2018 Red Sox cheating scandal

[Kimmi]

I expect the Astro hitters to lead MLB - and possibly set a single season MLB team record - for HBPs...

 

That's possible, but that would be a case of people in glass houses throwing stones.

 

I'm guessing that sign stealing using technology is a lot more widespread than just a few teams.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

That's possible, but that would be a case of people in glass houses throwing stones.

 

I'm guessing that sign stealing using technology is a lot more widespread than just a few teams.

 

No need to guess -- according to Purloined Prize winner Ken Rosenthal (this line wrapped up the introduction to his bombshell): "inside the game, there is a belief that is treated by players and staff as fact: That illegal sign stealing, particularly through advanced technology, is everywhere."

[Kimmi]

No need to guess -- according to Purloined Prize winner Ken Rosenthal (this line wrapped up the introduction to his bombshell): "inside the game, there is a belief that is treated by players and staff as fact: That illegal sign stealing, particularly through advanced technology, is everywhere."

 

Thank you.

 

As I have posted before, I'm not saying that the Astros and the Sox should not be punished. The Astros were found guilty and rightly punished. The Sox, if found guilty, should be punished accordingly.

 

What I have an issue with is some players of other teams talking about how they were cheated out of a championship, or about how the championships should be taken away from the Astros and the Sox. Give me a break you hypocrites.

[jung]

I don't know how many people caught the MLB Tonight special program built around the the Verducci/Hinch interview. The point was made near the end that the entire hierarchy of baseball has broken down. Front office geeks just send the results from their spread sheets down to the field Managers. Nobody talks to each other with a firewall between the baseball ops personnel that are actually dictating what is happening as far as lineups and batting orders and God only knows what else and Managers are basically caught in the middle with little control over their players. I suspect there is a bit and maybe more than a bit of truth to that.

 

If Baseball Operations is not going to respect the field Manager, why should the players.

 

Clearly Hinch is indicating he felt intimidated by the players and other than that feeble effort twice breaking the dugout monitors he never confronted them or anybody else about the use of in game real time electronics and video to steal signs.

 

At the very end of the Special there is Manfred blathering about "too much in game use of video". NO s*** SHERLOCK!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

http://archive.fo/9ojBf

 

The Feb. 7 Wall Street Journal article:

(Intro) "On Sept. 22, 2016, an intern in the Houston Astros organization showed general manager Jeff Luhnow a PowerPoint presentation that featured the latest creation by the team’s high-tech front office: an Excel-based application programmed with an algorithm that could decode the opposing catchers’ signs. It was called “Codebreaker.”"

 

Alex Cora became bench coach for the Houston Astros two months later on November 15, 2016. The article never mentions Cora once, but does name half a dozen Astros' front office employees who were the actual masterminds behind their "system"... here's my favorite line: "The existence of Codebreaker shows that it was the Astros front office that laid the groundwork for the team’s electronic sign-stealing schemes."

Most of us who love Cora (and a good conspiracy) have said he was the scapegoat from the beginning, but no one has said it quite like Carrabis from Barstool:

 

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/1828992/can-someone-please-explain-to-me-how-alex-cora-was-the-mastermind-of-the-astros-sign-stealing-scheme-when-he-wasnt-there-when-it-started-or-ended

[Tedballgame]

Let's do the same with the Sox titles. Papi and Manny failed drug tests. 2018 may not have had any drug cheats, but you gotta * that one due to sign stealing

 

You are delusional jackwad.

[jacksonianmarch]

You are delusional jackwad.

 

You love me, who are you kidding

[Kman]

Thank you.

 

As I have posted before, I'm not saying that the Astros and the Sox should not be punished. The Astros were found guilty and rightly punished. The Sox, if found guilty, should be punished accordingly.

 

What I have an issue with is some players of other teams talking about how they were cheated out of a championship, or about how the championships should be taken away from the Astros and the Sox. Give me a break you hypocrites.

