


The intent of an indicator is to obfuscate the signals to an opponent who may also have visual access to the communication. The cryptic nature of communication among baseball coaches and players generally relies upon a mastersignal called an “indicator,” whereby the indicator consists of a specific act or behavior on the part of the coach (or player) conveying the signals.
#PLAY ALEX GORDON GAME FREE#
HOWARD: Flashback Gordon 15 NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME LIBRARY, COOPERSTOWN, NY Could Gordon have broken out of the box more quickly, overcoming the automatic programming of thousands of previous situations, or was his reaction too ingrained? Why, then - in a game where cryptic communication is of paramount importance in assuring success - would the offense allow the defense free access to their “stop” and “go” signals as conveyed by their third base coach? To answer such a question, one has to look at what an alternative strategy to allowing such “theft” of signals to occur, might look like. Sending the runner from third is reliant upon the most critical set of signals.Wayne Patterson, “The Cryptology of Baseball,” Cryptologia 35, no.

A team might find itself in this same situation once or twice every five to ten games - perhaps even more frequently. Gordon’s situation was not unusual outside of having occurred when and where it did. One such situation was indeed the Game Seven bottom-of-the-ninth baserunning situation that Kansas City’s Alex Gordon found himself in. However not all situations where cryptic communication may be of benefit are exploited in baseball. As many as a thousand of these signals can be exchanged in an average major league game, and coordination of comprehensive offensive strategy among players and coaches can be critical in a close contestPaul Dickson, The Hidden Language of Baseball, Walker Books, 2005, 6. Fielders give each other signals regarding who should cover a base or take a relay throw, and managers and base coaches pass signals to players and each other in numerous strategic situations. Catchers give covert signals to pitchers to establish pitch type and location, when to pitch out, and cuing events such as snap-throws behind a runner on base. However, a thorough analysis of the entire scenario and its constituent variables requires one to ask “Was everything done strategically - both on offense and on defense - to extract the maximum amount of advantage from the scenario for its participants?” Such a question goes beyond a well-executed relay-throw chain and a base runner heading toward third base - it extends to the fundamentals of offensive and defensive baseball itself, and whether important strategic elements of the game were in place when Gordon’s trek began.īaseball is a sport of hidden communication there is always a “game within the game” being played somewhere on the field. , Chris Chase, “Alex Gordon going for inside-the-park HR would’ve been the greatest end to the World Series.” USA Today, October 30, 2014. Or will we?Īnalyses of the play have addressed variables that range from Gordon’s speed and the breakdown of the relay throw, to Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford’s throwing accuracy and Giants catcher Buster Posey’s ability to get back to the plate in time from an off-line throw.Andrew Joseph, “Alex Gordon’s late start costs the Royals in 9th inning,” The Arizona Republic, October 30, 2014. We will never know with any reasonable degree of certainty if Gordon could have been safe. In a moment that will haunt KC fans, Gordon stayed at third. No sooner had Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez popped up for the last out in the 2014 World Series, the pundits, second-guessers, arm-chair managers, and even scientists embarked on quests to address third base coach Mike Jirschele’s decision to hold KC’s Alex Gordon at third, instead of sending him home to try to tie the game. In a game where cryptic communication is of paramount importance in assuring success, why would the offense allow the defense free access to their “stop” and “go” signals as conveyed by their third base coach?
