Houston Astros: Caught Stealing | Bottom of the Ninth | 4
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It's a spring afternoon in two thousand and eighteen at minute made park in houston, texas. Hours before the players are scheduled to take the field, two employees from arrival teams travelling party are wandering around the astro s. Homebound park.

If anyone asks what they're doing, they've been instructed to say that they have got lost. But in reality, they're trying to find proof that the houston astros have been cheating ever since the astro won the world series last year. There have been rumors that the team got a leg up on the competition by using some form of electronic science dealing a practice banned by major league baseball, but so far nothing has been proven.

Recently, though someone inside the asteroids organization tipped off this opposing team that the astros have a bizarre new way of communicating stolen signs and IT involves a massage gun. According to this tipster, there's a wall separating the clubhouse from the dog out, and when a particular pitch is coming, person in the class gets the sign from the video replay room, then passes IT to the dugout by pumalin the wall with a massage gun like rudimentary morse code. Apparently this signal is silent to the ear, but the players and the dugout can fuel the vibrations through the wall.

Then the dugout sends the sign along to players on the field and ultimately to the asteroid heder. At bat, the rival teams, two employees, been dispatch, find out if there's any truth to this tip, so they do their best to look innocent as they pan their way across the baseball diamond. When they reached the aster's dug out, they gLance around fort vely before descending the concrete steps.

A few paces later, they are in the wide tunnel with orange painted walls that leads to the clubhouse. The first employee lets out a little woop of excited. Hey, we're in.

Can't believe easy that was keep your voice to we're supposed be acting like we're lost. I'm not sure that stories gna fly this point. I mean, we just walks right into home teams down, go well, just say we thought he was the visiting teams.

Alright, we can play dumb. What are we looking for when we supposed to find the club house? Said he was right hind, the duga.

But I don't think that's right. IT looks like it's this way down there at the other end of the tunnel. Now I knew IT, these are just rumors.

Come on. We're already here. Let's figure out what room does. Share a wall with a dug out.

The second employee looks around and walked towa swing door with a men's bathroom sign. He nervously follows. The bathroom is dimly lit by flickering for the recent lights.

The second employee runs his hand along one of the playing concrete walls. The dugout is right behind here. Have is so what? Even if the whole massage gun thing is true that they're not going to leave IT lying around in the bathroom.

No, probably not. But look at this, the second employee points. There's a strange indentation in the wall that divides the restroom from the dugout.

It's as if something had been drilling down on this one spot over and over, wearing away the surface of the country. You think that's IT? I mean, the spot, where are they use? Mashka maybe.

I mean, it's it's hard to tell. But but why else would that wall be worn away in one spot like that? IT just seems too crazy to be true.

But with their reputation, I wouldn't put anything past the let's get out here before so and ceases. The two employees wander back out of the bathroom, still trying to look lost and continue their search of the ballpark. They don't find any other evidence of wrongdoing, and eventually a security guard does stop them and asks them to leave.

But even though they turned up no definitive proof of cheated arrival teams, employees exit minute may park feeling even more suspicious of the astro s than when they arrive. Even if they can't prove in all the clues point to one thing, the houston astro are breaking the rules. American scandal is sponsored by audibly.

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In two thousand and eleven, jeff luna presented houston astros s owner jim crane with a twenty one page plan for transforming his fAiling ball club into the most winning organization and major league baseball. Just six years after that initial meeting, the astro emerged as word series champions for the first time in the franchise's history, and almost immediately rumors started to sword about exactly how far the astra had gone to secure their two thousand seventeen Victory.

But to luna, these questions were merely background noise, as the asteroids general manager, luna had proven that his statistically focused, innovative or die approached to baseball could prepare a team from the bottom o of the barrel to the top of the world. And as he looked to the future, luna saw no reason to change tactics. So as the two thousand eighteen season unfolded, he continued to push a win at all costs ethos, driven by cold, hard numbers, sometimes ignoring the real world consequences of his data driven decisions.

And when the astro were finally held to account for their two thousand seventeen season, the cut rote culture of linos team would be cited both as the reason for their success and for their failure to rein in the unethical behavior within their ranks. This is episode four, bottom of the night. It's late july two thousand and eighteen in used in texas.

