Our players know the real truth. Will they all lie or tell the truth? I wonder. I hope we didn't, but if we cheated, then it will leave a cloud of stench over Houston thicker than that smog from the chemical plants of Pasadena in the early morning hours.
I haven't really thought about it the way Pete did. Truthfully haven't thought about it at all because the only people crying about it are those who A) were fans of the teams we have beaten in the playoffs B) average fans of other teams who never played competitive baseball in their life and/or C) some of the players that were on the teams we beat. Anyhow, if the other team wanted to eliminate all the "sign stealing", how about just throwing the f***** pitch immediately after you get the signal so that the batter has no chance to get a buzz and get their mind set accordingly in time. Instead, the pitchers hold the ball forever and take way too long to deliver the pitch... I think that's how the MLB should shorten the games. Allow cheating by the other team after X pitching changes, after the pitcher has had the ball for 20 seconds with no delivery, etc. LOL that would get some of these guys taking their sweet time to throw the damn ball.
Here are a couple recent things I've read regarding the situation that I found humorous... “Mike Fiers?” said a current Astro. “Then give back your ring and your World Series share.” - a quote I read on the Athletic...this is 100% spot on. Let's take away that no hitter you had with us too. "When the team and the players are doing what they can on the field to get the signs, that's obviously part of the game," Kershaw said. "But when technology comes into play, if that is really true, it sucks. Unless we get to win the World Series, I don't really care what the punishment is. But it does suck, no matter what." - now I see why Kershaw is a freaking loser and I'll bet against him in the playoffs every time moving forward...did a grown man who has a job with the sole responsibility of competing just ask for a WS to be gifted to them? Even if that happened, would this man really celebrate a fake championship? Wow...
He’s clearly desperate for a ring. His playoff meltdowns will forever be a stain on an otherwise brilliant career. That being said... he’s not going to be gifted a ring no matter how much he begs
Here’s what I think: The Astros used technology to steal signs in 2017. Other teams did the same. The Astros stopped once the league spoke out with a clear directive not to do it. I believe the league will take away Houston’s first, second, and third round Rule 4 picks in the 2021 draft. I do not think any players or front office personnel will be suspended. I do not think the league will impose any financial penalties or levy any punishments related to vacating wins, etc. I do not think the league will acknowledge that other teams also used technology, although I do think it will factor in to the punishment. I also think everyone involved will be prevented from commenting other than to accept the punishment. In terms of its effect on Houston, I think Luhnow is preparing to rely almost entirely on the international signing period as the source of new talent injected into the farm system in 2021. Having an additional pick in 2020 will slightly mitigate this. This also may affect the teams motivation for extending Springer (their primary QO candidate in 2020). They may even be stockpiling QO candidates for 2021 (Correa, Verlander, Greinke, McCullers) so that they can come back with a load of picks in 2022. Losing several high draft picks will be a bummer, but in the end I doubt it will have a major impact on the Astros’ ability to continue contending. I will mainly just be glad when it’s over.
