MLB Confirms Astros' Sign-Stealing Scheme From 2017 Season Described by Mike Fiers
By Chris Pyo
As the fallout from the accusations of sign-stealing towards the Houston Astros grows in intensity, the MLB has continued to dig even deeper into just how exactly the organization implemented their scheme.
Now, the league has reportedly confirmed Mike Fiers' account of how the Astros put in place various tactics to steal catchers' signs on their way to a 2017 World Series championship.
"As technology grew in the game so did the curiosity of where you could take it,” a team official tells Tom Verducci.
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 23, 2019
The investigation into the Astros is giving MLB an opportunity to reshape its protocols for dealing with technology https://t.co/hIbs0Hnn7F
Fiers, who pitched for the Astros in 2017 but was left off of their postseason roster, initially detailed how a camera was set up in center field to track the signs of opposing catchers. Then, they would instantly relay the signs to batters by loudly banging a dugout trash can.
For the record, any sort of sign-stealing with an electronic aid is completely illegal in baseball, as it gives hitters a blatantly unfair advantage. It goes far beyond mere gamesmanship and into territory that defiles the integrity of the sport.
Major League Baseball is asking players about buzzing Band-Aids, furtive earpieces and pitch-picking algorithms as it tries to separate fact from fiction in its investigation into the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, sources tell ESPN. The latest news @espn: https://t.co/q2nNzg6n9G
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 23, 2019
In the immediate aftermath of Fiers' claims, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred acted quickly and ordered an investigation into the situation, which resulted in the interviewing of numerous members of the Astros franchise, including coaches, players, and manager A.J. Hinch.
After confirming the Astros' sign-stealing ways in broad terms, it's now up to Manfred to complete this investigation and determine what sort of punishment the franchise will face. This is suddenly an important piece of Manfred's legacy, as he'll be able to set a real precedence as to how these incidents will be handled in the future -- and if he doesn't strike the right tone, he'll be judged accordingly.