Astro s. Executive Kevin gold stein sits in a conference room in minute made park britling his teeth as he watched his colleagues discuss the same decision for the second day in a row. A trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the astro s are in search of a new closing pitcher.

The teams old closing pitcher and gals has been struggling, but before they can demote him, the astro need to find a replacement. There's only one name that jeff luna seems interested in tonto bu jays s Roberto osuna gold steam doesn't question that osuna is a talented player, but he is also a major liability. Osuna has been suspended for seventy five games after the mother of his three year old son accused him of physically assaulting her.

The woman fled to mexico following the incident, so no charges against osuna have been filed, but the league conducted its own investigation and determine the incident was severe enough to marry the second longest suspension for domestic violence in league history. Galston knows the asteroid s front office has already done its own due diligence too, and they're deeply concerned by what they found. They simply do not feel that osuna would be an appropriate player to sign, but luna won't let the matter drop.

Now he's asking everyone in the room to stand up and weight goldstein watches as brand and tom rises from his chair tesler that he would advise against signing osuna. Luna just lets this slide off his back. And as tobin sits back down, luna turns his attention to gold steam.

Kevin, let's here where you think, jeff, I agree with my colleague, which is to say what I do not think we should bring on or sooner. And what's your reasoning? Well, if what we're hearing is true, this guy beat up the mother of his child.

How do you think he's going to be received by his teammates on the astra? You think you think there are can be excited to practice with this guy. Plenty of these players have families of their own.

And jeff, I don't need to remind you of this, but the me too movement isn't anything to wave on. It'll be a bad look if we sign on sooner. Well, if I cared about how my decisions looked in the media, I would have been out of this business a decade ago.

Don't you see that as soon as suspension is an advantage for us, we will be getting him at a discount. We'll be getting him at a discount because he's accused of domestic violence. And in a few weeks he'll be done serving a seventy five games suspension.

Don't you believe in second chances? Hey, sure. yeah.

But why do we have to be the ones giving him a second chance? Not asking for a moral opinion here, Kevin. I'm asking for your baseball opinion.

I am giving you my baseball opinion. I think he's bad for the team, bad for the come house that he sets up a bad vibe and that can affect the whole teams performance. So no, we should not acquire a bert osuna.

I never want to see that guy in astros a uniform. Gold stein sits back down, and when he glasses at his hands beneath conference table, he realizes he's shaking. The osuna debate has riled them up in ways he didn't think was possible.

And when he looks around IT as fellow astros s executives, he realizes they might be feeling the same way too. This is not a joyful front office celebrating a worlds series Victory anymore. This is something darker and gold steam can tell.

When IT comes to this trade, no one will stand in the way of luna getting what he wants. On july thirty of two thousand eighteen, the houston astros announced that they're trading kan gals and two other pitches to the toronto blue jays for rebel to osana. The fallout is immediate.

The media tears into the astro. One headline reads in trading for Roberta osana the astro show, they have no conscience. And within the astro w's organization, many are left questioning the teens values for long time.

Research and development executive mike fast, who help sign carlo beltron IT, becomes the final push. He needs to leave the astro for good. But despite the term oil surrounding the osuna trade, the two thousand and eighteen season progresses well for the astro.

The team makes IT to the playoffs, and in october, the astro s prepared to face off against the boston red socks. The red socks have a new addition to their coaching staff, though former astros s bench coach alex cora. After helping the astro s win their first world series, cora was hired as the red socks manager.

And for cora, managing boston is a long awaited career achievement, but facing his former team poses a unique chAllenge. Cora hasn't just heard rumors about the astros sign stealing schemes. He helped orchestrate them.

So when he hears that the astro might have a new system for signs stealing, he goes on high alert. On october third teeth, the first game of the american league championship series, cora stands in the red socks dugout, peering out at one of the media areas of fenway park. The game is in the third inning, and all around him, boston onions are screaming for the home team.

But color doesn't pay attention to the action on the field. He's been warned that the astro have an intern with a video camera planted somewhere in the media area, and he's been filming opposing team sites as core scans across the faces in the stands. Sure enough, he spots a Young man pointing a video camera directly at the red socks, dug out kora, watches the Young man's gay shift from the carrot to his cell l phone.