 

CC crying about the Yankees being cheated was over the top because I don't think anyone thinks the Yankees are clean in any of this. They had 4 players that had seasons last year that would make you think WTF Urshela who all of a sudden was a star, Torres who hit way more home runs than I thought he was capable of, Gardner who also hit a boatload of home runs and LeMahieu who had an off the charts season and never came close to that kind of power even though he came from Colorado a place where the ball does fly. Yankee fans all say move along nothing to see here...it was all because of the juiced ball....Yankees are clean I tell you...pure as the driven snow and we all say yeah the yellow snow.

[jung]

http://archive.fo/9ojBf

 

The Feb. 7 Wall Street Journal article:

(Intro) "On Sept. 22, 2016, an intern in the Houston Astros organization showed general manager Jeff Luhnow a PowerPoint presentation that featured the latest creation by the team’s high-tech front office: an Excel-based application programmed with an algorithm that could decode the opposing catchers’ signs. It was called “Codebreaker.”"

 

Alex Cora became bench coach for the Houston Astros two months later on November 15, 2016. The article never mentions Cora once, but does name half a dozen Astros' front office employees who were the actual masterminds behind their "system"... here's my favorite line: "The existence of Codebreaker shows that it was the Astros front office that laid the groundwork for the team’s electronic sign-stealing schemes."

Most of us who love Cora (and a good conspiracy) have said he was the scapegoat from the beginning, but no one has said it quite like Carrabis from Barstool:

 

https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/1828992/can-someone-please-explain-to-me-how-alex-cora-was-the-mastermind-of-the-astros-sign-stealing-scheme-when-he-wasnt-there-when-it-started-or-ended

 

My view of it is the same as it was when this mish-mosh first hit the news wires. I suspect nobody is clean in this. Either there was involvement much deeper in the Houston organization that has been exposed in the League report or a purposeful lack of curiosity by execs that should have been curious enough to try to understand what the heck was going on in Houston baseball ops and in their dugout.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Yankee scandals are littered with Hall of Famers; remember when Mickey Mantle risked his asterisk on the roof of a Washington hotel, leading teammates on a beaver-shoot?

 

That rat-fink Jim Bouton... I asked him once about the fugly groupie Ball Four described as "Joe Torre with tits" -- and he quickly blamed the quote on Pagliaroni.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

My view of it is the same as it was when this mish-mosh first hit the news wires. I suspect nobody is clean in this. Either there was involvement much deeper in the Houston organization that has been exposed in the League report or a purposeful lack of curiosity by execs that should have been curious enough to try to understand what the heck was going on in Houston baseball ops and in their dugout.

 

There's no way any coaching staff wouldn't know something was going on, even if it was orchestrated by players. But after reading about the machinations detailed in the article, it seems like any analytics department not using every resource available wasn't doing enough... apparently, many of the Houston employees got promoted for their efforts.

[Kimmi]

CC crying about the Yankees being cheated was over the top because I don't think anyone thinks the Yankees are clean in any of this. They had 4 players that had seasons last year that would make you think WTF Urshela who all of a sudden was a star, Torres who hit way more home runs than I thought he was capable of, Gardner who also hit a boatload of home runs and LeMahieu who had an off the charts season and never came close to that kind of power even though he came from Colorado a place where the ball does fly. Yankee fans all say move along nothing to see here...it was all because of the juiced ball....Yankees are clean I tell you...pure as the driven snow and we all say yeah the yellow snow.

 

There is no way that the Yankees weren't stealing signs, and CC knows this. This is one of those cases where the other players should just keep their mouths shut.

[Swiharts Ghost]

Do you think we hear the outcome tomorrow

[jung]

So the Astros stuff just keeps oozing out as you would expect and of course former Astros are stepping on their dicks. I don't know how many people took my advice and watched his Verducci/Hinch interview. IMO, Hinch will NEVER get another job in baseball after that mess. That is what happens when you hire consultants to "advise" you how to solve your problems for you. If you hire them too early, they will NEVER tell you to wait. They have to justify their existence. So they convinced Hinch to do the interview. He will be lucky to get a job as a clubhouse boy whenever he is allowed back to baseball.

