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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. **** Saturday/Sunday, December 28 - 29, 2019 | C3 REVIEW

New York Giants players and fans converge on (whose head is being rubbed) after his pennant-winning , New York, Oct. 3, 1951.

pressing that buzzer(oncefor a fastball,twicefor something off- speed).I’d lamented his silence, wondering what it had been likefor aman to spy and relayasign only to watchthe pitch it presaged soar off an Adirondack bat into history. To carryasecret is to carrya burden. Thomson, forone,felt lighter after speaking to me. “I feel almost likeIjust gotout of prison,” he said the day after my article ran in 2001. So Iwas excited but only somewhat surprisedwhen, eight yearslater in 2009,Franks invited me to stop by his Salt Lake City home on my waytoavacation in Montana. Seated in hisden beside his wifeand eldest son, the old turned , 95 and on oxy- gen, wasready to confide what he had not before. I’dgottenone detail wrong, Franks nowtold me.Yes,the Giants’ spy had sat with his telescope at the faceofthe fourth windowinthe center-field clubhouse. But by the start of the 1951 playoff between the Giantsand Dodgers, the spy—toensurethat he’dremain un- seen—had retreated from that win-

S dowintothe darkened bathroom

PRES that adjoined the rear of the room.

TED Thetelescope the spy had used,

CIA Franks told me,was so powerful SO that the fingersitspied filled his AS field of view. Then Franks added something striking.After spying ev- BY erysign and relaying it with one or AFinal Tw ist two presses of his buzzer, the spy ast month, the Athletic,anonline sports (whom Franks referred to in the news outlet, reported that the Houston As- thirdperson) had tilted his scope up tros cheated during their championship to the eyes of the batter. Thespy did 2017season. SportswritersKen Rosenthal In an Epic so to watchthe batterglancetoward Land Evan Drellich found that Houston had right field, whereaplayerinthe connected acenter-field camera(trained on opposing bullpen relayedthe stolen sign. The ) to atelevision monitor in the tunnel behind eyes of thebatteralso filled the itsdugout. Therethe Astros decoded the catchers’ sig- Baseball Swindle scope’sfield of view. And at 3:57 nals and, with abang on atrash can, relayedthe pitch p.m. on October 3, 1951—with two to the batter. is investigating, on and one out in the bottomofthe and the Astros have said they arecooperating.Base- ninth inning,and the Giantsdown ball has indicated that it is at last going to come down A 1951 New York Giants coach suggests that 4-2inthe thirdand final game of hardonteams that use technologytosteal signs. the playoff—Franks had just spied Plenty of teams have stolen signs illegally.But it is Bobby Thomson was tipped off to the pitch he for Brooklyn catcher call when achampion cheatsthat asport feels compelled ‘the shot heard ’round the world.’ foran0-1 fastball when he looked to act. And though the pennant-winning 1951 NewYork up at the eyes of Bobby Thomson. Giantscheated too, using atelescope and abuzzerto Thomson had spoken freely to me alert their batters to incoming pitches,their scheme wasn’t substanti- ing information designed to giveaClub an advantage.’” Article II of of having benefited from the stolen signs.But ated untilahalf-centuryafter Bobby Thomson ended their (regular) the Major League Baseball Constitution further grantsthe commis- asked whether he’d gotten the sign for the pitch season with his liner to leftfield—baseball’slegendary“shot heard sioner the powertoinvestigateany doings“not in the best interests” he’d hit to win the pennant, he had waffled. “I’d ’round the world.” of baseball—and to act on his findings as he sees fit. have to say more no than yes,” he said. If the Giantsand Astros cheated in similar fashion, they denied do- Mr.Manfred maypush Mr.Hinch and his Astros to confess. Or Aftermyarticle ran, Thomson’sequivocation ing so similarly too. When rumorsofthe Astros’ cheating firstbegan they may choose to come clean on their own, just as Thomson and hadhardened intothe denial that Giants’ fans to swirl in 2017, their ,A.J.Hinch,said that the nearly all of his surviving teammates did with me in craved—never mind that it washardtoimagine a mereallegation of illegal sign-stealing “made me laugh 2001, telling of the months of cheating that preceded batternot availing himself of asign that wasthere because it’sridiculous.” Bobby Thomson, who died in ‘If I’m their playoff win over the Brooklyn Dodgersnearly 50 to be had with a simple glance. Still, no one but 2010,had used the very same word to dismissrumors yearsbefore—from the July daythat an electrician Thomson could saythat he waswrong.OrsoIhad that the Giantshad cheated, telling the Associated ever asked installedabuzzerinthe Giants’ center-field club- assumed. NowFranks told me that in the seconds Pressin1962(afterautility infielder named Danny about it, housetothe October daythat acoach pressed it to before Thomson had swung, the spy—alone with O’Connelltipped off the wireservice) that they were I’m denying alert Thomson (via aplayerintheir right-field bull- his telescope in that dark bathroom—had looked “the most ridiculous thing Ieverheardof.” pen, wherethe buzzersounded) that the opposing up at Thomson’sbrown eyes,bright in the ballpark In 1962, baseball commissioner Ford Frick took the everything.’ pitcher,, wasabout to throw asecond lights, and watched them shifttoward right field. rumorsseriously,but he could only speak of the pun- fastball. Franks had little moretosay.And 19 days later, ishment he would meteout if he had proof that the Gi- Former NewYork Still, one Giant—a former coach named Herman he died. antshad cheated. (“I would forfeit the game,” he told Giants coach Franks—chose to remain quiet. “IfI’m ever asked the AP.) Today, however, commissioner Rob Manfred about it, I’m denying everything,” he told me in 2001, Mr. Prager is a former Journal reporter and the does have proof that the Astros cheated. He has the when Iwas working on afront-pagearticle forThe author of “: The Untold Story mandate to punish them too: Their scheme wasn’t yet public when Journal about the team’s 1951 scheme. He denied everything. of Bobby Thomson, Ralph Branca and the Shot Mr.Manfred announced in 2017that baseball regulations “prohibit Despitehis denials,Icame to learn from the players he had Heard Round the World” (Pantheon). He is at the use of electronic equipment during games and statethat no such coached that Franks had been the locus of their 1951 plot: peering work on a book about the 1973 Roe v. Wade de- equipment ‘maybeused forthe purpose of stealing signs or convey- through a telescope at the finger signals of opposing catchers and cision.

