Author Topic: Astros stealing signs - But Dusty to the Rescue  (Read 26668 times)

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Offline bluestreak

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Astros stealing signs - But Dusty to the Rescue
« Topic Start: November 12, 2019, 03:38:59 PM »
Former Astros claim that team uses camera equipment to steal signs in 2017 Championship Season.

https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/11/12/astros-sign-stealing-electronically

Even though it’s the Astros I put this in Clubhouse because I’m sure the Nats will come up (re: Strasburg, World Series, etc), and the article mentions that this will likely involve many other teams. Please move if necessary.

Offline Five Banners

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #1: November 12, 2019, 04:05:39 PM »
Former Astros claim that team uses camera equipment to steal signs in 2017 Championship Season.

https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/11/12/astros-sign-stealing-electronically

Even though it’s the Astros I put this in Clubhouse because I’m sure the Nats will come up (re: Strasburg, World Series, etc), and the article mentions that this will likely involve many other teams. Please move if necessary.

They were unable to steal this sign:


Offline imref

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #2: November 12, 2019, 04:22:54 PM »
They were unable to steal this sign:

(Image removed from quote.)

they'll see it almost every day of spring training. :)

Offline bluestreak

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Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #4: November 12, 2019, 04:44:09 PM »
https://twitter.com/jomboy_/status/1194348775965437952?s=21

That looks great pretty bad- if the footage wasn’t altered, I think the mlb needs to come down really hard

Offline UMDNats

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #5: November 12, 2019, 05:35:37 PM »
https://twitter.com/Carson_Smith39/status/1194365822162092034?s=20

In the article about the Astros stealing signs, they forgot to mention  the bullpen catcher also relaying in signs for specific batters specific ways. Astros went to extreme measures, undoubtedly still do, and it’s paid off for them.

---

It was also sketchy when the security guards/Crawford box scorekeepers kept constantly checking on our bullpen and looking up at the tv that coincidentally wasn’t working for us that series.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #6: November 12, 2019, 08:10:11 PM »
That NYY fan who went on and on during the World Series  about Astros and sign stealing knew what she was talking about.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #7: November 12, 2019, 08:15:24 PM »
Only makes our victory that much sweeter 8)

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #8: November 12, 2019, 08:23:20 PM »
That NYY fan who went on and on during the World Series  about Astros and sign stealing knew what she was talking about.

Huh. Someone should invite her back to gloat.

Offline HondoKillebrew

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #9: November 12, 2019, 08:48:26 PM »
Only makes our victory that much sweeter 8)

Agree. 

Offline nfotiu

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #10: November 12, 2019, 08:51:09 PM »
Between this, the Osuna thing, picking up Osuna in the first place, whatever happened to the Ryan family, and Cole immediately disowning the Astros the second the series was over, it sure seems like there is some crappy people running things over there.   It does make it sweeter to beat them, and makes me wonder if they are in for a quick fall from grace.

Offline Copecwby20

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #11: November 12, 2019, 09:19:09 PM »
Between this, the Osuna thing, picking up Osuna in the first place, whatever happened to the Ryan family, and Cole immediately disowning the Astros the second the series was over, it sure seems like there is some crappy people running things over there.   It does make it sweeter to beat them, and makes me wonder if they are in for a quick fall from grace.
From some of the Reddit threads I've read, it definitely appears that way.

Offline RyanZimsKazoo

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #12: November 12, 2019, 09:52:42 PM »
At one time the Lastros were like the lovable losers. Now they are as disgusting as the Yankees.

Offline Copecwby20

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #13: November 12, 2019, 10:04:43 PM »
At one time the Lastros were like the lovable losers. Now they are as disgusting as the Yankees.


Houston Asteriks*

Offline Kevrock

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Offline nats2playoffs

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #15: November 12, 2019, 10:17:26 PM »
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/astros-accused-of-hightech-signstealing-scheme-during-2017-championship-season-194631500.html

Excerpts:
Mike Fiers, who pitched with the Astros 2015 to 2017, was among four people with the Astros at the time who described to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich a system in which at least two Astros — a hitter on the team and a coach — set up a camera in the outfield that was focused on opposing catchers. Astros players would watch the other team’s signs on a video monitor near their dugout and then clank on a garbage can to signal what pitch was coming.

...Electronic sign-stealing is something that is an issue all around Major League Baseball, almost certainly more than the common fan knows. In 2017, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were both fined by MLB after a story broke in which the Red Sox were using an Apple Watch in the dugout to relay signs from their video-replay team. The Red Sox’s defense was that the Yankees were doing it too, and after an MLB investigation, both teams were fined.

