Bingo Bango Bongo said:
Either baseball is full of guys that are MASSIVE hypocrites and at EXTREME risk of being exposed as such (after seeing Rafael Palmiero demonstrate for everyone on how getting caught in massive hypocrisy can result in a player becoming a huge pariah shunned by the entire sport), or far more likely, most other teams were not doing anything remotely close to what the astros were, or even anything at all beyond the historical runner on 2nd sneak peak . This "everyone was doing it" argument is more flimsy and tired than Madonna's vagina
There is overwhelming evidence that sign stealing is a major problem across the league. It just takes a bit of research (which the media doesn't seem to bother doing) to find the evidence. For example, here is an article (
https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/11/02/surveillance-cameras-sign-stealing-baseball-dodgers-astros) from 2018 in SI in which the Dodger's (along with the Astros) are using their video room to steal signs:
Quote:
In Los Angeles, the Dodgers' video room three years ago played host to starter Zack Greinke watching for weaknesses in opposing hitters. This season, the set up has a much different objective.
This year, if you walked into the same room you would have found a small army of 20-something analysts in polo shirts and slacks pouring over video from the in-house cameras, like the security room at a Vegas casino. Most teams train their cameras on the catcher, the pitcher (from several angles), the third base coach and the dugout.
These cameras are not used for training purposes. They are used expressly for stealing signs and deciphering "tells" from pitchers.
Here (
https://www.dodgersnation.com/dodgers-were-accused-of-sign-stealing-in-2018-per-the-athletic/2020/01/08/) the Dodgers are accused by the Brewers and Mets of sign stealing:
Quote:
Some unnamed members of the Milwaukee Brewers told the Athletic during the 2018 National League Championship Series that they were concerned the Dodgers were using video to steal their signs. Members of the New York Mets said in May that they suspected Dodgers hitters knew what was coming in their four-game series they played in Los Angeles.
Dodgers again by the Brewers (
https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/mets-suspicious-that-dodgers-are-stealing-signs-i-think-they-have-a-system/307580492):
Quote:
"They use video people to get sequences," a Brewers source told The Athletic regarding the Dodgers last October. "It's known throughout the league. MLB knows it's an issue."
Here's an article (
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2855354-you-cant-trust-nobody-inside-mlbs-war-on-high-tech-sign-stealing) from Oct 2019, which accuses the Astros, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Rangers of using video to steal signs at some level.
You've also got the Joe Girardi video where he admits to sign stealing with the Yankees. The 2017 Yankees and Red Sox were both fined for electronic sign stealing.
You can also just look at the league actions and see that it's a massive problem across the league. In 2018, the league change the rules to require all video feeds with in stadiums be on an 8 second delay. They also require an MLB official to be in the video replay room because players were often going into the room to watch the live feed (
https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/mlb-cheaters-beware-baseball-finally-addressing-sign-stealing-problem). In the 2018 playoffs, center field scouting cameras were turned off. The MLB started recording dugout phones in 2018. They didn't make all of the these rule changes because of one team. They did it because sign stealing is a large problem across the league.
I do think the Astros were probably ahead of other teams in that they figured out an easy way to let the batter know without a runner on 2nd, but that's a minor difference. Most of the league is still stealing signs electronically.
TLDR, the league is full of massive hypocrites.
