Stealing Signs: A Study of Pie

Mark Buerhle accused Felix Pie of stealing signs last night.

Quite frankly, that's just fine with me. Baltimore still has marginal talent and still could use every edge they can get to win games.

But Pie was only on second base (the traditional place a runner needs to be to steal signs), and that was during a Cesar Izturis groundout in the 6th.

Maybe Buerhle thoughtt he team was stealing signs all game. Maybe but every hit of consequence for the O's came with nobody on second. Matt Wieters doubled in Pie in the 5th but Pie was on first. Runners were on first and third when Corey Patterson singled to drive in Wieters later that inning. It was the same in the 6th when Wieters his a sac fly to plate Ty Wigginton and there was nobody on when Brian Roberts hit his solo shot in the 7th.

It is rare for hitters to steal signs from first base (although not unheard of) but even if Baltimore was stealing signs, it doesn't appear to by why they got the big hits on Wednesday night.