The San Francisco Giants have been more entertaining than expected this season, but that didn’t stop outfielder Mike Yastrzemski from producing some added theater on Tuesday night.
The show took place during the Giants’ 5-2 victory over the Cardinals, with Yastrzemski at second base and rookie pitcher Johan Oviedo at the mound. Struggling to throw strikes, Oviedo became distracted by the gyrations of Yastrzemski, apparently thinking that the he was stealing signs for San Francisco.
Take a look at the exchange here, courtesy of NBC Sports.
Some Cardinals fans cried foul, also claiming that Yaztrzemski was a sign thief. After the game, however, Yastrzemski cleared things up. He said that he was simply distracting Oviedo and wasn’t stealing anything. Then he added, quite hilariously, that hey, it’s an entertainment business.
Oh man, that’s rich. Are you not entertained?
Oviedo, for his part, admitted postgame that he was fooled by Yastrzemski.
So chalk it up to a learning experience for Oviedo, and an entertaining moment for us all, except for Cardinals fans, I have to presume.
But seriously, there was never any real reason to believe Yastrzemski was stealing signs. The Giants likely would have had much more success at the plate if he was. And as the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reported in the tweet above, the Cardinals changed signs three times. Oviedo should have known better, and now he does.
This unexpected exchange might inject some added life into the Giants, as well. They’re still in first place but will face the second-place Dodgers for a four-game set starting on Monday, and it would help if San Francisco was in a groove as they head into that series, especially at the plate. That way, they can provide even more entertainment for the Bay Area as the marathon MLB season rolls along.
(Photo courtesy Ian D’Andrea)
Bay Area Sports Hub 
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