Honest question from someone who only played in non-competitive YMCA leagues growing up: What's the difference between what ARod did and a shortstop who decoys a runner attempting to steal second into sliding when the ball is really a double into the gap? Both are intended to decoy the other team without physically interfering.
Excellent question to which you'll never get a satisfactory answer (unfortunately). Many will have opinions as to the bush leaguery of one and the keen competitive edge of the other and it will again leave you unsatisfied that you've had your question undeniably, without doubt, fully answered. So do you want to know our opinions (which cannot be debated per se, after all, it is only our views) or do you want the truth?
The truth: No difference and if there is, it's a gnat's hair worth.
My opinion: You still never do what A-Rod did while it's is entirely okay to decoy a runner. Why? Well Jimmy D took this sort of approach last night to explain the subtle difference between the act of deception accepted by ball players and the ones that fall into the A-Rod no-no category. "You can defend against one, you cannot against the other". So Jimmy D's example was this: If a runner is stealing signs from second, you really don't have a problem with it because you can defend against it... meaning you can do something about it. Change the signs, the deception by the runner has been twarted. You cannot do anything to defend yourself against what A-Rod did so that is crossing the line and thus unsportsmanlike and very bush league behavior." Subtle I'm sure, but very much to the point if anyone wants to argue the finer details of good deception and bad deception nuances.
Can you defend against a decoy by the second baseman or shortstop? Yes, if you run with your head up and pick up the ball, you'll not fall for said deception, so you can indeed defend yourself against such trickery. If you're going to catch a foul ball or pop up, you concentrate on the ball and nothing else. That is why you have some scary incidents in baseball when the ball is a tweener and two guys are rushing to catch it (see: Freel, Ryan). Unless you're about to run into a wall and must look to find the wall for a nano-second, you really don't have time to descern if a base runner is coming towards you and is going to yell "Mine" or "I got it!". You cannot defend against that and if it makes you look foolish, it is a big taboo. You listen for the other teammate so you don't injure yourself going all out to catch a ball in most instances. You listen, not look for the other guy. You are defenseless if the runner interferes with your mechanism to insure safety and that is bush league to the highest.
You deserve to be dotted the next time up to bat and that will be the punishment for A-Rod beyond the public opinion once again being against the multi-million dollar kid.