His fingers fly across the phones keyboard, sending what cora can only guess our text messages to the visitors duga. Relying the stolen size cora is live in. He would love nothing more than to stomp over and snatched the camera out of the guy's hands, but instead he discretely signals for a member of fenway security team to come over and and tells them there is a Young man in the media section who is not credential and should be removed.

The security guard nods and strikes off to handle poor than watches as one of fenway security teams approaches the media section and begins questioning the Young man. While cora can't hear what said, the Young man appears to be defensive, shaking his head at the accusations, and then to call his relief, he watches the security team lead the Young man out of the media area, core a crack his neck, and then return his focus to where IT needs to be on game one of the series. But the incident leaves him seeing concocting sign stealing strategies with the astros in two thousand and seventeen was one thing, being on the receiving end of them in two thousand and eighteen is another and corr doesn't like IT not one bit.

The Young man with a video camera turns out to be an astros in turn in chemic lofin. The red socks accuse the astro of using microphone to steal their signs, and the astro OS respond by launching accusations of their own, claiming that microphone was actually trying to catch the red socks in illegal science dealing. Major league baseball would later investigate the incident and conclude that microphone had been doing what the astros s claimed counter aspirin against boston.

But ultimately neither teen finds evidence that their opponent was really stealing signs still all across majority baseball, the fear of illegal science dealing is starting to reach a fever pitch. And in the two thousand eighteen postseason, the astro red socks, no Walker brewers, los Angeles dodgers and other teams lob accusations back and forth, but media coverage of the further increasingly focuses on the leagues raining champions the houston astro in mid d october two thousand eighteen, yahoo sports publishes a story detAiling some of the asteroids attempts to gain a competitive age. In this article, journalist jeff passon writes that two major league players have seen members of the astro hitting a trash can and the dog out.

These unnamed players believe the banging was intended to relay signs to astro hitters in clear violation of major leave baseball rules. But without any sources willing to go on the record, the article fails to gain much traction. Still, the astro s trash can scheme becomes an open secret around the league, and as the astro continue to log IT out against the red socks in the post season, the league decides that the time has come for the houston team to address the question directly.

During the series, an official from the commissioner's office waves his way through the holes of fenway park until he reaches the luxury boxes assign to the astro s. Front office. There, he finds astro's general manager, jeff luna, and asks him that they can speak in private.

Luna tells his staff that they need the room and everyone gets up and hostels out. And once the league official is certain that nobody can hear him, he tells you know that the league has heard allegations about a sign stealing scheme involving a trash can. Luna leads back as if repulsed by the accusation, and then ask the official what the hell he's talking about.

Official doesn't means words. He says that theyve heard repeated claims that the asteroids players banged on a trash can in or around their dugout to signal what pitch their hitter was about to receive. Luna shakes his head in disbelief and offers a two word response.

That's ridiculous. The official asks if, just to be clear, luna, who is denied these accusations and he says that he is the luna asked his staff to come back in and get ready to watch the game. The league e official notes and leads a box.

And as he heads back down the hallway, he reflects on the interaction he just hand. Luna certainly seems since here and his denial, and he'll report that to the commissioner. But he also knows that if the rumors of cheating continue, major league baseball may have no choice but the launch of full scale investigation into the defending world series champions.

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The astro s two thousand eighteen season comes to an end when they're knocked out of the playoff s by alex coras red socks, who go on to win the world series. And while rumors continue to swear about the astro science stealing systems, none of them are ever substantiated. So as the two thousand nine season gets under way, the astro get back to winning.

Both their hitting and pitching is dominant and by the seasons and they're back in the playoff s for a third year in a row. It's a tremendous accomplishment for a team once called the disastrous, but not everyone believes the astro success is down to talent alone. So as the new york yankees prepared to face off against the astro in the american the championship series, yankee's manager aron boon searches for signs of file play during the very first game of the series at minute, maya park boon stands in his teams duga with his eyes fixed on yankees pitch, musa hero tara and his ears tuned to the asteroid dugout.

Boon watches to knock wind up to pitch, and suddenly he hears a sound that unnerves him a whistle. Someone is whistling near the field. One of booze fellow coaches elbows him in the ribs and not toward the aster's dugout.

