Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were suspended by the league for the entire 2020 season. This scandal caused Houston to forfeit its first and second-round picks in the 20 MLB Amateur Draft. MLB fined the Astros $5 million, which is the maximum fine amount they could legally dole out. Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal findings and terminations MLB found the Astros used an illegal video camera system to steal signs during the 20 seasons. The league’s investigation in the matter lasted from mid-November 2019 after The Athletic’s report and into very early January 2020. In the immediate aftermath of The Athletic’s exposé, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred ordered an investigation into the matter in 2019. Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal investigation by MLB There was also an email that the organization asked its scouts to help steal signs from the opposition by use of video cameras. Jimmy O’Brien of Jomboy Media would later publish YouTube videos and share them on Twitter of examples of rampant Astros cheating going on in real time. In short, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers said the club had a live feed of the centerfield camera hooked up in the dugout and they would steal signs that way.įrom there, an Astros player or coach would bang on a trash can to indicate what pitch was coming. Though teams like the Dodgers and the Cleveland Indians had accused the Astros of cheating, it was all kind of in the background until Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic opened up a can of worms in their 2019 exposé. Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal speculations and accusations All the while, rampant speculation of cheating began to surround them. This includes winning all four games at home during the 2017 ALCS vs. the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Astros ran roughshod through the postseason, boasting an incredible home record of 8-1 vs. Houston won over 100 games during the 2017 season. Not until the 2018 postseason was a league official present in those rooms. Each team had a video replay room where members of that club could watch live feed of the ballgame going on and relay back to the dugout if they should challenge a call or not. Once MLB allowed replay review in its game, it was only a matter of time before teams would figure out a way to exploit it. Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal background Here is a rundown of the series of events that led to the Astros’ infamous sign-stealing scandal. Even if other teams were doing unethical things like this around the same time, the Astros were caught, punished and still wear a scarlet letter for their involvement. Though it would serve every ballclub to get a competitive edge wherever they can, using technology to college other team’s signs is a huge issue. While stealing signs is not technically illegal in baseball, it is frowned upon. Though the Houston Astros have won the American League for the third time in five years, they are still paying for the wrongdoings of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal that culminated in them winning their first World Series in franchise history. The infamous sign-stealing scandal of 2017 continues to be a black eye on the Houston Astros organization.
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