Major League Baseball is having the worst week ever.
Amid the cheating scandal involving the Houston Astros that has seen three managers lose their jobs come another one that happened back in the 80’s.
Former MLB pitcher and 1993 AL Cy Young winner Jack McDowell made a shocking claim in a radio appearance on Friday that the Chicago White Sox had an illegal sign-stealing operation at old Comiskey Park in the late 1980s, and that Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa was the instigator of the scheme.
McDowell alleges the White Sox had a camera zoomed in on opposing catchers & a light in an outfield Gatorade sign that was controlled from the manager’s office would let hitters know what pitches were coming.
“I’m going to whistle-blow this thing now because I’m getting tired of this crap,” McDowell told the station.
McDowell also stated that La Russa, the manger of the White Sox at the time, was the culprit behind the system getting installed. McDowell debuted with Chicago in 1987, the season after La Russa left.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
“He was also the head of the first team … with people doing steroids,” McDowell said, referencing La Russa’s decade-long stint as manager of the Oakland A’s, which included managing infamous steroid users Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. “Yet he’s still in the game making half a million. No one’s gonna go after that.”
Coincidentally, La Russa has worked the past 2 seasons in a front office position with the Red Sox, who are currently under investigation for stealing signs during their World Series winning season in 2018.
He was recently hired by the Angels as a senior adviser.
“This stuff’s getting old, where they target certain guys and let other people off the hook,” McDowell said. ” … Everybody who’s been around the game knows all this stuff.”
McDowell explained that illegal sign-stealing has been happening for decades, but everybody decided to look the other way.
“Nobody wants to throw anybody under the bus,” he said.
Full interview below:
