Could you give contingency signals?

Lately, I've been thinking about how football has audibles and baseball doesn't really. I discussed in an earlier blog entry the idea about changing plays based upon certain signs given. In other words, if the squeeze is given but the runner at 2nd notices that a pitchout has been signaled, he could yell for the play to be cancelled.

Taking this line of thinking one step further. What if the coach could signal a play that is contingent on the player seeing something.

Here's what I have in mind.

1) Runner on 2B. A sign could be given that says "If you see a curveball- steal." It would not be a traditional steal sign. It is simply steal on the curveball.

2) Runner at 1st. A sign could be given that says "If the count gets to 0-2 or 1-2, I want you to run."

I think there are times when expressing your thought process to the players is critical for them to understand what it is that you are trying to convey. If a sign could be given as soon as the batter steps in the box, you may not have to give another sign the rest of the at bat. This certainly would confound the opposing team when the runner actually took off on that 1-2 curveball.

Another example of how baseball simply is behind the times.