The Big Lead

Angels pitcher suspects Red Sox stole signs, leading to pregame incident: report

By J.P. Hoornstra

Angels manager Ron Washington watches from the dugout against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park on Wednesday, June 4.
Angels manager Ron Washington watches from the dugout against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park on Wednesday, June 4. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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There was a whole lot of talk on the field between the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox on Wednesday at Fenway Park. There wasn't much explanation afterward.

A pregame altercation involving multiple players and coaches on both teams broke out before the series finale when Angels pitcher Tyler Anderson confronted Red Sox first base coach Jose Flores, erupting into a shouting match.

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Angels pitching coach Barry Enright joined in, and a crowd gathered before Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson separated Flores from the growing group.

The incident was captured on video and posted to social media by NESN (which deleted its original post) and Carlos Yamazaki of the Tokyo Sports Press.

“What I can tell you is baseball talk,” Angels manager Ron Washington said after the game, via Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group. “Things happen like that. I don’t know what else to say. There’s no grudge against both teams. So just some baseball talk.”

The Angels referred all comments on the incident to Washington, according to Fletcher. But according to Mike Rodriguez on Twitter/X, the issue arose when Anderson accused Flores of stealing signs during Monday's game. The 35-year-old left-hander allowed five runs in 4.1 innings in an eventual Angel victory.

Sign-stealing is legal within certain parameters. A former Red Sox video operator, J.T. Watkins, was accused by Major League Baseball of illegally using a video feed to steal signs from Boston's replay room in 2020. He denied the allegation but ultimately was suspended by the league.

A first-base coach ostensibly would have to use his eyes and ears to steal signs, which is legal within MLB's rules — if frowned upon by opponents. Such a violation of decorum would definitely qualify as "baseball talk," to use Washington's words.

Regardless of the reason for the squabble, it made for an unusual scene. Dugouts rarely empty for pregame altercations between baseball teams, and the Angels and Red Sox aren't natural rivals (1986 ALCS aside).

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