Major League Baseball suspends Houston Astros GM and manager for a year for stealing signs

[starvenger]

CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER!!!!
Oh wait. Yes they did. And they get to keep their ill gotten gains.

As James Hetfield once sang, sad but true.

Would it be a bad thing if they banned the Red Sox and Astros from qualifying for the playoffs? Not just saying that because I'm a Blue Jays supporter.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

As James Hetfield once sang, sad but true.

Would it be a bad thing if they banned the Red Sox and Astros from qualifying for the playoffs? Not just saying that because I'm a Blue Jays supporter.

That's actually a good idea. And there are some of the other clubs that think that the owner of the Astros got off way too lightly. But they can't say it or they'll be fined. Think about it. Two ones and two 2s over a period of 2. Well at least this draft coming up, those picks are going to be very late in the round and probably next year too. So it's not like they're losing the 4th of 5th pick or something. And losing such in baseball because there are extensive minor leagues and because of free agency, it isn't nearly the thing it would be in the NFL or NBA. The fine is inconsequential. And they didn't lose their title or get any playoff bans or anything.

 

[skyblue17]

Where's noted cheater hater Justin Verlander? Curious what he thinks about all of this.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Justin Verlander called for his own suspension today saying, "I'm gone for two years because I just hate cheating that much" according to the CW4D Times today. "There is no truth to the rumor that I'll be playing football with the Patriots during my two year suspension from MLB either," he added according to the CW4D post.

 

[RamblingMad]

This is why I watch La Liga.

 

[soccerdad72]

This is why I watch La Liga.

Sure, because nobody has ever cheated in soccer

https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/05/28/spain-match-fixing-la-liga-arrests

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

This is why I watch La Liga.

For the Oscar worthy acting of course. Owwwwww me leg!!! me leg!!!! me face!!!! me everything!!!!!

 

[Kitty 34]

Justin Verlander called for his own suspension today saying, "I'm gone for two years because I just hate cheating that much" according to the CW4D Times today. "There is no truth to the rumor that I'll be playing football with the Patriots during my two year suspension from MLB either," he added according to the CW4D post.

Seriously, Clark???

 

[starvenger]

Justin Verlander called for his own suspension today saying, "I'm gone for two years because I just hate cheating that much" according to the CW4D Times today. "There is no truth to the rumor that I'll be playing football with the Patriots during my two year suspension from MLB either," he added according to the CW4D post.

Took me a second there. No idea how I missed it.

The fact that you have an onion as your avatar is kind of a bonus, imo.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Seriously, Clark???

It's "You Serious Clark?"

 

[Heather07438]

I haven't been paying much attention to baseball in recent years but the whole 'stealing signs' made me scratch my head. Isn't stealing signs part of the game? I dunno... it was when we were kids. Maybe with tech it's a different ballgame now but part of the fun is throwing in weird signs to throw off the other team
The wiki is interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_stealing"Legality-
According to the unwritten rules of baseball, stealing the signs that are given by the third base coach, or those of the catcher by a baserunner on second base, is acceptable, and it is up to the team giving the signs to protect them so they are not stolen. However, a batter peeking in to see the catcher's signs..."

Already updated this incident lol
"On January 14, 2019, Cora, who was named 11 times in Manfred's Astros report..."

 

[bcla]

I haven't been paying much attention to baseball in recent years but the whole 'stealing signs' made me scratch my head. Isn't stealing signs part of the game? I dunno... it was when we were kids. Maybe with tech it's a different ballgame now but part of the fun is throwing in weird signs to throw off the other team

Using technological aids breaks the written rules.

Think of it like counting cards playing blackjack. That's not specifically illegal. However, using a technological aid like a phone program or a counting computer (you should read about some of the crazy ones) is. The one I heard of needed switches in the shoe activated by the toes, and a modified digital watch that had a special display to flash whether the shoe was favorable to the player.

 

[Heather07438]

Using technological aids breaks the written rules.

Think of it like counting cards playing blackjack. That's not specifically illegal. However, using a technological aid like a phone program or a counting computer (you should read about some of the crazy ones) is. The one I heard of needed switches in the shoe activated by the toes, and a modified digital watch that had a special display to flash whether the shoe was favorable to the player.

Haha, that's great I'm imagining them to be a modified pair of blue suede shoes.

So it's the tech that put them in the doghouse. That makes sense.

 

[bcla]

Haha, that's great I'm imagining them to be a modified pair of blue suede shoes.

So it's the tech that put them in the doghouse. That makes sense.

Sure. The tool I heard about used metal switches next to the toes and wires going to a main computer. I heard they had weird ways to do it, including resetting by hitting both actuators at the same time, and then counting a high card or low card by actuating either the left or right. But trying to trigger a "press" with the toe inside of a shoe seems like a very difficult thing to master. And the master display was a Timex or Casio watch that would blink (or not) a sport in the corner of the display depending on what to do.

There have been all sorts of illegal aids. Another card counting machine was using a battery operated pack hidden in a pocket where the buttons are pressed surreptitiously, and then a long or short vibration would signal what to do. But even that one was a home-brew job where apparently it could overheat and burn the user. I wonder if one ever started smoking at a blackjack table.

Still - weren't there rumors about the 1951 Giants until they finally admitted to it? They used a telescope to monitor the signs and then used a buzzer to the bullpen. Then the bullpen catcher would relay the stolen signs.

https://nypost.com/2002/07/29/51-giants-come-clean-admit-to-sign-stealing-scheme/