Phillies, the new Patriots?

[Mario-Rijo]

2 things here where does gamesmanship end and cheating begin. AL Leiter when asked says when it goes beyond the players and coaches on the field (that's the way I took it anyway). As an example he said if the catcher is dumb enough to drop a sign with a runner on 2nd then so be it, if in this case someone off the field is stealing and directing the signs to guys that is cheating. BTW Manuel says the guy with the binoculars wasn't hiding. But watching a shot of the video myself he certainly was visibly leaning/trying to lean back into the little darkest part of that area.

Secondly do you think they are cheating and does that explain their utter dominance the last couple of years since Manuel got there? Perhaps time to start looking at their RPG on the road from here on out compared to what it has been? When 4 different teams accuse you there is too much smoke not to be fire IMO..

Updated: May 12, 2010, 4:59 PM ET
Manuel: Phils not trying to steal signs

ESPN.com news services

DENVER -- Binoculars in the bullpen? Major League Baseball isn't happy and has told the Philadelphia Phillies to knock it off.

The Phillies insisted Wednesday they weren't trying to steal signs when bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was caught on camera peering through binoculars from the bullpen bench at Coors Field earlier this week.

Manager Charlie Manuel told The Associated Press that Billmeyer was simply watching Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz set up defensively Monday night.

FSN Rocky Mountain, the flagship broadcaster of the Colorado Rockies, showed Billmeyer using the binoculars to peer in on Colorado catcher Miguel Olivo while the Phillies were at bat in the top of the second inning.

It also showed a quick image of Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino in the dugout on the bullpen phone in the top of the second.

"We were not trying to steal signs," Manuel said. "Would we try to steal somebody's signs? Yeah, if we can. But we don't do that. We're not going to let a guy stand up there in the bullpen with binoculars looking in. We're smarter than that."

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