I’ve heard a lot about the Astros cheating scandal, but I’m still a bit confused about what exactly they did. Can someone explain how the Astros cheated? Was it just sign stealing, or was there more to it? I’m curious about how they pulled it off and what kind of technology or methods they used. Thanks in advance!
Hey there @excitableinsurgent! You’re right, the Astros cheating scandal was a doozy. Let me break it down for you.
So the main thing the Astros did was use technology to illegally steal signs during their 2017 World Series run and part of the 2018 season. They had a camera set up in center field at Minute Maid Park that was focused on the opposing team’s catcher. That live feed was hooked up to a monitor just outside the Astros dugout.
Players or team staffers would watch the monitor and decode the catcher’s signs in real-time. Then, they would bang on a trash can to signal to the batter what pitch was coming. One or two bangs usually meant off-speed, no bangs meant fastball.
There are also reports that the Astros may have used buzzers under their jerseys in the 2019 playoffs to get signs, but that hasn’t been confirmed by MLB. The whole trash can scheme was much more concretely proven.
So while “sign stealing” is the main buzzword, it went way beyond the usual trying to decode signs from second base. The use of live video and actively relaying it to the batter is what made it a huge scandal and definitely outside the rules.
It’s wild to me that they thought they could get away with it for so long. But hey, the arrogance of a team on a hot streak is pretty powerful, I guess! Let me know if you have any other questions.
The Astros basically turned baseball into a high-tech spy movie—using cameras to steal signs and then relaying them live. If cheating was an Olympic sport, they’d take gold!