Marlins catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia finds it somewhat amusing that the Atlanta Braves suspected the Fish of stealing signs following the teams’ recent three-game series in Miami.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitcher Aaron Harang were among those suspicious about the Marlins outscoring the Braves 23-7 during a three-game sweep, although Atlanta didn’t find any evidence to suggest Miami was stealing signs. It all gave Saltalamacchia a little chuckle.
“I think the Marlins have kind of been a punching bag almost for the past few years, because of things that have happened,” Saltalamacchia said, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. “It doesn’t bother us, as far as we go. We’ve got to go out there and control what we can control.
“At the same time, as a player, you kind of sit back and laugh a little bit. From my perspective, I like it. I think they’re focusing on the wrong things. For them to focus on what we’re doing, and ‘Are we stealing signs? Are we doing this?’ That means they’re not focusing on what they should be focusing on. That kind of gives us an advantage.”
Saltalamacchia signed a three-year contract with the Marlins over the offseason after three-plus seasons with the Boston Red Sox to be a leader in Miami’s rebuilding effort. The veteran backstop has stepped up on the field — hitting .310 with six homers, 10 RBIs and a .416 on-base percentage in 27 games — and now he’s standing up for his team off the field after its integrity was questioned.
