One had to imagine that the Subway Series between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets would have its contentious moments. However, no one expected that whistling would be the center of controversy in the series.
But that is exactly where things stand. The Mets are accusing the Yankees of using whistles to communicate signs to their batters, with members of the organization meeting to determine whether or not to make a formal complaint to league offices.
Mets brass will discuss the whistling allegation against the Yankees today and determine whether to pursue with MLB. Folks in Yankees dugout are extremely insistent this morning they weren’t stealing signs. There is Astros history/context to this. Story soon.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) September 13, 2021
New York Yankees claiming whistles are nothing to worry about
As far as the Yankees are concerned, those complaints are much ado about nothing. The finger has been pointed at Wandy Peralta as the whistler, with this being something that he just does. Joey Gallo said that his whistles get loud enough to hurt his ears, while Giancarlo Stanton pointed out that teams cannot do something so obvious to tip off their hitters.
Trying to steal signs is a part of the game that has existed for nearly as long as baseball itself. Any way a team can get an advantage will be exploited. But there are lines that should not be crossed, such as using electronic means to uncover those signals. Likewise, teams would not be so obvious as to use whistles to relay those signs.
It is also worth noting that the Yankees have been stung by cheating scandals in the past. The 2017 Astros, infamous for their usage of trash cans to relay pitches to their hitters, eliminated the Yankees in the postseason. Considering that they were victimized by such actions, they may have reason to pause before being so obvious.
Likewise, if the Yankees are using those whistles to communicate signs, it certainly is not working. They have lost eight of their last nine games, tumbling out of a playoff berth following their most recent defeat. What has been considered a disappointing year for much of the season is starting to bottom out once more.
The New York Yankees whistling may have gotten on the Mets’ nerves, but it seems to be much ado about nothing. It certainly hasn’t helped in the standings.