Hank Aaron wants Willie Mays banned for life for 1951 sign stealing.

That's the logical conclusion that could be drawn from Hank Aaron's recent statement about illegal sign stealing: "whoever did that should be out of baseball the rest of their life”.

Hank Aaron played with Bobby Thomson but wants Astros cheaters banned for life. Sunday, February 9, 2020

1951 New York Giants sign stealing: a peak at coach Herman Franks and more. Wednesday, January 22, 2020 12:12 AM

1951 sign stealing Giants shutout first 15 innings of final 2 home games against Brooklyn. Wednesday, January 22, 2020 8:34 AM

Why is Jose Altuve vilified but not Bobby Thomson? Wednesday, January 22, 2020 9:19 AM

Did Jackie Robinson forget to remind catcher to use complex signs in 1951? Friday, January 24, 2020 ...

... exchange between Aaron and NBC Today Show interviewer Craig Melvin ...

Melvin: "They didn't steal signs back in your day?"
Aaron: "They didn't steal them that way".
Smug laughter.
Melvin: "You think the punishment fit the crime?"
Aaron: "No I don't. I think, I think whoever did that should be out of baseball the rest of their life.” ...

Hank Aaron: 1954-1976
Born: February 5, 1934 (Age: 86, 4 days) in Mobile, AL ...

16. 1973 Home Run rates: Hank Aaron and two other Braves stand out. Monday, December 9, 2019
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Willie Mays: should he be vilified for 1951 sign stealing? Wednesday, February 19, 2020

I know, it's jolting to even consider but 20 year old New York Giant rookie Willie Mays was part of the Giants cheating to win the 1951 NL pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers of Jackie Robinson...

May 6 Mays will be 89 years old...

Some are advocating vacating the 2017 World Series and presumably the American League pennant, too. If that occurs, why not also the other great sign stealing "scandal"? Does baseball have a statute of limitations on its pomposity?

No Giant player was punished. Giant manager Leo Durocher was behind the cheating and he was never punished. Durocher died in 1991 at age 86 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. The Giants sign stealing was well known by then and it received much more focus around 2000.

So before threatening Altuve, Bregman, Correa, Springer ... pause and consider whether you want to go after Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid of the 1950s. It's not too late to ban Mays for life.
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1951 Bownman Willie Mays Bowman / Public domain

Showing posts with label Signs.