The investigation into the Houston Astros’s sign-stealing is not expected to be concluded until 2020, but according to SNY’s Andy Martino, at least one witness admitted to Major League Baseball that the team did in fact have a camera in centerfield used to get a competitive advantage.
“We did ask for a game centerfield feed to decode signs, as many teams do,” Martino quotes a witness as saying. “All we asked for was a live feed.”
Ex-Astros pitcher Mike Fiers claimed that the Astros used a center field camera to steal signs.
“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.”
Per Martino, sources said the camera was league-approved for scouting purposes, so while its presence was not illegal, using it to steal signs was.
In 2017, the Astros won the American League West with a 101-61 record, and would later defeat the Dodgers in seven games to win the first World Series championship in franchise history.
Houston has posted two more 100-win seasons and made it to another World Series in 2019, but would fall to the Washington Nationals in seven games.
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Martino states that opponents “long suspected” the Astros cheated in 2017.
Punishment could be forthcoming, and the discipline reportedly could be “harsh” for manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow.
