The subject of the news isn't a new one, but now former Astro Mike Fiers is confirming the Astros were stealing signs by using a camera. Seems like a serious violation of the rules. Curious to see where this goes with MLB
The Astros had a camera out in center field zoomed in on the catcher, then hooked it up to a closed circuit TV in the dugout tunnel where someone would read the signs and bang a metal garbage can depending on the pitch.
Couldn't be much more obvious than that. I'm surprised nobody has made a bigger deal about this until now, and that the Astros were bold enough to make it so obvious. Twenty-five game suspension for Hinch and loss of a couple draft picks for Houston seems appropriate imo. Pretty harsh, but if MLB is going to be so strict on steroids then they can't let this slide. Sign stealing is fine but using a closed circuit TV or cell phones or whatever when you're the home team is obviously cheating and deserves to be punished. This is also like the third time in the last few years the Astros have been caught cheating. Remember the camera in the Red Sox dugout during last year;s ALCS?
Isn't this old news? Fiers last played there in 2017. Gattis is in the video, he did not play in 2019. MLB fined Astros $500,000 for video incident in 2018. Baseball teams have been yelling about this for a couple years, because the Astros were so stupidly obvious about it. Isn't Fiers just confirming what we already knew?
Half a million dollar fine sounds like a lot, but not to a franchise worth over a billion. If baseball wants to get serious about stopping this, make GMs and managers personally accountable with suspensions or banishment. End of problem.
The Astros had a camera out in center field zoomed in on the catcher, then hooked it up to a closed circuit TV in the dugout tunnel where someone would read the signs and bang a metal garbage can depending on the pitch.
Couldn't be much more obvious than that. I'm surprised nobody has made a bigger deal about this until now, and that the Astros were bold enough to make it so obvious. Twenty-five game suspension for Hinch and loss of a couple draft picks for Houston seems appropriate imo. Pretty harsh, but if MLB is going to be so strict on steroids then they can't let this slide. Sign stealing is fine but using a closed circuit TV or cell phones or whatever when you're the home team is obviously cheating and deserves to be punished. This is also like the third time in the last few years the Astros have been caught cheating. Remember the camera in the Red Sox dugout during last year;s ALCS?
Is there any more than this? I mean, this is a regular season game vs. the White Sox?? YOu mean there's no video from the playoffs? Wouldn't the home crowd be alot louder and make it impossible to hear bats or garbage cans banging?? I'm certainly not condoning the actions, and he did eventually strike Gattis out.
Is this more of a witch hunt against a successful organization like the Astros?? We do this with the Patriots all the time too, because obviously teams can't win fair and square anymore?
Is there any more than this? I mean, this is a regular season game vs. the White Sox?? YOu mean there's no video from the playoffs? Wouldn't the home crowd be alot louder and make it impossible to hear bats or garbage cans banging?? I'm certainly not condoning the actions, and he did eventually strike Gattis out.
Is this more of a witch hunt against a successful organization like the Astros?? We do this with the Patriots all the time too, because obviously teams can't win fair and square anymore?
According to Trevor Bauer they also cheat by putting something on their fingers to increase spin rate. Bunch of damn cheaters. Maybe that's why Nolan Ryan bailed on them!
Agreed, serious issue. It is one thing for a clever bench coach to observe and steal signals from opposing 3rd base coach or manager, or tell players when a pitcher is tipping his pitches mechanically. That's part of the game. But using electronics is out of bounds and against the rules..
As I said above, Manfred needs to switch from fining the team to holding GMs and Managers personally accountable with long suspensions or banishment, and the problem will end.
Here is the a pic of the monitor during the 2017 WS. Does MLB have the balls to take the World Series away from them? I doubt it. But I think Hinch should get a year, minimum, and hefty suspensions for Cora and anyone else involved.
Here is the a pic of the monitor during the 2017 WS. Does MLB have the balls to take the World Series away from them? I doubt it. But I think Hinch should get a year, minimum, and hefty suspensions for Cora and anyone else involved.
The more I read about this, the more of a possibility that seems. Would be hard for Manfred to give Hinch anything less than a one year suspension and probably Cora and Beltran, plus a huge fine for the Astros. Hilarious how the Mets can't catch a break. ?
