Did Sox Accuse Jays of Cheating?

Sox Say Jays Cheated

That was the headline in the Toronto Sun on Tuesday morning. I'd chalk it up to poor headline writing at the Sun, but in his story, Mike Ganter wrote basically the same thing:

In the wake of taking two of three from the Red Sox, the local nine were accused of a little cheating by their hosts.

According to Sunday's losing pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, the Jays were relaying signs from second base to their hitters at the plate. ... Midway through the second inning, Sox catcher Jason Varitek also assumed the Jays had broken their code and trotted out to confer with Arroyo and change the signs.

"Tek came out after Orlando Hudson's second inning double down the left field line," Arroyo told reporters. "He was like, 'Man, they got them already.' It only took three pitches ... We had to switch up the signs."

How is that cheating? How is that even a "little" cheating?

Relaying signs from the basepaths is not cheating. Telling your teammates how an opposing pitcher is tipping his pitches is not cheating.

No Red Sox player -- in this story or any other -- ever used the word "cheating" or accused the Blue Jays of not playing honestly.