Bon locked eyes with astro hitting coach alex synchro, the Angus manager, is convinced synchro is whistlings to players to communicate stolen size and boom has no attention of allowing that to continue. So boom began shouting its intro on from the dog out, telling the asteroids bench coach to knock off the whistling. A syn tron just shows back, using some colorful language to ask boon what he's gonna about.

IT boon doesn't back down, so between innings he marches out to the home plate umpire to relay his concerns. The emp ire sides with boom issuing a warning to the asteroids duggal. But getting the umpire involved only escalates the conflict.

Soon, players and coaches from both teams are hurling threats, insults and DDL fingers back and forth between dugouts. Eventually, the astro and yankee's coaches settled down their clubs and return to the game. Boon tries to regain his composure in order to set a good example for his players.

But the truth is he's growing sick, tired of hust antics between the science dealing rumors and these disrespectful output on the field. This is a team he no longer respects. A few days after the incident with the yankees, astros manager A J. Hinch sits before reporters in a press conference to address the cheating allegations against the team. When asked about the whistling, hinch denies any wrong doing, saying there's no evidence of anything.

He follows this up by calling out the rumor mongers, saying that anyone who thinks the astro are cheating and decides to talk about IT with reporters should do so on the record and after the astro successfully defeat yankees in advance to the word series, hanchen, the only member of the asteroid organization feeling defined as champagne and beer, flows in the asta ow's locker room brand and top man. Now the teams assist in general manager spotts, a group of female sports reporters near the celebration. One of these has been critical of Robert to osa signing from the previous year, given the allegations that osuna had assaulted the mother of his child.

So tom, after having a few too many, decides to confront at the party, shouting repeatedly, thank god we got osuna. This incident garnered media coverage of its own one, with a headline that reads astro staffer er outburst that female reporters illustrates ml s forgiven, forget attitude toward domestic violence. Ultimately, the man is fired over this incident and the asteroids issue an apology to the reporter.

But observers around the league believe the whole episode points to a deeper moral rot inside the astro and on the field. The astro are struggling to losing the two thousand and nineteen world series to the washington nationals, but as the team goes into the off season, the future still looks bright. There are one of the most talented and consistent teams in all of baseball, with three consecutive seasons, winning one hundred games are more parity in the major leagues, but for at least one dogged reporter, there's more to the story, and all the denials in the world won't change his mind.

For thirteen months, former houston clinical reporter evan relic has been investigating the astros sign stealing rumors, and during that time he's learned a lot about how and when IT all happened and who participated, but so far, all his sources have insisted on remaining anonymous. There is a strict code of silence among ball players, and no one wants to openly accuse anyone of breaking the rules. So when veteran sports reporter can rosen tl joins jealous s investigation, their primary goal is finding someone who's willing to speak on the record.

Rose and doll has spent years doing on camera work for fox sports. Is are two sports any awards? And he served a senior baseball writer for the athletic. So jelic is hoping that rose doll's reputation might cope someone into coming forward.

And finally, in november two thousand and fifty, the two journalists think they may have found someone pitch mike fires had played with the world's ies, winning astro in two thousand seventeen before being traded away. And the word around the league is that fires has been warning other teams about the astros s tactics. According to their sources, fires transparency has made him something of a para among his former astros teammates.

So on november night, just two weeks after the two thousand and nineteen world series, roseton decides to give him a call. Hi mike. This is, can rose at all from the athletic? You have a few minutes.

Hey, sure. Always to talk basis. what? Well, evan j, can I we're writing a piece about sign stealing two thousand and seventeen specifically about the astro as old news isn't IT.

Well, we think there's more to the story that has been fully reported. What have you found out, rose? All reads fires the details theyve gathered about the trash can scheme, and fires grow silent, taking in all in.

We're hoping to publish the story next week, mike, and we don't necessarily need an astro's player to go on the record, but would make a huge difference if someone did. I'm hoping that someone might be you. I don't even know where.

Well, it's let's start with this. Did you hear any inaccuracies in what I just described? No, i'm it's paul. Pretty much what I know that was to set up with a trash can and minute mate part yeah I I never read the rule book fully.