Isn't this old news? Fiers last played there in 2017. Gattis is in the video, he did not play in 2019. MLB fined Astros $500,000 for video incident in 2018. Baseball teams have been yelling about this for a couple years, because the Astros were so stupidly obvious about it. Isn't Fiers just confirming what we already knew?
Half a million dollar fine sounds like a lot, but not to a franchise worth over a billion. If baseball wants to get serious about stopping this, make GMs and managers personally accountable with suspensions or banishment. End of problem.
As I said above, Manfred needs to switch from fining the team to holding GMs and Managers personally accountable with long suspensions or banishment, and the problem will end.
If Hinch's suspension is up after this year, even if he's not employed...my guess is someone will grab him. He's a proven winner and will come at a discount.
Not harsh enough?? Do you want the MLB to blindfold them and shoot them? It is certainly harsh enough and everyone will now either stop doing it, or be much more covert about it. Every manager and GM will be telling their players to not use the replay room for this.
None of the players were punished, including Beltran who is now managing the Mets or Altuve who won the MVP that year. If Manfred really wanted to send a message he could've taken the WS away, that would've been awesome.
I think the penalty was pretty stiff. A year suspension for the manager and GM, which will likely lead to most getting fired when this happens, put the onus on those in charge to seek out this sort of behavior and make sure it does not happen. Taking away of 1st and 2nd round draft picks can have a very long negative effect on an organization.
I am all about punishing leadership when the inmates run amock, even if they are not the ones doing it. What this does is take away plausible deniability from those in charge and make them LOOK for it and make sure it does not happen.
The fines? Eh, these teams print $$ so that isnt going to hurt them.
Should the players be suspsended/fined? That is open for debate. At this point I think you come down to what MLB has done, SEVERERLY punish the manager and GM. They wont be able to take a blind eye to it.
Some some stupid things on FB last night comparing that Pete Rose is banned for life and these two for just a year. Totally different. Pete broke a cardinal rule in sports. He broke a rule that is meant to keep the integrity of games on the up and up and something that if made rampant could ruin sports forever.
These guys.......stealing signs is as old as the game itself. Hell, we did it a lot in HS to our benefit. What they did was absolutely wrong, cheating, and against the rules but the reason it is illegal is HOW they stole the signs. Their punishment I believe is harsh enought that players, managers, and GM's wont dare use tech to do this again. That is what tough penalties should do, like Pete Rose's.
Cora should be looking for a job right now before the hammer comes down on him. He should get a multiple year ban
This is not unlike college sports punishments as to where they go after the program, and the coach. Some state why punish a program, and innocent players, because of what the coach did. Well, comes down to something similar on this. If you just punish those directly doing it then those in power wont seek it out to try and stop it.
Some college coaches still cheat, but now programs have compliance officers, AD's. etc whom actively seek out this and dont hide behind "I didnt know" and many do self report some violations. I think all of that comes directly from PROGRAMS and those in leadership taking the blame even if it means the program is going to fall behind. That is about the only way it is going to work or coaches will actively keep on cheating, with the AD turning a blind eye to it
I think the penalty was pretty stiff. A year suspension for the manager and GM, which will likely lead to most getting fired when this happens, put the onus on those in charge to seek out this sort of behavior and make sure it does not happen. Taking away of 1st and 2nd round draft picks can have a very long negative effect on an organization.
If the Astros make the playoffs again which is likely, those draft picks will be late round picks. Not quite as harsh as people are making it out to be
Sign stealing has gone on in baseball for decades...I'm shocked people are so up in arms. You give boys technology and they'll cheat, plain and simple. This is pushing the commish into a corner so he feels like he has to do something. Idea...how about mixing up the signs...first sign, second sign, etc. I mean didn't anyone who had a guy on second signal to the batter when you picked up on the signals?
And as mentioned earlier, whomever compared this to Pete Rose is just silly. Pete not only bet on baseball, he then lied to us for 15 years before he finally gave in.
And honestly, we've discussed this before, how much difference does the manager make anymore?
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