Astros sign-stealing allegations

[Bellhorn04]

Looks like this is about to become a major story. Former player Mike Fiers has blown the whistle* on the technology-aided sign stealing system the Astros used in 2017 en route to winning the title. MLB is launching an investigation.

 

*The Astros having the 'whistle blown' on them is a little ironic, as we will see.

[Bellhorn04]

Here's the NY Post story.

 

https://nypost.com/2019/11/12/astros-sign-stealing-angers-yankees-cashmans-jab-2017-player-furious/

[bkzwhitestrican]

Unless the MLB is going to come up with real rules against sign stealing then I dunno what to say. Everyone apparently does it in some form, so the Astros do it better than everyone else? If it's illegal then make it illegal, otherwise it'll just keep happening.

[Slasher9]

put an asterisk next to that WS* title.....

[Slasher9]

Here's the NY Post story.

 

https://nypost.com/2019/11/12/astros-sign-stealing-angers-yankees-cashmans-jab-2017-player-furious/

 

that article just reminded me of another reason i dislike pedroia....

[notin]

that article just reminded me of another reason i dislike pedroia....

 

Just so you know, he does like you

[Slasher9]

Just so you know, he does like you

 

of course. who doesn't?

[notin]

of course. who doesn't?

 

Well, there is that...

[mvp 78]

https://newrepublic.com/article/155863/houston-astros-cheaters-2017-world-series-mckinsey-problem

 

Interesting read IMO.

[Bellhorn04]

Based on the latest blurb on MLBTR, the Astros are defending their actions on the basis that the camera they were using was already there, not something specially installed for this purpose. Sounds like they are also intimating that other teams have been doing the same type of thing.

[bkzwhitestrican]

Hinch was asked about whether the Astros players wore buzzers to aid with sign stealing during his MLB network interview the other day. His response: "Well the commissioner -- we got investigated for three months -- the commissioner’s office did as thorough an investigation as anyone could imagine, as possible. I mean, I know you mentioned the emails, and the texts, and the messages, and I believe them."

 

Umm, okay. To me that sounds like "I don't want to say no in case we get caught and then I look even worse, but I don't want to say yes because they might not actually find out."

[Slasher9]

Hinch was asked about whether the Astros players wore buzzers to aid with sign stealing during his MLB network interview the other day. His response: "Well the commissioner -- we got investigated for three months -- the commissioner’s office did as thorough an investigation as anyone could imagine, as possible. I mean, I know you mentioned the emails, and the texts, and the messages, and I believe them."

 

Umm, okay. To me that sounds like "I don't want to say no in case we get caught and then I look even worse, but I don't want to say yes because they might not actually find out."

 

agreed. that answer looks bad. if buzzers were used that would be.......scummy.

[mvp 78]

Based on the latest blurb on MLBTR, the Astros are defending their actions on the basis that the camera they were using was already there, not something specially installed for this purpose. Sounds like they are also intimating that other teams have been doing the same type of thing.

 

No more extra cameras. No video equipment in the dugout/locker room.

[Slasher9]

its gonna be a long season for the astros...

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/marwin-gonzalez-becomes-first-astros-hitter-to-apologize-for-cheating-i-feel-regret-181848538.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABjEqefr4BXkA1hDphG80zErbJPkx9YPUDgR0Nc5mBPqAhYN9CrdIcJsT4JMXKXfPmaZt5WgueRLV88L21h1JCKu4oEdJ8E78gY0Ij5vtqCB-lwQ0R0LHbbzJAxaRq16-qqKUNUmoQ1R59izPjGBtIP4Vz02-4dFX8SVaVJBOrcO

 

Marwin Gonzalez, who was with the Astros in 2017 but now plays for the Minnesota Twins, was the first one up. He apologized Tuesday, expressing remorse and regret, and becoming the first 2017 Astros hitter to do so.

 

Gonzalez also admitted to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that it’s impossible to know if Houston would have won the World Series without stealing signs.

[bkzwhitestrican]

Marwin Gonzalez was a bum before that 2017 season, and then all of a sudden he had a .907 OPS. An apology is nice but the only person it really benefits is himself, now he can go to sleep with his WS ring on and not feel bad about it. Watch every other member of that team come out of the woodwork this week to issue a forced apology.

[moonslav59]

Marwin Gonzalez was a bum before that 2017 season, and then all of a sudden he had a .907 OPS. An apology is nice but the only person it really benefits is himself, now he can go to sleep with his WS ring on and not feel bad about it. Watch every other member of that team come out of the woodwork this week to issue a forced apology.

