January 17, 20206 yr https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/jack-mcdowell-80s-white-sox-tony-la-russa-cheated/fac8vh3ph8vb1dkja2jox1n10 Former MLB pitcher and 1993 AL Cy Young winner Jack McDowell alleged in a radio appearance Friday morning that the White Sox had an illegal sign-stealing operation at old Comiskey Park in the late 1980s, and that Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa was the instigator of the scheme. Speaking to WFNZ-AM in Charlotte, where he serves as baseball coach for Queens University, McDowell said the White Sox had a camera zoomed in on opposing catchers and a light in an outfield Gatorade sign that could be controlled from the manager's office and would presumably let hitters know which pitches were coming. "He was also the head of the first team ... with people doing steroids," McDowell said, referencing La Russa's decade-long stint as manager of the Oakland A's, which included managing infamous steroid users Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. "Yet he's still in the game making half a million. No one's gonna go after that." I've been pretty anti-LaRussa in my life, and as a poster here, and his love of cheating was a huge reason. He was an overrated hack who never did shit the right way; which is likely why he was fired from the White Sox. People here can praise him all he want, but the guy spent decades cheating - not winning fair and square.
January 17, 20206 yr Cheating is back to being just a part of the game now! ? Edited January 17, 20206 yr by Moan4Yoan
January 17, 20206 yr Author I will say, I have no idea what camera's were good enough in the 1980's to zoom in from the outfield stands into the fingers of a catcher... But I don't know why Jack would make this up; well, he does hate LaRussa but still. Odds are this is true, and makes me even happier that we fired this ass hat. Edited January 17, 20206 yr by Look at Ray Ray Run
January 17, 20206 yr Now we know where the Cardinals pixie dust comes from. Turning mediocre players into productive major leaguers for them.
January 17, 20206 yr Author McDowell says baseball gives guys like LaRussa a pass for decades while targeting others. He says it's not fair and it's hypocritical. Hard to argue with Jack here.
January 17, 20206 yr That was a whole lot of sucking in the late 80s while knowing what pitches were coming. Yikes.
January 17, 20206 yr Author 5 minutes ago, mqr said: I've some bad news about the 1919 White Sox as well I'm not mad at the White Sox - this is a LaRussa problem, not an organizational one, and there's a lot of reasons LaRussa is gone and that may have been one of them.
January 17, 20206 yr Just now, tray said: If McDowell knew about this at the time and said nothing, he was part of it. Well he never actually played for LaRussa so
January 17, 20206 yr Author 1 minute ago, tray said: If McDowell knew about this at the time and said nothing, he was part of it. McDowell joined the team in 1987, the year after LaRussa was fired. Sooo. no.
January 17, 20206 yr OK, this makes no sense. LaRussa last managed the Sox in 1985. McDowell not drafted until the summer of 1987?
January 17, 20206 yr 2 minutes ago, HOFHurt35 said: OK, this makes no sense. LaRussa last managed the Sox in 1985. McDowell not drafted until the summer of 1987? Could have heard about it from like Baines or someone
January 17, 20206 yr 1 minute ago, HOFHurt35 said: OK, this makes no sense. LaRussa last managed the Sox in 1985. McDowell not drafted until the summer of 1987? Hawk fired LaRussa in mid-1986.
January 17, 20206 yr I don't think stealing signs is all that bad. I played in college and if the signs were so obvious that I can use them, fine. I think stealing signs is almost expected, which is why pitchers and catchers have different series of signs when a baserunner is at 2nd.
January 17, 20206 yr Author 7 minutes ago, HOFHurt35 said: OK, this makes no sense. LaRussa last managed the Sox in 1985. McDowell not drafted until the summer of 1987? McDowell was drafted in the 1987 draft - a member of the organization. He made his big league debut in 87, less than 1 year after LaRussa's firing. Players talk; these were his teammates. LaRussa has a history of breaking the rules, and I'll trust McDowell that this was just the beginning of LaRussa's scumbaggery. edit: changed draft date Edited January 17, 20206 yr by Look at Ray Ray Run
January 17, 20206 yr Just now, soxfan49 said: I don't think stealing signs is all that bad. I played in college and if the signs were so obvious that I can use them, fine. I think stealing signs is almost expected, which is why pitchers and catchers have different series of signs when a baserunner is at 2nd. The argument is about using technology to cheat. Apples and Oranges.
January 17, 20206 yr Author 2 minutes ago, soxfan49 said: I don't think stealing signs is all that bad. I played in college and if the signs were so obvious that I can use them, fine. I think stealing signs is almost expected, which is why pitchers and catchers have different series of signs when a baserunner is at 2nd. Again, using technology to steal signs is illegal and far different than me shifting my weight to the left side when the catcher moves in and right side when he moves out, and holding my left knee cap for a fastball and having two hands on my knees for off-speed while standing on second. Edited January 17, 20206 yr by Look at Ray Ray Run
January 17, 20206 yr 1 minute ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said: McDowell was drafted in the 1984 draft - a member of the organization. He made his big league debut in 87, less than 1 year after LaRussa's firing. Players talk; these were his teammates. LaRussa has a history of breaking the rules, and I'll trust McDowell that this was just the beginning of LaRussa's scumbaggery. He was drafted in '87 Edited January 17, 20206 yr by HOFHurt35
January 17, 20206 yr Author Miami baseball does this shit too - by far the biggest cheaters in college baseball.
January 17, 20206 yr Just now, soxfan49 said: I don't think stealing signs is all that bad. I played in college and if the signs were so obvious that I can use them, fine. I think stealing signs is almost expected, which is why pitchers and catchers have different series of signs when a baserunner is at 2nd. Nobody is talking about that. Everyone accepts that in baseball...observable signs with the naked eye is fair game. Using technology- cameras, maybe buzzers, in real time, not cool . Not acceptable.
January 17, 20206 yr 22 minutes ago, Moan4Yoan said: Now we know where the Cardinals pixie dust comes from. Turning mediocre players into productive major leaguers for them. I mean where does everyone think Jeff Luhnow learned everything?
January 17, 20206 yr Author Just now, HOFHurt35 said: He was drafter in '87 Ahh, you're right. He was drafted in 84 and 87. Regardless, he was on the team like 6 months after LaRussa left. You're acting like he had no communication with the players that played with LaRussa.
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