A Brief History of Rule-Bending in Baseball

The long and winding rules of baseball might as well end in an emphatic wink. An inherent invitation to lawlessness has always been among its most endearing qualities. The idea that cheating is only cheating if one gets caught is deeply ingrained in its tradition, and proliferated by its wisest philosophers.

So deeply rooted is the rule-bending tradition that players are taught specific techniques to combat it. Catchers are taught to give signs out of reach of third base coaches and nosy batters. Pitchers cover their mouths when they talk things over on the mound. Paranoid shortstops and second baseman open and close their mouths behind their gloves to indicate who is covering the bag, so as not to give runners any sense of who they might have to beat there.