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SPORTS Tuesday 14 January 2020
Sign Stealing

Continued from Page 17 ing Monday's news con-
ference and insisted that
Players banged on a trash Houston's championship,
can to signal to batters which culminated in a sev-
what was coming, believ- en-game World Series over
ing it would improve the the Los Angeles Dodgers,
batter's odds of getting a was not tainted.
hit. "We want to be known as
Sign stealing is a legal and playing by the rules," he
time-honored part of base- said. "We broke the rules.
ball as long as it is done We accept the punishment
with the naked eye — say, and we're going to move
by a baserunner standing forward ... if you read the
on second. Using technol- report neither (Luhnow or
ogy is prohibited. Hinch) implemented this or
Astros players disputed pushed it through the sys-
whether knowing the pitch- tem and (it) really came
es seconds in advance from the bottom up."
helped batters. Houston Hinch's penalty was among
had fewer wins at home the longest for an MLB In this Sept. 29, 2014, file photo, Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, right, and A.J. Hinch
than on the road, winning manager. Brooklyn's Leo pose after Hinch is introduced as the new manager of the baseball club in Houston.
94 home games and 110 Durocher was suspended Associated Press
on the road during the for one year by Commis- or sufficient oversight, led ... Hinch issued a statement punishment in the scandal
two seasons. There was no sioner Happy Chandler in finally, to an environment through the Astros, saying known as "Spygate." They
sign-stealing system on the April 1947 for the "accumu- that allowed the conduct he was "disappointed in were penalized again for
road. lation of unpleasant inci- described in this report to our club's actions within this $1 million eight years later
"While it is impossible to de- dents" detrimental to base- have occurred." timeline, and I accept the for deflating footballs used
termine whether the con- ball, and Cincinnati's Pete Crane, who hired Luhnow Commissioner's decision. in the AFC championship
duct actually impacted Rose was banned for life weeks after buying the As- "As a leader and major game. The NFL took away
the results on the field, the by Commissioner A. Bartlett tros, denied a widespread league manager, it is my a first-round draft pick and
perception of some that it Giamatti in August 1989 for problem, saying "I think responsibility to lead play- suspended quarterback
did causes significant harm betting on Reds' games there was some isolated ers and staff with integrity Tom Brady for four games.
to the game," Manfred while managing the team. situations." that represents the game Current New York Mets
said. Houston was a big league- Luhnow said in a statement in the best possible way," manager Carlos Beltrán,
Manfred, in his most signifi- best 204-120 during the two that he accepts responsibil- the statement said. "While then a player with the As-
cant action since becom- years in question, winning ity "for rules violations that the evidence consistently tros, was among the group
ing commissioner five years its first title. Hinch, a 45-year- occurred on my watch as showed I didn't endorse involved. Manfred said no
ago, said Hinch failed to old former catcher with a president of baseball oper- or participate in the sign- Astros players will be dis-
stop the sign stealing and degree from Stanford, was ations and general manag- stealing practices, I failed ciplined because he de-
Luhnow was responsible the most successful man- er of the Astros" and apolo- to stop them and I am cided in September 2017
for the players' conduct ager in the history of the As- gized to the team and fans deeply sorry." "As the per- to hold a team's manager
even though he made tros, who have won two of for "the shame and embar- son with responsibility for and GM responsible for
the dubious claim he was the last three AL pennants rassment this has caused." managing his players and sign-stealing infractions.
not aware. Manfred said and came within one vic- Then Luhnow defended coaches, there simply is no "Virtually all of the Astros'
owner Jim Crane was not tory of another World Series himself. justification for Hinch's fail- players had some involve-
informed. title last year against Wash- "I am not a cheater,'' the ure to act," Manfred said. ment or knowledge of the
An hour after MLB an- ington. Luhnow, 53, earned statement said. "Anybody The GM told Major League scheme, and I am not in
nounced its punishment, an MBA at Northwestern who has worked closely Baseball he was unaware a position based on the
Crane opened a news con- and fostered an analytic- with me during my 32-year of the system, but Manfred investigative record to de-
ference by saying Hinch based culture during eight career inside and outside held him accountable for termine with any degree of
and Luhnow were fired. seasons as Astros GM, but baseball can attest to my the team's actions. certainty every player who
"I have higher standards for also a toxic one with high integrity. I did not know "Although Luhnow denies should be held account-
the city and the franchise, turnover. rules were being broken. having any awareness that able."
and I'm going above and "It is very clear to me that As the commissioner set his replay review room staff Baseball's investigation be-
beyond MLB's penalty," he the culture of the base- out in his statement, I did was decoding and trans- gan when former Astros
said. "We need to move ball operations depart- not personally direct, over- mitting signs, there is both pitcher Mike Fiers, now with
forward with a clean slate." ment, manifesting itself in see or engage in any mis- documentary and testi- Oakland, made the allega-
Both Luhnow's and Hinch's the way its employees are conduct: The sign-stealing monial evidence that indi- tions in a report by The Ath-
suspensions for the 2020 treated, its relations with initiative was not planned cates Luhnow had some letic on Nov. 12.
season were to be without other clubs, and its relations or directed by baseball knowledge of those ef- Sign stealing has a long his-
pay. Crane said he will look with the media and exter- management; the trash- forts," Manfred's report said. tory in baseball — the New
outside the organization nal stakeholders, has been can banging was driven Baseball's response was far York Giants used a military
and internally for candi- very problematic," Manfred and executed by players, greater than that of the NFL field scope and buzzer dur-
dates to replace Luhnow. If wrote in a nine-page state- and the video decoding to a similar infraction. New ing their 1951 tiebreaker
he hires internally, the most ment. "At least in my view, of signs originated and was England coach Bill Belich- playoff against the Brook-
likely candidate would be the baseball operations executed by lower-level ick was fined $500,000 in lyn Dodgers. While decod-
Pete Putila, who was pro- department's insular cul- employees working with 2007 and the Patriots were ing with the naked eye is
moted to assistant general ture -- one that valued and the bench coach. I am penalized $250,000 for us- allowed, MLB has enacted
manager this offseason. rewarded results over other deeply upset that I wasn't ing video to capture an op- increasingly stringent pro-
Crane, who said he learned considerations, combined informed of any miscon- ponent's signals. The Patri- hibitions in recent years
of the discipline this week- with a staff of individuals duct because I would have ots also were stripped of a against the use of electron-
end, was visibly upset dur- who often lacked direction stopped it." first-round draft choice for ics to spy on opponents.q