 

Jake Marisnick

.588 in 2016

.815 in 2017

.674 in 2018

 

Altuve

.926 in 2016

.957 in 2017

.837 in 2018

 

Springer

.815 in 2016

.889 in 2017

.780 in 2018

 

Correa

.811 in 2016

.941 in 2017

.728 in 2018

[notin]

Jake Marisnick

.588 in 2016

.815 in 2017

.674 in 2018

 

Altuve

.926 in 2016

.957 in 2017

.837 in 2018

 

Springer

.815 in 2016

.889 in 2017

.780 in 2018

 

Correa

.811 in 2016

.941 in 2017

.728 in 2018

 

Be fair here. The bumps by Altuve and Springer are actually fairly small. Calling out a 0.031 increase in OPS is like calling Altuve out for getting 6 more singles as proof of cheating. (If Altuve had 6 fewer singles in 2017, his OPS would have been .926.) So is this proof of cheating resting on 1 extra single per month?

 

With Springer, it isn't much more than that. Not even two hits per month.

 

Now Marisnick's numbers jump out at me...

[mvp 78]

The owner of the Astros is basically saying today that yes they did cheat, the players weren't given correct guidance so don't be mad at them and it didn't influence the results of the games anyway.

[Slasher9]

The owner of the Astros is basically saying today that yes they did cheat, the players weren't given correct guidance so don't be mad at them and it didn't influence the results of the games anyway.

 

the first part of this sentence conflicts with the second part.

from the dictionary:

Cheat: act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.

 

of COURSE knowing when an offspeed or FB is coming will influence the outcome of a baseball game. houston owner can suck a giant D.

[a700hitter]

The whole sign stealing scandal is dumb. It's part of the game, but you can't use electronics to do it? What if I have a front row seat at Fenway and the TV monitor is right in front of me and I start calling out the signs to the Red Sox batters?

 

They need to go to a system like football. Let the pitchers and catchers communicate electronically. There would be no signs to steal. They are debating robo umps, but electronic communication between pitchers and catchers is a no-brainer.

[mvp 78]

The whole sign stealing scandal is dumb. It's part of the game, but you can't use electronics to do it? What if I have a front row seat at Fenway and the TV monitor is right in front of me and I start calling out the signs to the Red Sox batters?

 

They need to go to a system like football. Let the pitchers and catchers communicate electronically. There would be no signs to steal. They are debating robo umps, but electronic communication between pitchers and catchers is a no-brainer.

 

Agree 100%

[mvp 78]

These guys are dipshits. Like I have said before, baseball players are dumb as rocks.

 

@BleacherReport

Astros players apologize for the cheating scandal:

 

Alex Bregman: "I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me."

 

Jose Altuve: "Whole Astros organization feels bad about what happened in 2017."

[bkzwhitestrican]

Watch every other member of that team come out of the woodwork this week to issue a forced apology.

 

Whoa good call bkz !

[notin]

These guys are dipshits. Like I have said before, baseball players are dumb as rocks.

 

@BleacherReport

Astros players apologize for the cheating scandal:

 

Alex Bregman: "I am really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me."

 

Jose Altuve: "Whole Astros organization feels bad about what happened in 2017."

 

No doubt Altuve's next line was "Not bad enough to return our World Series money, but pretty bad. Yeah. Like how you feel when you hit a car in the parking lot and drive away without leaving a note. We feel THAT bad."

[mvp 78]

“Don’t forget we’re humans and life is about making mistakes.”

 

-Jose Altuve

[mvp 78]

@chloeg_13

Carlos correa is a free agent after the 2021 season.

George Springer is a free agent after 2020.

Jose Altuve is under contract until 2025.

Alex Bregman is under contract until 2024.

 

guess which Astros are the most remorseful.

[Bellhorn04]

One of these guys should have had the balls to say "Beltran told us we were behind the times!"

[mvp 78]

"We did what we did, but that doesn't make us a bad person. We're gonna learn from this and we're gonna move forward."

 

Jose Altuve

[a700hitter]

"We did what we did, but that doesn't make us a bad person. We're gonna learn from this and we're gonna move forward."

 

Jose Altuve

It makes you a cheater.

[Slasher9]

"No. No. That's a lie. Nobody wore a buzzer. Nobody wore devices," Correa told reporters. "The story should be killed already because we know for sure, we are 100 percent (sure) as a team. ... It's just straight-up false. 2018, nothing. 2019, nothing. 2017 nobody wore devices either. It was just what was in the report."

 

"Absolutely not," outfielder George Springer said. "Absolutely not."

 

Said former Cy Young winner and Astros ace Justin Verlander: “I see these guys before the game, after the game, dressing and undressing, and I never saw anything like that.”

 

And Josh Reddick's response to the same question: "No. Not to my knowledge."