Walker: Stolen away: Dodgers’ Erskine recalls 1951 sign-stealing scam
From Ben Walker at the Associated Press on January 16, 2020:
Stealing signals. Banging on a trash can. Beating the Dodgers in October.
Sounds very familiar to Carl Erskine.
“If they’re going to go back to 2017 with penalties for the Astros,” he said Wednesday, “then I want them to go all the way back to 1951 to help us.”
The old Brooklyn pitcher was laughing. Sort of.
Now 93, Erskine vividly recalled what — until this week — had been the biggest sign-stealing scandal in baseball history.
Up by 13 1/2 games in mid-August, Jackie Robinson and the Dodgers seemed destined. That was until rookie Willie Mays and the New York Giants came flying back, fueled by an incredible, late run in home games at the Polo Grounds, and forced a best-of-three playoff for the National League pennant.
Read the full article here: https://apnews.com/77514a6d42d10e94b8b8d40051d974cb
Related links:
- James Elfers: Focus on the Giants’ Cheating Scandal of 1951
- Bryan Soderholm-Difatte: Durocher the Spymaster: How much did the Giants prosper from cheating in 1951?
- David W. Smith: Did Sign Stealing Make A Major Difference in the 1951 Pennant Race?
Originally published: January 16, 2020. Last Updated: January 16, 2020.