It seems the sign-stealing drama is far from over as a federal judge orders the opening of a 2017 letter from MLB to the New York Yankees.
2020 has been a year of surprises and those surprises will not be stopping anytime soon. Except this time instead of laughing at the misfortune of other rival teams, the New York Yankees might have to eat crow.
According to NJ.com, a federal judge ordered the unsealing of a letter from an earlier lawsuit from DraftKings player Kristopher Olsen filed against MLB. The suit was dismissed but clearly the implications go far beyond that.
The letter supposedly exposes the Yankees for far more involved sign-stealing accusations than was presented to the media. The Yankees were originally reprimanded for illegal use of the dugout phone to relay signs but it sounds as though the unsealing of this letter would reveal far more nefarious dealings going on.
According to a memorandum order from U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff, the Yankees originally requested the letter to be hidden because it would cause “significant damage” to the team’s reputation. It seems as though the bombshell coming will be far worse than what anyone would anticipate. That would also cause many Yankees fans to have to backtrack on previous comments, stating the alleged innocence of the Yankees during the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the entire sport.
The letter was sent to general manager Brian Cashman from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and, according to the team’s lawyer Jonathan Schiller, disclosing the letter now, without a case, seems suspicious.
Judge Rakoff has given the Yankees a fair ultimatum, giving them until noon on Monday to share a “minimally redacted version” of the aforementioned letter to help protect potential individuals named, according to NJ.com.
For the New York Yankees, this reveal could make or break their reputation. While the contents of the letter might not be incredibly intense, they could also show the Yankees as an organization who cheated their way into the playoffs and have many questioning the validity of the entire 2017 season.
It seems that Yankees fans and players alike will be awaiting Monday with bated breath. For all the shade thrown to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox over the entire scandal, the real bad guys could be the ones many have watched religiously on the YES Network.
