Were the Milwaukee Brewers’ signs actually stolen by the St. Louis Cardinals?
In 2022, fewer than two baseball games have been played, and already accusations of sign-stealing are being made. During a recent game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals, the former’s broadcast staff went on the attack against the latter.
Bill Schroeder said the Cardinals were taking a page from the Houston Astros’ playbook when Nolan Arenado hit a home run.
The Cardinals’ lead was extended by Arenado’s base hit, prompting Schroeder to question the game’s fairness. Redbird Rants’ Robert Murray summed up exactly what Schroeder had to say about the situation while also clarifying how accurate it might be:
“We have not seen this kind of attack against Freddy Peralta in a long time. It’s almost as if they know what’s coming. He’s not using a PitchCom. I’m not saying the Cardinals are stealing signs and knowing what’s coming. I’m just saying that’s how it looks.”
Is there any truth to the Cardinals’ swiping signs from the Brewers?
It’s an odd claim to make based on nothing more than a gut instinct at the time. Freddy Peralta was getting beaten up, to be sure. Schroeder’s failure may have felt out of the ordinary to him. Anyone who has seen enough baseball knows that some pitchers simply have bad days. On the mound, Peralta is far from untouchable.
Given the ongoing scandal surrounding the Astros and several other clubs that are often subjected to similar charges, it’s not surprising to hear new ones being thrown around on a regular basis. However, in this case, it feels more like demanding a PED test after a player hits two home runs in a game.
If the allegations are true, there may be something to the Cardinals’ previous and largely forgotten hacking controversy in which they took information from the Astros.
The Cardinals were putting their cybersecurity breaching talents to the test long before buzzers and spider-tack were the finest ways to take advantage of another squad. Since then, the main concern in baseball morality has been sign-stealing. It’s an odd line to start with. Yes, as long as no technology is used.
The game was played in Milwaukee, which made this less likely. It’s not impossible for the Cardinals to cheat on the road, but it’s extremely unlikely. In the road grays, they don’t have the same level of access that they do in St. Louis.
To get a better understanding of what the truth is, we’ll have to watch a few more Cardinals and Brewers games. If more indicators pointed to the Cardinals’ swiping signs, Schroeder may have been correct. However, if he continues to make similar assertions, it’s possible that the pitching staff isn’t all that good.