No, I don't know what the rule actually was around that kind of sign stealing, but I knew what they were doing was messed up. The team was willing to go, bob, and beyond the way you know. And as a picture, you have no saying that is not helping you at all.

And there were are other guys who didn't like IT. Well, my IT seems like you you have a lot to saw this. And if i'm hearing you correctly, you were put in a pretty difficult position that season well yet socked.

I mean, I mean, that kind of scheme that's not playing the game the right way. Are you comfortable? Well, with me quoting you in this piece? Well, that's the whole thing about this. I don't want to be put out there, but at the same time, I don't care anymore. Yeah, why said I mean, i've already told other teams all about that crap.

Let them you know, before we played the astro hey, these housing guys have some strategies going on beyond the look at, you know, well, sounds like you really wanted to take care of your team. Of course, I mean, can they are guys, Young pictures, who are losing their jobs because they are going in without knowing what's really going down in the game? Young guys, we are getting knocked around in the first couple of innings.

And the next thing you know there sent down to the miners, it's terrible. And that's why I was willing to tell my team, and I just want to help them out, know the Young guys. Well, if I go on the record with you, that's what i'm trying to do here.

Just help people out. Well, my god, I think this article will do that. I mean, I know you're taking a risk talking to me on the record, but I think you'll be helping people.

And I want to thank you for that. Rose and all reiterates to fires that they're hoping to publish soon and that someone will be in touch with him about fat checking. Then he hangs up the phone and leans back in his death chair thinking about what just happened.

Virus isn't just willing to confirm the asteroid, illegal science, steal meds. He's willing to go on the record about how it's degrading the integrity of the game and hurting other players. Rose all knows the fires testimony will be a game changer and may even help perform the league itself.

He also knows that could be devastating to the astros, but the players and coaches participating in science dealing knew what they were doing was wrong. And if the front office and the general manager didn't know about the scheme they should have and everyone in the asteroids organization, we ll have to be prepared to face the consequences. American scandal is sponsored by uncommon goods.

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On november twelve, two thousand and nineteen, the athletic publishes an article by evan relic and keno senta detAiling the astros s illegal science stealing Operations. The next day, they publish a follow up article naming alex cora and Carlos beltron as the key drivers of the scheme. The article specificity and naming of names, along with direct quotes from pitch mike fires, are damming for the astro.

Within days, the league opens a formal investigation and offers immunity to any astros player willing to share their accounts of the science stealing Operation. Twenty three current and former astros players come forward to share their experiences. Two months later, on january R A thirteen 12， twenty major league baseball commissioner rob manfred publishes the leagues nine page investigative report on the ao scheme.

The report singles out general manager jeff luna saying that while I could not find conclusive evidence that luna knew about the Operation, he should be held personally accountable for the conduct of his club. The report also calls out manager A J. Hinch for being aware of the illegal science dealing, but not doing more to stop IT and former bench coach alex cora for his involvement in developing the scheme.

But when IT comes to the astros players, there's only one that man read mentions by name, Carlos beltron. And for the now retired sluggers, the news could not have come at a worse time. Two months earlier, beltron had signed a three year contract to service manager for the new york mets.

Managing the match is a dream job for beltron, one he hopes will allow him to maintain a relationship with the sport he loves for many years into the future, but had a meeting with reporters shortly after the release of the man ford report. IT seems that all anyone wants to talk about is the astro science stealing scandal. Ultron tries his best to focus on the upcoming season with the meet, but the scandal won't die.

So when beltron is someone to a meeting with math executives just three days after manfredo report goes public, he knows his job is on the line inside a conference room at the meet spring training facility in fla. Beltron stairs out the window as a group of team executives expressed their concerns about how this scandal might jeopardize the mets twenty. As the executives talk and talk, beltron watches the sun sing tored the horizon outside.

He can feel himself for treating inward into a quiet, closed off state. He hasn't experienced in years what he knows if he's going to keep his job, he has to come out of his shell and regain respect of the room. So beltron returns his gaze to the conference room and looks into the eyes of mets general manager brody van wagoner.

Brody, look, you have to understand. We were just trying to use the replay room the same way we thought everyone else was. No one in the front office told us IT was wrong.

That may be true carless, but the reality of the situation is you are the only player named in the report. This isn't going away until you take some responsibility for your role in this. Beltron looks down at his hands.

