Gibbons says stealing signs is nothing new, doesn’t expect repeat of Orioles’ beef

TORONTO – Orioles manager Buck Showalter arrived in Toronto in the wake of much publicized confrontation with New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi over allegations of stealing signs.

Showalter took aim at Girardi on Monday for yelling at Baltimore third base coach Bobby Dickerson, supposedly accusing the Orioles of stealing signs in the opener of a four-game series.

Asked about the incident Friday, before the start of his team’s three-game series against the visiting Orioles, Toronto manager John Gibbons said he did not expect a repeat of the incident.

But he acknowledged stealing signs is nothing new.

“It’s part of baseball. Teams try to do it,” he told reporters before the game.

Gibbons recalled being with Kansas City when the Royals heard of an allegation that an in-house camera operator at the Rogers Centre was involved in tipping off signs.

After Royals pitcher Zack Greinke was shelled in Toronto, the Royals talked to a pair of cameramen who denied any wrongdoing.

“There was nothing there,” Gibbon said. “But when you want to see something, you think well, maybe.”

Gibbons said he also talked to a few ex-Jays, who said they knew nothing about such a scheme.

“For some reason there haven’t been any complaints this year,” he added dryly of his underachieving Toronto team, which was 67-79 prior to Friday’s game.