 

As for Cora and Beltran, the story remains the same. "Its all their fault. Cora and Beltran made us do it." Ah-huh.

 

It is still my view that the Astros top to bottom with the possible exception of ownership are all guilty as hell and it would not take much to convince me that ownership knew. I don't think the Sox are going to come out of the 2018 investigation clean either. I do think if anything Cora will be tossed to the wolves AGAIN whether deserved or not.

 

The only way for Manfred to get ahead of this is to immediately suspend all team access to in game real time video across MLB whether by dedicated video system or league video. Unless he does that, this will just get worse and worse. Maybe it should just get worse and worse so it explodes any final thoughts that these goons know what the f*** they are doing with this game.

[oldtimer]

So the Astros stuff just keeps oozing out as you would expect and of course former Astros are stepping on their dicks. I don't know how many people took my advice and watched his Verducci/Hinch interview. IMO, Hinch will NEVER get another job in baseball after that mess. That is what happens when you hire consultants to "advise" you how to solve your problems for you. If you hire them too early, they will NEVER tell you to wait. They have to justify their existence. So they convinced Hinch to do the interview. He will be lucky to get a job as a clubhouse boy whenever he is allowed back to baseball.

 

As for Cora and Beltran, the story remains the same. "Its all their fault. Cora and Beltran made us do it." Ah-huh.

 

It is still my view that the Astros top to bottom with the possible exception of ownership are all guilty as hell and it would not take much to convince me that ownership knew. I don't think the Sox are going to come out of the 2018 investigation clean either. I do think if anything Cora will be tossed to the wolves AGAIN whether deserved or not.

 

The only way for Manfred to get ahead of this is to immediately suspend all team access to in game real time video across MLB whether by dedicated video system or league video. Unless he does that, this will just get worse and worse. Maybe it should just get worse and worse so it explodes any final thoughts that these goons know what the f*** they are doing with this game.

 

The resultss of the Sox investigation won't be out this week which means they are still digging. If Sox pllayers/ coaches viewed broadcasts to figure out signs and then players who got to second used that information, I don't see that as of the same level as the Astros camera and real time relaying of the information to the guy at bat. What raises suspicion is the excellence of the Sox hitting in 2018. Saw it a coincidence? At least JDM doesn't think we cheated.

[Bellhorn04]

According to a report Tuesday in The Athletic, Beltran was the ringleader when it came to the scheme and ignored the protests of some coaches and teammates.

Beltran joined the Astros before the 2017 season after spending the previous three years with the Yankees. According to The Athletic, when Beltran got to Houston, he told the organization its sign-stealing methods were “behind the times.”

 

So after 3 years with the Yankees, Beltran tells the Astros their sign-stealing methods are 'behind the times'!

 

And then after the 2018 season the Yankees hire Beltran as a 'special adviser'!

 

Beltran is the Yankees sign-stealing smoking gun.

[Slasher9]

According to a report Tuesday in The Athletic, Beltran was the ringleader when it came to the scheme and ignored the protests of some coaches and teammates.

Beltran joined the Astros before the 2017 season after spending the previous three years with the Yankees. According to The Athletic, when Beltran got to Houston, he told the organization its sign-stealing methods were “behind the times.”

 

So after 3 years with the Yankees, Beltran tells the Astros their sign-stealing methods are 'behind the times'!

 

And then after the 2018 season the Yankees hire Beltran as a 'special adviser'!

 

Beltran is the Yankees sign-stealing smoking gun.

 

awesome stuff Bell. oh Jacksonianmarch....we have a "mea culpa" warming up for you..........................

[mvp 78]

According to a report Tuesday in The Athletic, Beltran was the ringleader when it came to the scheme and ignored the protests of some coaches and teammates.

