Sign stealing in Major League Baseball.
The Astros got caught using technology to steal signs of catchers designed for the pitcher’s exclusive use. A runner on second should be the only one authorized to relay the sign to the hitter, not a centerfield camera or someone in the hitters’ team’s dugout whacking a trashcan. The integrity of the game is in question.
The penalties for illegally stealing signs are in this case a one year MLB ban. The team subsequently let the offenders go and as of the time of this writing there is one more hammer to drop.
The penalties are harsh, warranted, and insufficient at the same time. Harsh because the punishees didn’t themselves engage in the activity. They were warranted because the punishees should have put a stop to the practice yet they didn’t. They are insufficient because the integrity of the sport has now been compromised and they may not be enough of a deterrent to end the illegal practice.
It will be intriguing to see how the Astros do in ’20.