Did Johnny Cueto see someone stealing signs in center field during Game 3?
TORONTO – The following is a fact: Johnny Cueto pitched one of the worst games in postseason history in Game 3 of the ALCS on Monday night in Toronto. Cueto recorded just six outs before getting pulled in the third inning and was charged with eight earned runs as the Blue Jays won the game 11-8.
There were multiple factors that led to his rough outing. He was facing the league’s best lineup. He couldn’t command his fastball and was leaving balls up in the zone. Outside of his terrific start in Game 5 of the ALDS against Houston, he hasn’t been very good since coming over from Cincinnati to Kansas City in a blockbuster trade in late July. These are all facts.
But was there something else at play? The following is purely speculative, but boy will it get people talking.
[Related: Blue Jays bats erupt in Game 3 as Royals ace Johnny Cueto flops]
According to fellow Royals starter Edinson Volquez, Cueto made reference to seeing someone in the seats in center field potentially relaying signs back to Blue Jays hitters.
“I think he said last night, they got a guy in center field. You see how hard it is, he look to the center field and he see somebody do this or do that, it’s really hard to do that. I don’t know, he said that. But when the guy gets on second base, he said something about that, too, they were giving signs to the hitter. But I don’t know.”
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ conspiracy theory? It’s not the first time the Blue Jays have been accused of this kind of nefarious behavior. Back in 2011, ESPN The Magazine and Outside The Lines did a report on claims Toronto was getting help at the plate from a man stationed in center field, who quickly became known around baseball as the Blue Jays’ infamous “man in white.”
The players weren’t exactly sure how the man in white knew what was coming — maybe, they thought, he was receiving messages via his Bluetooth from an ally elsewhere in the stadium who had binoculars or access to the stadium feed. But they quickly picked up the wavelength of his transmissions: He was raising his arms over his head for curveballs, sliders and changeups. In other words, anything besides fastballs.
As if this series – even after Game 3’s loss the Royals lead 2-1 heading into Tuesday’s Game 4 – needed any more drama.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
