Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly calls Cubs coach stealing signs ‘bush league’

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly stepped off the rubber and looked toward Chicago Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry.

The Diamondbacks believed Berry was stealing pitches and relaying the signs to Cubs hitters on Monday, which drew back-and-forth chirping from the two dugouts during the fifth inning of an eventual 7-0 Chicago win at Chase Field.

Kelly called what Berry was doing “bush league,” explaining that sign-stealing is part of the game but should stay between players.

“Stealing signs is as old as baseball, I think it’s a little (expletive) when it comes from the coach,” Kelly said. “I think if it’s a guy on second base and they see the grip in your glove, or if the hitters can see something that you’re doing with your glove, I think that’s fair game. I think it’s a little bush league when it comes from outside that. I think inside the lines is one thing.

“That being said, I’ve got to take a look at what I’m doing because clearly he had something.”

Kelly said Berry would signal to his hitters any time Kelly was delivering a changeup, Kelly’s most important pitch most of the time. The Cubs ultimately did not have much success against the changeup (two hits), but that did not quell any frustration from Kelly or the home dugout.

“That was probably the most egregious that I’ve seen from coaches,” Kelly said. “Like I said, everyone in this game is just trying to get an edge wherever they can. It’s definitely not the first time a coach has relayed signs. But I think in that situation, I think it should stay between the players.”

 

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D-backs bench coach Jeff Banister was among the more animated voices from the home dugout, to which he said, “That’s part of the spirit of the game at times, right? I mean, it’s competitive. It’s August.”

Manager Torey Lovullo said nothing personal was barked at one another, that there was some gamesmanship going on, but he wanted to be careful with how much he revealed.

“Like, we’re going to go out there and fight type of a thing? Fight at the bike rack at 3 o’clock after school? No. It did not get personal,” Lovullo said. “Just two teams going at it. Sometimes it happens.”

No players were hit by pitches or retaliated against.

The Arizona Diamondbacks dugout started screaming towards the Chicago Cubs dugout after they thought the Cubs third base coach Quintin Berry was trying to look into Merrill Kelly’s glove to figure out what pitch he was throwing.

Kelly stared down the third base coach which led… pic.twitter.com/rxayaae1ps

— js9innings (@js9inningsmedia) August 25, 2026

Sign-stealing has been a sore subject in Major League Baseball, heightened by the 2017 Houston Astros’ trash can-banging scandal. Using technology to steal signs is not allowed.

The PitchComm is a new tool to prevent stealing signs from the catcher, but teams can study pitcher tendencies and look for ways to gain insights through observation while on the field.

A new rule involving first base and third base coaches was implemented this season to limit pitch stealing, restricting them to their coaching boxes until the pitch is thrown. This was intended to prevent coaches from getting better angles to read pitch grips.

Coaches will receive a warning if they are seen outside of the box while the pitcher is on the rubber, and multiple infractions would lead to an ejection.

Ultimately, the Cubs charged Kelly with three earned runs through 5.2 innings and walloped the Arizona bullpen to build a substantial lead.

The two sides will meet again on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. MST.

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