What's your favorite MLB team?

[Clementine_3]

Right, it wasn't just them for sure. It's like the PED's, MLB ignored it instead of doing anything until it got too late. It's too late again. On field sign stealing is fine, anything else isn't. There's a lot of sand on the field and there are lines there too.

 

[Unforgiven]

Right, it wasn't just them for sure. It's like the PED's, MLB ignored it instead of doing anything until it got too late. It's too late again. On field sign stealing is fine, anything else isn't. There's a lot of sand on the field and there are lines there too.

I need to learn more before I get to the "MLB looked the other way" conclusion.

In 2017 they issued a league memo saying GMs & Managers would be held culpable and there would be hell to pay if teams were caught using electronic surveillance to steal signs. This following the Red Sox (under manager John Farrell) getting caught using Apple Watches.

That seemed to me to imply a "we know its happening, what's done is done, but it need to stop now." Being directed at team management instead of players avoided union pushback and really left it up to the commisioner. If they wanted to sweep it under the rug they could have blamed the boogeyman of "collective bargaining."

Could they have done more to make sure, probably. Should they have done more, apparently so. Was Manfred probably naive in thinking that memo would get the message across, probably. At this point I hope the message is clear.

All that said, I'm so far glad this seems like it was handled far better than the Mitchel report / steroids. To me it seems Manfred said "I want the truth" and indemnified the players to get it. The result was 9 pages of here is what happened, how it started, who was involved, how they accomplished it, and the price they will pay.

 

[Unforgiven]

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Just change what signs mean every Inning. Sheesh!

 

[lunatic59]

Just change what signs mean every Inning. Sheesh!

Ball players aren't that smart.

 

[olbriar]

Ball players aren't that smart.

Maybe the ballplayers can resort to using a cheat sheet on their wrist like football. Why not put communications in their helmets? I long for the pre electronic days of no instant replay challenges, and reviews. I hope I don't live long enough to see an electronic umpire. All of the tech, be it cheating or five angles of slow mo taint the flavor of the game for me.

 

[lunatic59]

While we wait for New York to review the previous comment ... a word from our sponsor.

 

[Unforgiven]

I long for the pre electronic days of no instant replay challenges, and reviews.

Oh god, me too. I hate the "we are only going to use this to correct the most egregious erro" sales point and now they zoom in and freeze frame super slomo to see a grainy zapruder video that quite maybe the foot was in a millimeter before the tag. Gimme the umps gut on that whether it is for my team or against it. The only time I want replay used is when everyone on TV knows that call is blown and 1/2 the fans want a replay and 1/2 don't because they ALL know they call was OBVIOUSLY blown.

Maybe the ballplayers can resort to using a cheat sheet on their wrist like football. Why not put communications in their helmets?

Eliminate replay and live feeds in the locker room. Ban, and aggressively enforce no electronic nor outside sign stealing. I've no problem with a player or coach in the field of play or dugout interpreting and relaying signs with their naked eye. To me, that is gamemanship and its why they use signs in the first place. Using a coach in the stands or box, transmitting electronically, whatever, no, that's cheating.

So I'm still in the "make it hurt" category for this, which Houston has already felt, and the Sox will feel soon. I hope it deters the rest of the league to shut it down if they are doing it (most probable) or not start to begin with (maybe a few teams, probably the ones that suck anyway so the benefit of cheating is minimal).

 

[olbriar]

Once electro baseball was started it can't be stopped. Too bad. It was once a better game. I still love the game, don't get me wrong, but the changes have not enhanced it. IMO. If I could change the game to be more entertaining it would not be through reviews. Maybe lower the mound six inches or back it up a foot. More offence and pressure defense is entertaining to me. Watching a pitching staff larger than most teams I played on is not entertaining to me. But everyone is different and enjoy different aspects of the game. I bet few spectators enjoy the delays the reviews create. Calls normally fell off 50/50 years ago. That's good enough for me.

 

[ocnbrze]

Damn, Astros just got hammered. Hinch and Luhnow suspended for a year by MLB and fired by the team. Fear the Red Sox (at least Cora) are next and he may get the lifetime banhammer.

hammered?????

sorry but as a HUGE Dodger fan, i think we got robbed and what baseball did to the astros will never be enough. at least they should take the Pennant away from them. and i would fine every single astro player that was on that team all of their world series bonuses.

Just WoW. That is getting your hand slapped pretty darn hard. Everyone is looking for that edge in sports and it would be staggering to know how much out right cheating goes on. Rules are rules and I think they should be in place. Punishments for infractions should also be in place and issued when required. Banned - fired - and a five million dollar fine seems a bit much for stealing signs. I guess the commish is pretty serious about cracking down on such infractions.

we need more than a hand slap!!!!!!!!!

sorry but i feel robbed.....i feel especially bad for my friend because he spent over $5,000 to go to houston to watch the Boys in Blue play in the World Series!!!!!! he is soooooo pissssssed right now. i think we might buy some Angels tickets for the astros vs Angels game this coming season, just so that we can boooooooo the astros.

 

[olbriar]

I'm sure I'd feel the same if it were my team that was hosed. Whatever the penalty, it should be sever enough to be a deterrent moving forward. I also think that the astros are likely the tip of the iceberg and equal penalties should be levied against all guilty teams.

 

[Steven58]

Who ever heard of the Yankees being in last place? Fire the entire management!