Stephenson: The story of Al Worthington, who once quit baseball over sign-stealing
From SABR member Creg Stephenson at AL.com on May 2, 2020:
Before the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic pushed all other news off the front page, electronic sign-stealing was the story of the offseason and the spring in Major League Baseball.
The Houston Astros’ scandal — which broke just after the World Series and resulted in the firing and suspension of manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, among other penalties — turned the one-time darlings of baseball into one of the most-hated organizations in sports. That’s a stark contrast from much of the game’s history, in which a little cheating to get ahead was not only largely condoned, but often lauded.
Al Worthington never thought of it that way.
During a big-league career that spanned from 1953-69, the Birmingham native twice spoke up about his teams using technology to steal opponents’ signals, both times to his professional detriment. The first confrontation resulted in his being traded; the second in his briefly walking away from the game.
Read the full article here: https://www.al.com/sports/2020/05/the-story-of-al-worthington-who-once-quit-baseball-over-sign-stealing.html
- Related link: Read our SABR biography of Al Worthington
Originally published: May 5, 2020. Last Updated: May 5, 2020.