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Los Angeles Times writer Andy Martino, provides some more details on the Astros sign-stealing scandal that reportedly started in 2017,
According to Andy Martino, the Astros video replay system was noticed in September 2017 right before the postseason by pitcher Danny Farquhar. Rather than stop the system altogether and taking Farquhar’s discovery as a warning, the Astros reportedly hid the live feed and continued stealing signs well into the playoffs. Here is what happened once Farquhar noticed the system according to Martino:
The incident had a chilling effect. During that September 21 game, the Astros banged the trash can forty-one times. The next day they banged it once. In the team’s two remaining regular-season home games, they banged the can a total of two times. But by October they were again regularly using the trash can — all the way through the end of the World Series.
Astros system known as ‘codebreaker’, which was used to steal sign mid-game during the regular season, likely did, in fact, get usage during the postseason. This is from a Los Angeles Times report with sourced intel from members of that team.
“People with direct knowledge of the Astros’ actions say that the team did indeed use its trash-can system during the postseason,”Andy Martino wrote.
Martino’s book will likely shed more light on what’s become a modern Black Sox scandal. The punishment from Manfred and MLB handed down to the entire team was far less severe than many thought it would be.
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