Neifi the Cheat?

[WindyCity]

Did anyone else notice Neifi looking back at the catcher before a pitch late in Monday's game against the Braves? He ended up getting a single on another pitch later in the same at bat.

 

I recall seeing him do that a lot earlier in the year, and also reading that he got busted by one team (Mets maybe?) and avoided a future knock-down pitch by apologizing to their manager. I've also noticed we don't get many close-ups of Neifi batting like we did earlier in the year -- this shot was not a close-up and I was still able to pick up his eye movement before the pitch.

 

I wonder if getting that slight advantage helped him get off to the hot start earlier in the year and now he may be returning to that strategy due to his recent struggles at the plate.....

 

Anyway -- I expect that sooner or later he'll be the recipient of an earful of fastballs if he's really trying to cheat on a regular basis. If I can pick it up on a broadcast, the opposition surely will!

[Outshined_One]

http://people.ucsc.edu/~kihori/SWP/strong%20bad/cheat.JPG

 

Nope, don't see the resemblence. :lol:

[AubCubFan]

I definately saw him peek back in the game last night. I am surprised he didnt get a fastball to the face. Thats ridiculous, where is your pride Neifi? I can understand stealing signs, gaining advantage, but to peek at the catcher, well, thats low down, little league crap.

[moorecg]

I saw it too...it was fairly obvious, I hope he does it every single time if it gets him on base...two fold benefit...increases the chance of him getting on base, or increases the chance of him getting plunked and Cedeno starting.

[WindyCity]

I saw it too...it was fairly obvious, I hope he does it every single time if it gets him on base...two fold benefit...increases the chance of him getting on base, or increases the chance of him getting plunked and Cedeno starting.

 

A win-win situation. :lol:

[E.J.]

I remember reading an article in one of the New York papers saying that the Mets caught him peaking back at the catcher and were going to plunk him next game, but he went to Willie Randolph and apologized to him, so they didn't plunk him.

 

WGN seems to have caught onto him peaking back because there's been numerous broadcasts where the camerman have isolated his eyes right before the pitch is thrown.

 

I'm surprised he doesn't get earholed every once in a while for peaking back. I'm sure teams are aware of him trying to do it. Maybe they just feel sorry for him since it doesn't seem to work for him very well.

[biittner77]

I saw it too...it was fairly obvious, I hope he does it every single time if it gets him on base...two fold benefit...increases the chance of him getting on base, or increases the chance of him getting plunked and Cedeno starting.

 

Well that's one way to boost his OBP. If he got HBP once a game to go along with that single he hits every other day we'd be in business.

[Mark Priors Calves]

I've noticed he's being doing that all year and its been discussed here before too. I'm really surprised other teams don't take aggressive action against him. But I'm really suprised by the fact that he's cheating and yet he still sucks. If you're gonna cheat, at least be effective and use it to make you better.

[ToupeeOnFire]

He can't be considered cheating if he is not in violation of MLB rules.

 

Of course there are the "unwritten rules", but those are shadowy and ambiguous to at best and it's a fine line between what is considered "cheating" and plain 'ol gamesmanship. Remember Derrek Lee complaining about JJ Hardy's deke at SS earlier this year? I thought it was silly of the Cubs to make an issue out of it, and I for one am glad to see one of our players take a bit of initiative.

 

Not that it makes a fig of difference, mind you. Neifi still sucks.

[J.R.]

He had sunglasses on at the plate the other day, presumably in an effort to hide the cheating.

[imb]

He does it everytime, I thought it was common knowledge by now.

[AI]

He does it everytime, I thought it was common knowledge by now.

 

I thought he stalled it out for a little while in an attempt to avoid an earholing. I figured he returned to his old ways adding the sunglasses for better hallway deception since he obviously couldn't rely on talent alone to be a good hitter.

[Wheelimus]

Teams will let him get away with it because they know we just want the idiot to get on base, if they throw him anywhere it might hurt him, they're suspended, and Neifi seems like the type of guy to shake it off and scream "THANK YOU SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?" :lol:

 

Whatever gets him on base....

[frostwyrm]

Neifi's cheating is embarrassing. I hate to see it and I admit he richly deserves a fastball at his knees.

[johnnyba99]

Neifi's cheating is embarrassing. I hate to see it and I admit he richly deserves a fastball at his knees.

 

What's really embarassing about it, is that his peaking doesn't seem to help one bit.