Hands that have swanga bat in the major leagues thousands of times helps him hit over four hundred home runs. He thought he would be in the hall of fame one day, but now he wonder if all he'll be remembered for is the scandal. I do know that what we did was wrong.

There were times when we weren't really sure of what the line was with all the new tech in the repayment, but the dum di knew I was wrong. Van wagon and leaned forward in a seat. When it's good to hear that when you call us, but you can understand that position as put us in.

Yeah, of course. But I don't want my group to be what screwed up the entire season for us in new york. I don't want this to be a distraction.

I want to be able to move forward. That's what we want to. But the thing is, we aren't the only voices that matter in this.

What you mean by that, Carlos? You've tt a put yourself in our players positions right now, especially our pictures. Take jake of the ground. He's our race.

We can't have a winning season without him on the mound and he's pretty sure he's been a victim of the asteroid illegal science dealing. Now is he's supposed to be coach by you as he's supposed to trust you I think is tough cell yeah, I hear you. But I think and the last thing we need is to start the season with fraction comes.

So how can I make this Better? I can talk to the players individually. I can earn their respect in private carless.

We're not sure that this can be fixed up like that. It's not that simple. And the media is gonna watching you at every turn, which means they're gonna watching us at every turn.

And we don't need that heat this season. Ultron nods, sensing where this conversation is going. You guys want me to step down.

We don't want that car less. No, we're still mulling over options, but we can't handle that many distractions during the season. Our players deserve the chance to start twenty, twenty on the right now.

Well, okay, but i'd like to make this right in the math that this is what I dreamed up for years. I know I can do a great job here, and we appreciate that call us and why we brought you here. So let's let's all sleep on the right and will continue the conversation tomorrow.

Beltron nods and rises from the conference table, and their hands shakes all around. But as well, tron leaves the conference room and head toward the elevator. He realizes he no longer knows the fate of his job or if the league that he's called home for over twenty years just said goodbye to him for good.

In the days and weeks after commissioner rob manfred reporters released, the acts fall swiftly on those deemed to have played key roles in the ao science stealing scandal. In mid january twenty twenty, carlo beltron is released from his management contract with new york mets the same week the red socks part ways with their own manager, alex cora, and later manfred suspense cora for the entire twenty twenty season for his role in the cheating scandal. But with COVID lockdowns leading to a shorten season and games being played to empty seats, few notice cores absence from the game.

Asteroids owner jim crane also fires manager A J. Hinch and general manager jeff luna, saying the team needs to move forward with a clean slate. As for craye himself, manfred's report explicitly states that the astro s owner was completely unaware of the team's unethical conduct.

But when crane holds a news conference in mid february, his comments about the scandal land poorly with the media and with baseball fans. He says, our opinion is that the science dealing didn't impact the game. We had a good team.

We won the word series will leave IT at that, but when reporters present further, crane appears to backtrack, saying, I didn't say I didn't impact the game. Fired from his position with the astro, jeff luna is left restless with his abrupt exit from major league baseball. Although my friend's investigation did not turn up any proof that luna was either involved in or even aware of the astro o's trh cane banging scheme, the commissioner places blame for the scandal squarely at lunas feet.

Manner d report states that luna valued rewards and results over other considerations and that this created a very problematic culture where cheating was allowed to thrive. So for months the know stays, sn, refusing to talk to the press, but in the fall of twenty twenty, he decides he can't stay quiet any longer. That october, he sits down with a local houston news reporter named the nessa Richardson to share his side of the story with a small black microphone clip to a shirt and lights pointed down on him.

We no prepares to convince the baseball world that he didn't do anything wrong. And within the first few minutes of this interview, luna tells Richard son that he did not know about either the trash can banging scheme or the video decoding scheme in the repayment. He vigorously listed off all the ways he feels he worked to prevent science dealing within the astra organization, including voting to have the M, L, B install cameras and clubhouses to monitor potential cheating.

Luna says he also failed the league in two thousand and eight and two thousand and nineteen, assuring them that the astro would engage in proper conduct. And he mailed his replay room and coaching staff saying, let's please follow the rules. Then luna lemans how he's portrayed in the media.

