Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly accused Chicago Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry of 'bush league' antics as tempers flared during Monday's Major League Baseball series opener.
Kelly pitched the first 5.2 innings of Arizona's 7-0 home loss to the Cubs. Tensions boiled over during the fifth inning when Kelly stepped off the pitcher's mound and glared directly at Berry while pitching to Chicago batter Michael Busch.
Following the game, Kelly revealed he believed Berry was deciphering his signals from outside the field of play. The pitcher said he suspected Berry had picked up a tell on his changeup pitch and was actively tipping off Chicago's left-handed batters.
In Major League Baseball, sign stealing is a long-standing practice that remains legal as long as no electronic technology is involved. However, baseball tradition holds an unwritten rule that coaches standing outside the baseline should not relay signs to hitters.
Kelly's decision to step off the mound to make his point quickly escalated into a dugout confrontation. Members of the Diamondbacks coaching staff voiced their displeasure from the bench, triggering an angry response from the Cubs.
Dugout Altercation and Coaching Reactions
Arizona pitching coach Brian Kaplan yelled at home plate umpire Lance Barret and motioned toward Berry, according to details shared on the local television broadcast. At the same time, Diamondbacks bench coach Brian Banniser wagged his finger and shouted directly at the Chicago dugout.
Berry smiled as he turned toward the Diamondbacks dugout during the exchange. Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty appeared to fire expletives back across the field as personnel from both dugouts shouted at each other.
Kelly Criticises Coaching Conduct
"Stealing signs is as old as baseball. I think it's a little bull**** when it comes from a coach," Kelly said after the game. He explained that while sign stealing between players on the field is accepted, coaching involvement crosses a line.
"If it's a guy on second base and they see a grip in your glove or if the hitters can see something you're doing with your glove, I think that's fair game. I think guys have been doing that since the beginning of baseball," Kelly said.
"I think it's a little bush league when it comes from outside that. I think inside the lines is one thing, I think the guys that are standing outside the lines I think it's a little bush league," he added.
Kelly called the incident "probably the most egregious I've seen from coaches," noting that while everyone in baseball seeks an advantage, sign relaying should remain strictly between players.
"Definitely not the first time a coach has relayed signs, but I think in that situation I think it should stay between the players," Kelly stated.
Cubs Manager Responds After Victory
Chicago manager Craig Counsell played down the confrontation following his team's shutout victory, describing the situation as "gamesmanship that goes on every day in the league."
The 7-0 victory marked an important win for the Cubs, who currently lead the National League Wild Card race as the series continues.
