Despite a video that surfaced on social media recently, the New York Yankees were not caught in a sign-stealing scandal.
Did the New York Yankees cheat just like the Houston Astros in 2018? According to SNY’s Andy Martino, MLB says the Yankees did not.
When the Astros were caught red-handed in the most egregious cheating scandal since the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, they felt they were just one team among many engaging in sign-stealing. The Boston Red Sox were also found to have stolen signs, though not to the extent that the Astros were.
Recently, a video on social media alleged to show the Yankees stealing signs in a similar manner to the Astros.
Apparently, this video is of a member of the Yankees staff, filming the opposing catcher to steal signs from the outfield. Focus on what's on the viewfinder and the billboards to establish location.
The source told me the information above and that it's from the 2018 playoffs. pic.twitter.com/J7SfEUPyUX
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) July 27, 2020
However, this was not from the 2018 postseason and it does not show the Yankees stealing signs according to Martino:
“Now here’s the real story. According to officials with direct knowledge of the situation, that video was investigated by Major League Baseball on two separate occasions: 2018, when the Astros complained about it, and late 2019, when then-GM Jeff Luhnow raised it again.
“Those investigations — in which the Yankees eagerly cooperated — included interviews, examinations of internal text and email exchanges, and an inspection of the camera operator’s phone. On both occasions, MLB was entirely convinced that the video did not show illegal activity.
“A person with direct knowledge of those investigations told SNY that they are ‘100 percent certain’ the video that surfaced this week on Twitter was the same one already cleared twice by the league.
“That means that it was definitively not shot during the 2018 postseason.”
What This Means For The Yankees
First of all, the Yankees aren’t entirely clean. As part of a court case against the Red Sox, Astros, and MLB, there is a letter between commissioner Rob Manfred and the Yankees that is going to be unsealed at a later date.
This could reveal nothing or it could be something. We won’t know for sure until it’s unsealed. There are reports that this letter will reveal nothing, but again, we won’t know for sure until we see it. The Yanks have appealed the unsealing of the letter.
Prior to that, the Yankees were fined for using Apple Watches in the dugout, but they quickly stopped the practice. Not to mention, that isn’t even close to the elaborate scheme the Astros were using en route to a World Series title in 2017.
So again, it must be said: The Yankees did not cheat like the Astros.
