Spygate: The Toronto Blue Jays Edition

Last season when Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista also known as 'Joey Bats' broke onto baseball's national spotlight by having himself a coming out party, belting 54 homers to lead the league and make a strong case for AL MVP honors, many speculated steroids or another type of performance enhancer was involved given the 30 year old outfielder/third baseman out of the Dominican had never hit more than 16 home runs in his six big league seasons prior to his 2010 power surge. However, Bautista's explanation coupled with further evidence through footage of his playing days with the Pittsburgh Pirates reveal a drastic adjustment in his swing which has allowed him to make contact with the ball much quicker than before when he was often late.

But just when the Blue Jays thought their man was free of controversy, another rumor surfaces, aiming to explain Bautista's hot hitting. According to new developments, the Blue Jays and their 2-time All-Star have been accused of allegedly stealing signs via a source sitting in the outfield. Four unknown players in the opposing team's bullpen say they saw a man in the outfield dressed in white, waving his arms to signal whether the batter will be thrown a fastball or a breaking ball. I'm guessing those four players are out of the Yankees bullpen considering New York skipper Joe Girardi accused the same exact ball club of stealing signs earlier in July.

Though the Blue Jays as a whole have hit nearly twice as many long balls at home than on the road (150-83) this season, that doesn't do enough justice for the simple fact that every team feels and hits more comfortably at the plate when playing in front of the home fans. Not to mention Rogers Centre owns one of the more favorable hitters parks where the ball tends to carry. Even if they were tipping pitches, it doesn't appear to be benefiting them a whole lot in the standings considering they find themselves in fourth place in the AL East, trailing the division-leading Red Sox by 13 games. According to sources, allegations revolving the Blue Jays and sign stealing date back to last season.

What I would like to know is what took this story nearly two years to surface. Could it be that Jays games rarely make it on FOX, ESPN or any other nationally televised station? If the man in the outfield is as obvious to point out as he should be given the batter needs to spot him as quickly as possible, I find it hard to believe the league is just now investigating. I don't buy much into sign stealing for the sole reason that you still have to locate and hit the ball which is by far much harder to accomplish than guessing what pitch the pitcher will throw next. PTI's Michael Wilbon made a valid argument earlier on today's show, pointing out that Tigers ace Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter against these very Blue Jays earlier this year at Toronto's Rogers Centre and was wondering where this anonymous sign stealer was then. Perhaps Verlander deserves a lot more praise for his gem than he's been credited with granted the players still couldn't get a hit off him despite knowing what he'd be throwing next.

While the Blue Jays organization has denied all reports and allegations by calling it, "stupid" according to Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, their fan base has taken it as a joke more than anything. During Wednesday's game against the visiting Oakland Athletics, fans in the left field bleachers were seen in all white attire holding signs that read "fastball" and "I stole this sign." However, the award for the best impersonation goes to Toronto reliever Casey Janssen who was seen peeking towards home plate through a pair of makeshift binoculars made out of two coffee cups that were tapped together.

Power Surge

Earlier this week, Toronto Blue Jays right-fielder Jose Bautista hit his league leading 50th home run, becoming the first player in franchise history to hit 50 HR's in a single season. 50 may not seem like a lot of long balls considering the high frequency of home runs we've grown accustomed to seeing over the past few years, but those numbers have began to die down and decrease now that baseball is in what's become known as the post-steroid era. Prior to Bautista's offensive outburst this year, no player has reached the half-century mark since the 2007 season when Yankees third-baseman Alex Rodriguez hit 54 homers in route to being crowned the AL MVP award winner.

Home runs aren't what they used to be, since being tainted by the large quantity of players being busted with performance enhancing drugs most notably from the Mitchell Report, but they're slowly becoming significant again now that the league has a more strict drug policy. What I find most intriguing about the 29 year old Bautista, is that during the thick of things when most players were being stamped with PED's, Jose's home run numbers were nowhere near the top of the list. In fact, prior to Bautista showcasing his power surge north of the border this year, he's never hit more than 16 HR's in a season. In his previous six big league seasons, Bautista has a combined home run total of 59. As of today, he stands tall with 54 big fly's on the year, only five HR's less than the total he's accumulated in his first six years, which in itself is a remarkable statistic.

Despite his impressive showing this year, can the late blooming slugger continue to hit for power into the future, or is Bautista another one of baseball's one-hit-wonders? Regardless if his 2010 campaign is a fluke or not, I sure appreciate all he's done for my Fantasy Team since acquiring him in early June. ;)