February 8th, 2020 at 10:00 am 
by 0799291000348 In today’s journalist environment, where being first seems to be much more important than being right, it was refreshing to read Jared Diamond’s story, ‘Dark Arts’ and ‘Codebreaker’: The Origins of the Houston Astros Cheating Scheme, in Friday’s Wall Street Journal (subscription required). The article provides more insight into the Houston Astros sign-stealing during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
(Photo credit – Tim Warner)
The following is a very brief summary of key points from the story, but every baseball fan should read Diamond’s article themselves; it is well worth the time and attention:
- In September 2016 the Astros high-tech front office told General Manager Jeff Luhnow that it had developed a decoding algorithm (called ‘Codebreaker’) that, with the use of in-game live feeds, logging of catcher’s signs and pitches thrown into a spreadsheet, would decipher catcher’s signals real-time into the pitch about to be thrown.
- The system was implemented at the beginning of the 2017 regular season and embellished by Astros players beginning in June, and used through the World Series against the LA Dodgers.
- Throughout the 2017 season and for part of 2018, Astros baseball operations employees, and video room staffers used ‘Codebreaker’ to illegally steal signs, which were then relayed to batters in real-time.
- In a May 24, 2017 e-mail to Luhnow, Tom Koch-Weser (Astros director of advance information) included six underlined topic headings, with the fifth one called, “The System” – a reference to what Koch-Weser described to investigators as “all kind of covert operations,” including sign-stealing. (Bolded for emphasis).
- The scheme continued into the 2018 season – not just home games, but also for road games.
Bottom-line: Everything started with ‘Codebreaker.’
Please make time to read Jared Diamond’s article for yourself. There is much more for inquiring minds.
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Editor’s Note:
Mike Oz from Yahoo Sports also did an article on ‘Codebreaker‘ entitled ‘Explosive new details emerge about the Astros cheating scandal’ that is also worth a look – and no subscription is required.
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After this exposé, I don’t see how Manfred can NOT vacate the Astros 2017 World Series championship. If he does not, it’s definitely time for a new MLB commissioner who will.
@ What’s the over/under on how long fans will boo the AssTros into the 2020 season?
@ What AssTros players will get the worse treatment from fans?
@ What do you anticipate the reaction of fans at AssTros home games will be?
@ Should they somehow make the playoffs and claim ‘exoneration’, what then?
I would reword your first question:
@ What’s the over/under on how long fans will boo the AssTros beyond the 2020 season?
@ Should they somehow make the playoffs and claim ‘exoneration’, what then? Nothing will exonerate them! If they go 173-0 they still won’t wipe out the shame of 2017.
This is so shameful
The Astro’s batters will lead MLB in HBP in 2020.
“All kind of covert operations including sign stealing”. What other covert operations were going on besides sign stealing?!! MLB needs to take a deeper look, where there’s one crime committed there’s usually more. This whole thing really stinks!
Exactly! Were they accessing computer files? E mails? High tech listening devices in clubhouses, and dugouts? Bugging phone conversations with bullpens? Listening in on pre-game hitting and pitching plans? I don’t think MLB wants to dig deeper into the Astros covert operations for fear of what they will find.
You remind me that the most recent scandal before this was that guy in St. Louis tapping his former teams ‘puters.
That former team was the Astros.
On Sunday I spoke with a very good friend who is a former major leaguer (he even played one season with the Dodgers) who is currently a MiLB scout. He told me what I absolutely knew but did not want to believe or acknowledge – that the Astros and Red Sox are NOT the only teams involved in sign-stealing. In fact, he said there are many.
But did the other cheaters utilize buzzers, etc. in a organization wide conspiracy that would make the John Brennon CIA proud?
Based on the Dodger player outrage and Dodger postseason batting averages, we can be pretty sure the Dodgers aren’t among the cheaters.
Agree.
And if your friend is correct. Tells us MLB is a fraud.
Still don’t know why, with billions at stake this CHEATING scandal is not criminal. MLB needs to clean house starting with Manfred, have a outside independent investigation and exact appropriate punishments if they are to ever restore the public trust.