ESPN’s Jeff Passan provided an update last night on Major League Baseball’s investigation of the Astros sign-stealing schemes. And it sounds like open season on Houston:
Players have been asked about “buzzing,” via the use of Band-Aid-like wearable stickers; furtive earpieces; pitch-picking algorithms; and other potential methods of sign-stealing, the sources said. Accusations about the extent of the alleged wrongdoing have streamed into commissioner Rob Manfred’s office from officials of other teams, the sources said. MLB officials are endeavoring to separate fact from fiction, the sources told ESPN, and the league has not concluded whether any such methods actually have been used.
MLB’s interviews have focused on players who used to play for the Astros and who have been told they’d be given leniency in exchange for their candor. Passan notes, though, that former Astros players who are out of the game have refused to cooperate. Presumably because they can’t be punished at this point.
Passan also adds that Astros’ executives have had their phones searched. That sounds fun.
All of this comes in the wake of the November 12 report in The Athletic about the Astros’ sign-stealing operation, which allegedly involved use of center field video cameras and the relaying of pitch selection to batters. Former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers confirmed the scheme to The Athletic and at least three other Astros employees confirmed it as well.
In the wake of that initial report, video and audio has emerged which appears to confirm the sign-stealing and emails from an Astros executive to scouts, asking them to use cameras and/or binoculars in an effort to steal signs have been uncovered. Major League Baseball has vowed serious punishment for Astros executives, coaches and employees who were involved in orchestrating the scheme and to any players or officials who are found to be untruthful with MLB officials in the course of the investigation.
Initially, Major League Baseball said its investigation would be a wide-ranging one, including multiple teams. Earlier this week, however, Rob Manfred controversially backtracked on that, saying instead that the probe would focus only on the Astros. Which, to be sure, is the club against whom current allegations have been lodged and whom many around the game suspect to be the worst offenders. As we have noted, however, it’s highly unreasonable to assume that the Astros are alone in perpetrating a sophisticated sign-stealing operation, as their scheme was allegedly imported by a player who learned it while playing elsewhere.
Either way, it sounds like MLB has a lot on its plate with this. And it sounds like heads will roll, sooner or later.
