Red Sox sign-stealing scandal shows cheating in sports is always worth it

Here is the dirty little secret about cheating in professional sports: it is almost always worth it. Until the equation changes, it won’t stop.

Our latest pro sports cheating scandal exploded Tuesday, when the Athletic reported the Red Sox used their video replay room to steal signs from opposing pitchers and catchers during their 2018 World Series campaign. In 2017, the Red Sox were caught using an Apple Watch in their dugout to steal signs from the Yankees, and were only fined. The proverbial slap on the wrist did not deter them. (The Red Sox subsequently accused the Yankees of stealing signs with the YES Network camera, but MLB found insufficient evidence to support the claim.)