Beltran joined the Astros before the 2017 season after spending the previous three years with the Yankees. According to The Athletic, when Beltran got to Houston, he told the organization its sign-stealing methods were “behind the times.”

 

So after 3 years with the Yankees, Beltran tells the Astros their sign-stealing methods are 'behind the times'!

 

And then after the 2018 season the Yankees hire Beltran as a 'special adviser'!

 

Beltran is the Yankees sign-stealing smoking gun.

 

But Jacko said there was no smoke?

[Bellhorn04]

But Jacko said there was no smoke?

 

'Behind the times': 3 words that have to send a chill down Rob Manfred's spine.

[mvp 78]

'Behind the times': 3 words that have to send a chill down Rob Manfred's spine.

 

"Oh s***, what do I have to cover up next?"

[Slasher9]

"Oh s***, what do I have to cover up next?"

 

"Homeruns make people ignore cheating. Quick, contact rawlings and tell them we need more Manfred Missiles ASAP!"

[mvp 78]

"Homeruns make people ignore cheating. Quick, contact rawlings and tell them we need more Manfred Missiles ASAP!"

 

"If I completely dismantle the MiLB system even further to save the owners money, they'll forget all about this cheating nonsense."

[Slasher9]

"If I completely dismantle the MiLB system even further to save the owners money, they'll forget all about this cheating nonsense."

 

"every team make the postseason!"

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I keep telling you guys: the Yankees are safe. Manfred and the MLB have worked hard emasculating Houston and Boston, clearing the path to a pinstriped postseason. Who's going to challenge New York? Minnesota? The Yankees look at the Twins like Jack Nicholson looked at the lawyers in A Few Good Men: "Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?"

 

Maybe Manfred's prolonging the Red Sox report so he can interrogate the latest ex-Sox players (though standup guys like Betts and Price are probably persona non ratta).

 

Imagine the mess if the Yankees got investigated? Not only would Cashman and Boone be suspects, but they'd also have to look at Girardi -- it was on his watch that Beltran, McCann, Chris Young and others that Logan Morrison knows about were involved. If Girardi is implicated, that also affects the Phillies' season...

 

Nope, Manfred wants this to go away, especially before it burns down the Bronx. I'd even say most owners would agree, and maybe some would secretly admit that it's too important for the Yankees to win this year -- to help baseball "heal" and ultimately put more money in their own pockets.

[mvp 78]

"every team make the postseason!"

 

"We're going to 1994 this season, but just award the title to the Dodgers. Thank you everyone, see you next year."

[Slasher9]

"We're going to 1994 this season, but just award the title to the Dodgers. Thank you everyone, see you next year."

 

mic drop

[mvp 78]

"Yep, I really out Manfredded myself this time. Time for a sardine and pineapple pizza with ranch sauce."

[Elktonnick]

"Yep, I really out Manfredded myself this time. Time for a sardine and pineapple pizza with ranch sauce."

Add anchovies and you have a real winner!

[Kimmi]

According to a report Tuesday in The Athletic, Beltran was the ringleader when it came to the scheme and ignored the protests of some coaches and teammates.

Beltran joined the Astros before the 2017 season after spending the previous three years with the Yankees. According to The Athletic, when Beltran got to Houston, he told the organization its sign-stealing methods were “behind the times.”

 

So after 3 years with the Yankees, Beltran tells the Astros their sign-stealing methods are 'behind the times'!

 

And then after the 2018 season the Yankees hire Beltran as a 'special adviser'!

 

Beltran is the Yankees sign-stealing smoking gun.

 

Good stuff Bell.

 

Now we know at least part of the reason why so many mediocre/aging players suddenly find it when they sign with the Yankees.

[jung]

Altuve's and Brugman's comments today won't help him dodge FB's at home plate this season. Would have been better off saying nothing. The apology to the fans will likely help them in Houston. But who cares. WHAT A CLUSTER!