Johnny Cueto had his worst start of the season by far during the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. In an 11-8 ALCS Game 3 loss, Cueto was charged with eight runs allowed over two-plus innings. It was a disastrous effort.
After the game, reports said Cueto suspected the Blue Jays were stealing signs.
How much was Toronto in his head during that outing? He actually resorted to trying to flash signs to his catcher, Salvador Perez.
During Cueto’s start for Game 2 of the World Series Wednesday, commentator Tom Verducci showed highlights from that ALCS game of Cueto’s efforts to vary signs. They showed Perez giving multiple signs with nobody on base and setting up his target/location late. Verducci also spot-shadowed Cueto giving signs to Perez from the mound about what pitches he wanted to throw.
If Cueto was so blatantly showing the world what pitch he wanted to throw, it was no surprise the Jays spanked him around. But Cueto isn’t the first one to suspect the Jays of cheating at the Rogers Centre. The White Sox made a very compelling case arguing that the Jays planted a man to relay signs back in 2010. Even recently a former Blue Jays player admitted to stealing signs when he was with the team.
Toronto may have been picking signs from Kansas City during the ALCS, but Cueto didn’t do himself any favors by flashing his signs out there for everyone to see.
