I don't think so. I believe he thought the Yankees would ignore the CAP and double every other team's spending. But George is gone. Sign stealing was OK and part of the game until the Astros did it better. Shifts were OK until the Astros did it better. Juiced balls were OK until the Astros hit them more often. Sticky stuff was OK until the Astros focused on spin rate. Mound visit limits... three batter rule... See the connection?
First..electronic sign stealing wasn't "OK" when the Astros did it in 2017. The Astros were the most shifting team back in the mid 2010s but they had a lower percentage of "saved" hits than other shifting teams. In 2020 the Dodgers shifted more than anyone. It isn't the Astros shifting, it is the overall proliferation of the shift that is leading to its banning. From 2017 - 2021, the Astros never led the league in HRs. They were 2nd once (coincidentally 2017) and 3rd once. The other 3 years they finished no higher than 8th. They did better in slugging, twice leading, once 3rd, once 8th and once 14th (or something like that). Astros were focused on spin rates for a number of years. Other teams copied the success of the Astros analytics and started focusing on similar types of stats. In other words - MLB is not changing the rules to hose over the Astros.
Right after a shortage of vibrating Apple Watches and Beltran's revelation that the Astros were behind in the sign stealing electronic espionage rampant in New York and Boston with their well placed outfield camera's and accessible monitors for real time "adjustments.". But to be fair, it was the Giants in the mid fifties when they were in NY that placing team camera's in CF to steal signs began. 1951 I think. https://nypost.com/2002/07/29/51-giants-come-clean-admit-to-sign-stealing-scheme/ Relaying stolen signals electronically is much older than that. Probably "Binoculars in the Outfield." and certainly not Angels. https://sports.yahoo.com/shocking-history-sign-stealing-baseball-053859138.html
The key is always "when the Astros did it." It was never a problem when the beloved franchises did it.
But they didn't change the balls "when the Astros did it". They sent teams a letter about the sign stealing before the Astros were caught and punished. The Astros weren't the reason they changed the sticky stuff. Take off your 'poor Astros' glasses.
We'll just have to disagree. Nothing wrong with that. You can choose to focus on copycat teams doing what the Astros were successful doing and say it's not in response to the Astros. I can actually see that position as well.
Do you agree that MLB warned teams about electronic sign stealing PRIOR to the Astros being found out and punished?
I think it's common knowledge that the Astros cheated after the commissioner sent the letter warning teams and telling them to cut it out. What has been rarely mentioned is that the investigation found that Luhnow did not forward that letter to the players and coaches. So as the " head of the snake" Luhnow is responsible and the Astros are too, but the players and coaches should be getting A BIT more of a break than anyone is willing to give.
That's not the point of my post.. the point is that (in this example) that electronic sign stealing crackdown didn't start because of the Astros nefarious behavior. All teams were warned prior to the Astros being punished.
I do not. That warning was about communicating stolen signs electronically. It is why the Astros went low tech by communicating with trash cans. If they had thought of it they may have tried smoke signals or drums. Watches, buzzers, earpieces and the like where at issue. The Astros may have been the only team complying to that warning.
Let's hope the hot streak that gets his numbers up is at the end of the season and into the playoffs.
At the outset, it is important to understand that the attempt to decode signs being used by an opposing catcher is not a violation of any Major League Baseball Rule or Regulation. Major League Baseball Regulations do, however, prohibit the use of electronic equipment during games and state that no such equipment “may be used for the purpose of stealing signs or conveying information designed to give a Club an advantage.” -- Rob Manfred, on the Red Sox "Apple Watch" violations, September 15, 2017 See that "or" there?
Holy smokes. I keep up with the game thread because I can’t watch the games much. I read a lot of frustration with Bregman. So I decided to check his stats 2019 forward. Dude is a different player. What the h***. Was he a huge beneficiary of the “dark arts”?
Since May 7th 2021, the day he announced his bland ass salsa, he is slashing: .241 .347 .393 .740 in 499 PA
