‘Nothing to’ sign stealing
NEW YORK — For a second straight American League Championship Series, the Astros were investigated and exonerated of allegations they crossed the line while trying to steal signs.
In a story published Wednesday afternoon, SNY TV cited three unnamed Yankees sources who claimed a “whistling sound” could be heard from the Astros’ dugout during Game 1 at Minute Maid Park.
The sources suggested Astros on the bench were whistling to alert batters what pitch was coming. The story described an argument that ensued between both dugouts. New York won the game 7-0.
Major League Baseball conducted an investigation that concluded no wrongdoing on the part of the Astros, according to The Athletic. Houston manager A.J. Hinch intimated he was contacted by league officials. General manager Jeff Luhnow told the Chronicle he was not contacted.
“I’m assuming the investigation was short, because there’s nothing to it,” Luhnow said Thursday before Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. “That’s my assumption.”
Houston mustered just three singles in Game 1. Masahiro Tanaka threw six innings of one-hit baseball.
“If anybody’s accusing us of doing something during Game 1 — when we couldn’t get a hit — obviously, what we were doing didn’t work very well,” Luhnow said.
“It’s kind of ludicrous. At this time of year, accusations fly without any name behind it. They’re more rumors. They’re not even facts. There’s nothing going on. I’m very confident that there’s nothing going on that’s against the rules that our team is doing.”
Under Luhnow, the Astros have often been targets of ire from within the industry for their advanced acumen or brazen way of either stealing signs or picking up an opposing pitcher’s tendencies. Neither act is prohibited by Major League Baseball.
The Indians and Red Sox accused the Astros of breaking rules during the 2018 postseason. Houston put a team employee near both opposing dugouts in the ALDS and ALCS who was accused of taking photographs. The act was more for surveillance than spying, Luhnow said and Major League Baseball concluded.
“A thorough investigation concluded that an Astros employee was monitoring the field to ensure that the opposing club was not violating any rules,” an MLB statement said in 2018. “… “We consider the matter closed.”
MLB did not release a statement regarding Thursday’s allegations.
“We’ve never done anything that’s been deemed to be incorrect. Last year, we were trying to prevent other teams from doing things. It was dumb, and we shouldn’t have done it, because it made us look guilty,” Luhnow said.
“We haven’t done anything wrong. If people want to make their own conclusions based on what little evidence there is out there — really just rumors, speculations and accusations without any names behind it — that’s their prerogative. I’m not concerned, because I know how we behave and how we act. We’re not doing anything wrong.”
Often cerebral and mild-mannered, Hinch was visibly irritated by the allegations. In response to a question that began his pregame news conference, Hinch offered an impassioned response and defense of his ballclub that lasted more than two minutes.
“It made me laugh because it’s ridiculous,” Hinch said of the allegations. “And had I known that it would take something like that to set off the Yankees or any other team, we would have practiced it in spring training. It apparently works, even when it doesn’t happen.”
Paranoia is permeating this postseason, whether it concerns pitch tipping or straight-up sign stealing. Videos of conversations in the on-deck circle or at first base have circulated on social media after a few Astros postseason games.
Rays starter Tyler Glasnow — whom the Astros ambushed for four runs in the first inning of Game 5 in the American League Division Series — acknowledged after the game he was tipping his pitches.
Yankees Game 5 starter James Paxton’s news conference on Thursday was filled with questions of pitch tipping. Paxton lasted only 2⅓ innings in Game 2.
“We try to mitigate that and look at it between starts, and we didn’t think they had anything and still don’t,” Paxton said Thursday. “So I’m going to go out there and compete. If there’s anything we think they’ve got in the game, we’ll address that. But as of right now, I don’t think they have anything.”
Astros starter Justin Verlander acknowledged the constant paranoia is just a part of the sport’s current state. Verlander is renowned for his many signs that sometimes change in-start to prevent any opposing knowledge, practices he will continue to employ on Friday in Game 5.
“It’s something with what’s out there, you just have to be extremely diligent about it and pay attention and try to do the best you can to not help the team know it’s coming,” Verlander said.