MLB suspends Astros GM and manager one year, fines team $5 million in sign-stealing scandal

[dalton99a]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/13/houston-astros-penalties-sign-stealing/

MLB suspends Astros GM and manager one year, fines team $5 million in sign-stealing scandal
By Dave Sheinin
Jan. 13, 2020 at 1:24 p.m. CST

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Monday suspended Houston Astros Manager A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow for one year each for their roles in the team’s extensive sign-stealing scheme from 2017 — an unprecedented penalty that reflects the sport’s shock and disgust at a scandal that goes to the heart of its integrity.

The penalties, which also included the loss of four top picks in future drafts and a $5 million fine for the team, came at the end of a two-month investigation into allegations the Astros used cameras and video monitors to steal the signs of opposing catchers, then signal those signs to their hitters before pitches in 2017 — a season that ended with the Astros winning the franchise’s first World Series title.

The investigation eventually spread to the 2018 Boston Red Sox, whose Manager Alex Cora, formerly the bench coach for the 2017 Astros, could also face significant discipline.

The Astros’ actions “has caused fans, players, executives at other MLB Clubs and members of the media to raise questions about the integrity of games in which the Astros participated,” Manfred said in a statement announcing MLB’s findings. “And while it is impossible to determine whether the conduct actually impacted the results on the field, the perception of some that it did causes significant harm to the game.”

[Kingofalldems]

1. Red Sox are next in line.

Alex Cora seems to be involved in both instances.

[virgogal]

3. So dismaying,talking about this last night....watched a video with the noise in background.

[exboyfil]

2. NFL take note

[Initech]

4. They should have revoked their 2017 WS title too.

As a fan of a team in the AL West, this one really cheeses me off.

[Dennis Donovan]

5. Pete Rose is trending on twitter...

[Kingofalldems]

6. What they did was much worse.

[KatyMan]

7. Funny, when the Bosox and Yankees

Were caught doing the same thing they got a slap on the wrist. Funny how that happens.

[Takket]

16. MLB has not issued its punishment to the Red Sox yet

[greenjar_01]

23. The Red Sox received a minor fine for the Apple Watch signalling

The league hasn't adjudicated the more recent sign stealing/electronic comms case. Cora is probably done.

The Yankees were fined for using the dug out phone to confirm balls and strikes, a violation that had fuck all to do with sign stealing, despite the false claims of your interlocutor.

[RhodeIslandOne]

20. They and every other team in baseball was told to cut it out prior to what Houston did

The Red Sox will be paying for Alex Cora's bullshit soon enough.

[greenjar_01]

22. The Yankees did the same thing?

Really?

I'm not even a Yankee fan - indeed, I'm a Mets guy and hate the Yankees like poison - but I'm really interested to hear your version of when the Yankees received a "slap on the wrist" for doing "the same thing" as the Astros were doing.

[FakeNoose]

8. This is well-deserved

Is everybody in the USA trying to beat the system? Doesn't anyone respect the rules anymore?

Just sayin'

[marble falls]

9. Whats wrong with breaking their codes? ...

I've been watching the catcher signal the pitcher for years.

[Takket]

17. Stealing is okay but not by video

There are rules against using electronic equipment during games.

[Raven123]

10. Oighta put an asterisk next to that World Series title

Clearly tainted

[cbdo2007]

11. Don't see the problem with this.

It's all a game. They all have signs and they are all trying to figure out the other teams signs. The best way to avoid against this is to have rotating signs, and change up your own pattern to thwart against this.

Next they are going to ban curve balls because some players can't hit them, so they will say that's not fair too.

Get over it, this is part of the game.

[Cracklin Charlie]

14. Cheating in sports is a problem.

The bad part is...they had a great team. They didn’t need to cheat to win.

[cbdo2007]

15. On field signs are part of the game. What if a runner on second base figured out the signs??

and signaled them to the batter. Would that be "cheating" too? What if the 3rd base coach figured out a sign and signaled it to his base runner?

I would understand if they bugged the other teams locker room or were stealing their playbook from the dugout, but signs being used on the field are part of game strategy as much as curve balls are.

It should be up to the teams to do their own due diligence in assuming people are figuring out their signals and taking steps to constantly be changing them to outsmart their opponents.

[Takket]

18. You as allowed to steal signs but using video equipment is forbidden

They are being punished for using the video equipment.

[KatyMan]

19. This

But after decades of being an MLB fan, I'm checking out. Good luck to my Astros, but obviously MLB hates when non east coast teams beat the yanks or bosox. Especially in such a large market as Houston, where baseball was really beginning to take hold in a football-centric state.

[RhodeIslandOne]

21. This sounds like major league pouting

And Alex Cora is going to get punished worst of all for this for bringing it to Boston.

[Cracklin Charlie]

24. It was more than that.

They were signaling upcoming pitches to batters at the plate.

It’s cheating.

[VMA131Marine]

12. ESPN now reporting that Hinch and Luhnow have been fired by the Astros

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28476780/astros-jeff-luhnow-aj-hinch-fired-sign-stealing

[Wellstone ruled]

13. Big Kids playing

theft games.

While it is impossible to determine any Impact on the field,well wobbie,another bullcrap statement. Astros would not have made it through the Play Offs had in not been for their Cheating. We could see it in real time sucko.