![]() During the American League Championship Series, the Yankees believed the Astros were whistling from the dugout to communicate pitches. In 2019, even after a full season of new, more rigid rules baseball enacted to clamp down on sign stealing, the Nationals during the World Series employed a sophisticated set of signs against the Astros that they did not use in previous rounds of the postseason. Paranoia within baseball, particularly regarding the Astros, runs deep. One challenge MLB will face if it expands its investigation to include the Astros’ alleged sign-stealing: determining what is perception and what is reality with the franchise, which is viewed with mistrust by many in the sport. MLB has heard of this specific system before, but to this point, the league has not gathered sufficient evidence to prove the Astros committed wrongdoing, sources said. The league also is expected to interview current and former Astros players and employees, according to sources. 24, during the World Series, for inappropriate comments and conduct toward three female reporters, MLB likely will attempt to learn as much as it can about the Astros’ operation. In an expected interview with Taubman, whom the Astros fired on Oct. ![]() The Astros’ set-up required technical video knowledge and required the direct aid of at least some on the baseball operations staff, team sources said. Three other sources who were inside the organization in 2017 and had direct knowledge of the scheme discussed its existence on the condition of anonymity. “They were advanced and willing to go above and beyond to win.” “That’s not playing the game the right way,” said Fiers, who was with the team from 2015-17 and was non-tendered in the offseason after the Astros won the 2017 World Series. They wanted to devise their own system in Houston. They were said to strongly believe that some opposing teams were already up to no good. One was a hitter who was struggling at the plate and had benefited from sign stealing with a previous team, according to club sources another was a coach who wanted to help. It would not be appropriate to comment further on this matter at this time.”Įarly in the 2017 season, at least two uniformed Astros got together to start the process. The Astros declined to comment at the time of publication, and issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon: “Regarding the story posted by The Athletic earlier today, the Houston Astros organization has begun an investigation in cooperation with Major League Baseball. After we review this new information we will determine any necessary next steps.” We also put in place detailed protocols and procedures to provide comfort to Clubs that other Clubs were not using video during the game to decode and steal signs. “As a result of those concerns, and after receiving extensive input from the General Managers, we issued a revised policy on sign stealing prior to the 2019 season. “Beginning in the 2017 season, numerous Clubs expressed general concerns that other Clubs were stealing their signs,” MLB said in a statement. The Athletic’s confirmation of rule-breaking by Houston is limited to 2017. Now, an MLB investigation into the Astros’ culture in the wake of the team’s firing of assistant general manager Brandon Taubman could be expanded to determine who in the organization was aware of the sign-stealing practice - and whether it continued or evolved in subsequent seasons. Still, the commissioner’s office hears complaints about many different organizations - everything from mysterious people in white shirts sending signals from center field to elaborate systems involving television cameras and tablets. But MLB has not punished any club, at least publicly, for violating sign-stealing rules since 2017, when the Red Sox were disciplined.įour people who were with the Astros in 2017, including pitcher Mike Fiers, said that during that season, the Astros stole signs during home games in real time with the aid of a camera positioned in the outfield. Major League Baseball rules prohibit clubs from using electronic equipment to steal catchers’ signs and convey information. “The league has done a very poor job of policing or discouraging it.”Įlectronic sign stealing is not a single-team issue. ![]() “It’s an issue that permeates through the whole league,” one major league manager said.
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