Nadine Levy Redzepi and her Turning Holiday husband, chef René Redzepi, a replicaofBorat’sbanana- hammock mankini wasthe hit Gift­Giving Into of the party. Pakkeleg canalso be prac- tical. “It’sagame that pre- AGame of Chance ventspeople from buying 500 gifts foreveryone,” says Trine Hahnemann, author of “Scan- BY GABRIELLA GERSHENSON Therules canvary, but dinavian Christmas.” Reduc- they aresimple.Each guest ing wasteisapriority these he scene wasmysister’s holi- bringsagiftortwo worth $5 days,and while the Danish daytable in NewJersey,ear- or less. The gifts are tchotchkeshop Flying Tiger is Tlier this week.Wehad just wrapped—part of the funis a pakkeleg go-to, handmade finished tidying up the uneaten wrapping them deceptively, presents, recycled gifts and food, dirty dishes and other detritus to hide what’sreally inside— functional items arealso of the meal, leaving the tabletop and there’snoindication of prominent. “I would rather do empty. Theeight of us who had who brought which package. areally nicehomemade chut- gathered that evening,ranging in During the break between dinner bringsout the best and the worstin rivalries, pakkeleg Pakkeleg allows ney than spend my money on agefrom10to78, were ready to and dessert, the presentsare piled in people,” says Anna Wowk Vester- makes being to- players to compete all kinds of plastic,” says Ms. play the seriously unserious game the center of the table,aset of dice gaard, curator at Den Gamle By,a gether the point. forinexpensive Hahnemann. of pakkeleg. is produced, and chaos ensues. Christmas museum in Aarhus,Den- “It’snot about gifts by rolling dice. While pakkeleg doesn’t re- Iencountered this popular Danish Playerstaketurns rolling the dice, mark.“Thereisjust something about the parcels,it’s placeputting presentsunder Christmas game on avisit to Copen- and if youroll asix youtakeagift human natureand howyou react about the game and stealing from the tree foryour children, it does hagen several yearsago, and Iliked from the pile.Onceall the gifts have when youhavefivegifts and how each other,” says cookbook author take the pressureoff adult gift-giv- it so much Imade it part of my own been takenfromthe center of the ta- youreact when youhavenone.” Tina Scheftelowitz,the host of my ing.“Thefinancial strain on afamily holidaytradition. Pakkeleg (pro- ble,atimed, second round begins. If some Danish customs inspire first pakkeleg.“It’swhen the grown- to buy presentsfor everyone is quite nounced PAH-keh-lie), which means Only the host knows howlong the hygge,that famous sense of cozi- ups cansteal from small children. significant,” says pakkeleg enthusiast “packagegame” in Danish, is timerisset for, to createasense of ness and contentment, pakkeleg Normally,that’snot allowed.” Nina Jensen. “It’sastrain most of us universal enough that I urgency. Nowwhen youroll asix, does the opposite. It gets people ex- Pakkeleg is fertile ground for wouldn’t missifwedidn’t have it.” played it at a Hanuk- you“steal” agiftfroman- cited, agitated. It stirsthe pot. pranks and spoofs.Seasoned players Butthe most rewarding part of kah dinner in Copen- other player. When the Though it might seem counterintui- knowthat the biggest, most beauti- pakkeleg is the way it bringspeople hagenone dayand at timer runs out, tive, the reason Ifell forthe game is fully wrapped giftisusually adecoy. together in ajoyfulburst of activity. aChristmas lunch you’restuck with because it shifts the emphasis of the “You should never take that in a Whynot tryitnextyear? Youmay the next. Americans what youhave. holidays from getting stuff to hav- game of pakkeleg,” says Ms.Vester- find that your holidaygetsalittle mayrecognizeitasa Though the stakes ing fun. The gifts are just baubles, gaard. “That’swhen youend up with less serious and alot morefun. (2) distant cousin of the arelow, pakkeleg can yetthey inspireasilly amount of the salt youput on the pavement GES giftexchangegame be ruthless, which is competition. With its eruptions of during wintertime.” When Iplayed Ms. Gershenson is ajournalist in IMA WhiteElephant. part of the fun. “It laughter,fakepanic and harmless at thehome of the cookbook author New York City. GETTY