https://www.sny.tv/yankees/news/sou...ling-to-mlb-but-deny-special-camera/312216020 Believing that other teams used technology to decode signs, a group of Houston Astros asked the organization for access to a live feed from a centerfield camera in 2017. They did not install a new camera for sign-stealing purposes, and the players and coaches involved did not even know which camera the feed was coming from. They wanted a monitor closer to the dugout, because their video room was too far away. They considered their actions to be in line with industry standards. The above narrative represents the picture painted by some of the interviews conducted by MLB investigators this fall, according to sources with direct knowledge of the investigation. The league has already spoken with nearly 60 people, and SNY can now report some of what they have learned. The overall picture painted by these sources is one that shows the Astros breaking rules, but not going so far as to install a camera specifically for sign stealing. "We did ask for a game centerfield feed to decode signs, as many teams do," one witness told MLB, according to sources. "All we asked for was a live feed." Baseball considers that illegal, and will punish accordingly. Harsh discipline for Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch remain in play. But -- if these witnesses are telling the truth -- the league has received answers to a question raised by a November story in The Athletic. "Four people who were with the Astros in 2017, including pitcher Mike Fiers, said that during that season, the Astros stole signs during home games in real time with the aid of a camera positioned in the outfield,' the publication reported, weeks after SNY reported that the Yankees complained about whistling to convey signs during the ALCS. That left questions about whether the camera was installed specifically for that purpose. Did a member of the front office approve the purchase of a new camera, creating a sinister paper trail that showed intent to cheat? Sources say the camera in question was league-approved and already in place. One source suggested it could have been a scouting camera, which would have been its league-approved purpose. That is more likely than a camera from the TV feed, which would have required the broadcast crew to participate in the scheme. As far as MLB is concerned, any use of electronics to facilitate sign stealing is illegal. Even Astros witnesses are conceding to investigators that such actions took place, because the feed was aired on a monitor behind the dugout. At this point, the question appears to be not if the Astros broke the rule, but how and to what degree they did it. This will not surprise opponents like the Yankees, who long suspected the Astros of cheating over the past several seasons. Those suspicions boiled over during Game 1 of the ALCS, when manager Aaron Boone asked home plate umpire Bill Welke about the whistling sounds coming from the Houston dugout, according to sources. As SNY reported last month, Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin told Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, "tell your f-cking hitting coach I'm going to kick his f-cking ass." The reason for that comment, which is previously unreported, underscores the tension caused by the Astros allegations: The hitting coach, Alex Cintron, had just stuck his middle finger in the air and pointed it at Boone from across the field.
Why is there nothing said about the time period this took place? Was this used during the playoffs? Did it stop when other teams got punished for using technology to cheat? Was it used after 2017? People are taking this as confirmation that every other time the Astros were accused of cheating (whistling) they were. I guess it really is the Astros fault that this is happening, but the holier than thou attitude of every other fan base taking this to the extreme is fairly irritating.
Anyone know the cons of allowing personal headsets to only the pitcher and catcher? A Google search didn't find arguments against. The league can provide them like baseballs. Given the TV era I don't really put too much on manager driven timeouts either (let the managers in on the headset) but the first idea removes that argument if it is one.
Well, the hitter is right there so they could still hear whatever signs they're relaying verbally. The NFL actually does cut out the headset communication when the play-clock hits a certain number... its not like there is just open lines of talking during plays or when they're at the line.
I can also expect the International Bonus to be affected by the punishment as well, since the Astros are known to be one of the biggest teams in that department (also reflected by their roster. And, if we lose, say our top 3 draft picks, would it affect our total signing pool $$$? Like, could we still go after a top talent that fell in, say, round 4 by going over slot? We'd probably have less to spend in such a scenario. Regardless, yes, can't wait for all this to be over. Personally, I believe, for now, that although we did use technology against the rules for a competitive advantage, it was only during the 2017 regular season and we STOPPED after they dropped the hammer on the other cases (NYY/BOS).
The pool $ are attached to the picks, not the team. So if Houston were penalized draft picks their pool would be reduced by the corresponding amount of those picks. So no, they wouldn’t be able to pick a better talent that slipped and offer him above slot.
It's always possible. Things like playbooks could get stolen or a team could bug they other side. Or even worse, the other team somehow has the radio frequency. It's not as easy and the intent to cheat is more deliberate. If the batter wants to concentrate of what the other guy is saying over getting in the flow, that's his choice. Anyways, that doesn't sound like an argument against to me. I was expecting some weird purist argument about how cavemen played it the same way we do now.
If they’re going to revamp the system, it should attempt to be fool-proof. I think a wireless communication system that the pitcher or catcher wears on their wrist (where they’re currently keeping the scouting reports) and then you push the button signaling which pitch. It can vibrate a set number of times to indicate the pitch. It’s silent and still gets the job done.
Just find out how the Astros used the buzzing Band-Aids and give everyone some of those with Morse Code training during Spring Training!!