In this case, the Astros announced Tuesday afternoon that they had begun an investigation alongside MLB... MLB took new measures prior to the 2019 season to make their sign-stealing rules more current with the times. Players can still try to figure out signs from second base, but the league outlawed outfield cameras, put all broadcasts in the clubhouse and bullpens on an eight-second delay and limited live broadcasts to each team’s replay official.

The most surprising part about this may be Fiers’ decision to speak out publicly — particularly given a baseball culture that generally expects such things to remain unspoken and for teams to carry out their own justice. Fiers admits he had already told the Tigers and A’s, the teams he played for after the Astros, about Houston’s system. “I just want the game to be cleaned up a little bit because there are guys who are losing their jobs because they’re going in there not knowing,” Fiers told The Athletic. “Young guys getting hit around in the first couple of innings starting a game, and then they get sent down. It’s (B.S.) on that end. It’s ruining jobs for younger guys. The guys who know are more prepared. But most people don’t. That’s why I told my team. We had a lot of young guys with Detroit (in 2018) trying to make a name and establish themselves. I wanted to help them out and say, ‘Hey, this stuff really does go on. Just be prepared.’” “I told the teams I was on, I didn’t know how far the rules went with MLB, but I knew they (the Astros) were up to date, if not beyond,” said Fiers, who became a free agent on Dec. 1, 2017. “I had to let my team know so that we were prepared when we went to go play them at Minute Maid.”

We know the Astros were accused of improper surveillance another time too. In October 2018, a man credentialed by the Astros was spotted taking pictures in the dugouts of the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. He was removed by security in both cities. In a Yahoo Sports story at the time, Jeff Passan wrote that two MLB players had witnessed the Astros using a garbage can to relay signs.

This past October, the Astros were again accused of sign-stealing by an opponent, in the ALCS against the Yankees.
https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-think-astros-stealing-signs-212059800.html

According to three sources, a Yankees coach noticed a whistling sound in the opposing dugout on certain pitches on Saturday night in Houston. The Yankees started yelling across the field, and people in the dugouts argued back and forth. “The whole dugout was pissed,” said one source. “Everyone was chirping.”


Offline imref

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #16: November 13, 2019, 06:39:16 AM »
It would be nice to see the league punish those responsible as harshly as they do players for PED violations.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #17: November 13, 2019, 09:01:59 AM »
It would be nice to see the league punish those responsible as harshly as they do players for PED violations.
AJ Hinch should be fined personally, as should the team, and they should have to forfeit draft picks.  I hate to say it, but the Spygate / Deflategate precedents from the NFL should apply here too.  Suspend some of the hitters if there is video of them taking a signal (whistles, drums).  Make an example out of Bregman and Altuve.

Offline hohoho

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #18: November 13, 2019, 09:06:33 AM »
Further proof that the Astros are a really foul organization, from top to bottom.
Their records should be expunged, management should be fined and suspended and the 2017 championship and 2019 pennant forfeited because they have apparently been doing crap like this for a long time.
It is also indicative of their characters that all the players will deny it.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #19: November 13, 2019, 09:27:35 AM »
AJ Hinch should be fined personally, as should the team, and they should have to forfeit draft picks.  I hate to say it, but the Spygate / Deflategate precedents from the NFL should apply here too.  Suspend some of the hitters if there is video of them taking a signal (whistles, drums).  Make an example out of Bregman and Altuve.

Pete rose never cheated his way to playoff wins- best interest of baseball bans seem like the appropriate remedy

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #20: November 13, 2019, 09:27:59 AM »
LoL. Let's see how we feel when it comes out that the Nats do something very similar.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #21: November 13, 2019, 09:32:20 AM »
LoL. Let's see how we feel when it comes out that the Nats do something very similar.

I’ve had the thought, but I doubt they were using inside the park cameras or anything like that.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #22: November 13, 2019, 09:33:46 AM »
I had the thought that Cole’s reaction after Game 7 might have been related to him not liking the Astros org and their tactics. He didn’t start out in Houston, after all.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #23: November 13, 2019, 09:34:14 AM »
I’ve had the thought, but I doubt they were using inside the park cameras or anything like that.

Lerner's would have to okay the expenditure, so not likely.  :couch:

Offline Count Walewski

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Re: Astros stealing signs
« Reply #24: November 13, 2019, 09:36:46 AM »
The defense from a lot of Astros fans is that in 2017 (as indeed in the 2019 World Series) the Astros had a better record on the road than at home. But the video of Danny Farquhuar pitching in Houston is pretty damning.