just part of the game and a heat of the moment thing. Raleigh fully understands why Berrios might have been upset at the thought of pitch tipping. "I'd want my pitchers doing the same thing.
If somebody thought they were tipping, I'd want them to say something. Just how it is. Competitive baseball game.
People are right in the heart of it," Raleigh told reporters, per ESPN . Raleigh denied the accusation. Tipping pitches is something that happens in baseball.
Whether it is subtle, or more obvious, every team wants to get the upper hand on opposing pitchers. If they see something in a pitcher or catcher's set up for different pitches, or maybe grips being shown out in the open, teams are always going to use that to their advantage. The problem sometimes arises when it becomes known that pitches are being tipped.
However, there is still a sour taste in a lot of mouths from what the Houston Astros did back in 2017. Now, the Astros were definitely cheating. They had a different way of letting hitters know what was coming, and it was not normal to the sport of baseball.
What the Mariners may or may not have been doing is nothing like what Houston was doing. Figuring out signs the legal way is just a part of the game. It is something that happens at all levels, whether or not fans notice it.
How Raleigh figured out the tell on Berrios is yet to be known. All the Blue Jays know is Berrios thought he had his signs somehow. Berrios' anger is justified, but there is a case to be made that he should be better about not tipping his pitches.
As reported by ESPN, Toronto's manager John Schneider acknowledged that tipping pitches is fair game. It is part of the sport and it always will be. Nonetheless, Berrios was upset with Raleigh and he let him know on the field.
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