Like some mastermind of a sign stealing Operation, he says he accepts his punishment as G. M. But he can't help but ask wise IT all on him.

He's tired of his integrity being thrown into question. He won't let people label him a cheer, and he won't let people to fame. Has sixteen years of hard work in the league, especially over something he did not have any more ant.

Just weeks after his interview, jeff luna sued the houston astro for wrongful termination. He saw twenty two million dollars and damages for being scape voted in the sign stealing scanner lawsuit was dismissed in february twenty twenty one, the next year. Luna reentered the world of professional sports by purchasing a pair of socks teams, one in spain and one in mexico, the country where he grew up.

Alex cora serve out his one year league suspension, then rejoin the red socks as manager and twenty twenty one, a position he continues to hold Carlos beltron struggle to find his path back to major leap baseball. After being like go by the mets, he joined the yankees TV work in twenty twenty two and spoke publicly about the cheating scandal for the first time, acknowledging his role in IT, but also expressing frustration that every player received immunity except him. Then in twenty twenty three, the mets welcomed beltron back into their organization with a position in their front office.

As for the houston astro, the team was fined five million dollars for the science stealing scandal, forced to forfeit their first and second round draft s but despite protests from some fans, they kept their twenty seventeen world series title, and in twenty twenty code protocols meant that the astro played the empty stadiums, but when they return to their first road games with fans in the stands and twenty twenty one, the team was loudly booed as they walked onto the field. Even new players who had no involvement in the astro s cheating bore the burden, their predecessors guilt. And in the immediate aftermath of the scandal, major league baseball vowed to crack down on players and coaches visiting the playroom, the league band visits to the room entirely in twenty twenty.

But I didn't take long for the league to institute a more relaxed policy. Players can still watch T, V monitors with a feed of the game, but the feed must be on a time delay. Analogue continued to bring more technology into stadiums.

Before the start of the twenty twenty two season, the league proved the use of pitch com, a wireless device that allows catchers to communicate science to their pitchers electronically without having to use hand signals. But as of twenty twenty four, this technology has not been widely adopted. Artificial intelligence is also being explored by teams as yet another way to enhance baseball analytics and power even more detailed performance stats for players.

But as amErica saw with the houston astro, sometimes innovations deployed with the best intensions can be exploded by teams looking for an edge at any cost. And as technology continues to become a more and integral part of the game, major league baseball will have to stay one step ahead of how that technology is being used or won't be long before baseball finds itself caught up in its next cheating. From under this is episode four of houston astros, caustic for american scandal in our next emoting.

De, I speak with evra, author of winning fixes everything, how baseball e's brightest st. Minds created sports biggest mass. We'll talk about how he and can rosell wrote the story of the science dealing scandal and what that means for the future of baseball.

If you're enjoying american scandal, you can unlock exclusive seasons on wander plus binge new seasons first and listen completely and free when you join wondering plus in the wondering APP apple podcast or specify and before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a survey and wander dot com slash survey, if you'd lie a little more about this story, we recommend the books winning fixes everything by evan relic and cheated by andy Martino. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details in while in most cases we can't know exactly what we're said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American scandal is hosted, edited and executive produced by nee Linda grand for action audio editing by Christian tara sound designed by Gabriel gool, music by Linda grain. This episode is written by AJ mira, edited by aagot's land that checking by illicit junk Perry, produced by john me managing producer oliba a senior producer andy home development by Stephanie jeans executive producers are genuine becking martial lui and terreno flory for wonder.

I'm jake warrant. In our first season of finding, I set out on a very personal quest to find the woman who saves my mom's life. You can listen to finding an attached right now exclusively on wondering. Plus, in season two, I found myself, quote, up in a new journey to help someone i've never even met. But a couple of years ago, I came across a social media post by a person named li IT read in part three years .

ago today that I attempted to jump off this bridge. But this wasn't my time to go. A gentleman named dandy save my life. I still having found him.

This is a story that I came across purely by chance, but I instantly moved me. That is taking me to a place where i've had to consider some deeper issues around mental health. This is season to a finding, and this time, if all goes to plan, will be finding ending. You can listen to a finding, andy, and finding natasa exclusively, and add free on wondering plus. Join wander plus in the wandering APP apple podcast or spotify.