Two months after initial reporting in The Athletic that the Houston Astros used illegally placed cameras to steal signs during their 2017 season, the scandal is back in the headlines. The resulting MLB investigation led to the firing of three managers and one general manager, plus the loss of draft picks and a $5 million […]
The Houston Astros were at the the vanguard of leveraging new technology and information to their advantage during recent seasons. Their innovations in player development and data-based strategies helped the club to three straight 100-win seasons, a World Series title in 2017 and nearly another this past fall. Their former front office assistants and processes […]
SAN DIEGO — Gerrit Cole was a fan of the New York Yankees as a kid. The Yankees have also long been admirers of Cole, drafting him in the first round in 2008 when Cole was then a high school senior. Cole spurned the Yankees; he opted to attend UCLA instead, and he was selected […]
In a recent interview with The Athletic, former Houston pitcher Mike Fiers went on the record to accuse the Astros of stealing signs during their 2017 championship season through the use of an outfield camera. Sign stealing in MLB has a long history, but have the Astros taken it too far? Sara, Neil and Geoff […]
Stealing signs has been part of baseball since signs existed. The spycraft is generally accepted so long as the efforts are not aided electronically. Yet as early as 1900, there were technology-aided attempts to steal signs. The 1951 New York Giants used a telescope and an electrical buzzer to relay opposing catchers’ pitch calls in […]