Houston Astros: Caught Stealing | The Game Within the Game | 2
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Is late two thousand sixteen in the front office of the houston astro Brandon on top man walked toward the breakroom coffee machine Carrying an astro smoke. Cheerful Christmas decorations are hanging around the office, but todman is not in a celebratory mood, even though the astro finished ed the two thousand and sixteen season with a winning record, they failed to reach the playoff.

S and for tumans boss, general manager jeff luna, that's not good enough. Luna has been using every tool imaginable to optimize his team's performance. But everyone in the office knows that if the astro want to have a real shot at a word series title, they're going to have to sign some veteran players who can mentor.

They're talented but in experienced roster. And there is one decision that has top man tied up and not the choice between two outfielder, Carlos beltron and that holiday. Tobin is an analyst with the resume.

Not unlike luna S, A background in finance paired with a personal obsession with fantasy baseball, he prides himself on being able to evaluate players on the basis of cost benefit analysis. And according to him, neither of these players is worth the cost. Both beltron and holiday are way past their prime and analytics ally unpredictable.

They could have one more great season left in them or their batting statistics could drop off a Cliff. But the team isn't really looking at a third option. And luna has ordered topman and team's analytics expert, mike fast, to figure out the best answer before the end of the day.

If he had to choose top and things, beltron is the Better option. But he knows that luna prefers holiday, who was on the cardinals during lunch s tenure there. And if tom is going to vote against the gms preference, he knows he has to have a good reason. So after refilling his cup of coffee, tobin heads over to mike fasts desk to review the data on both players. right?

My sell me on holidays upside well, he still got some pop in his band hit twenty home runs this season, and that's after missing about fifty games from injury, pretty good on base percentage, can play the field first base plus only thirty seven, thirty eight next month, not exactly the prime of his career. Well, you said you wanted the upside. He's still Younger than beltron.

He'll be forty next year, twenty nine home runs this season stayed healthy all year. Switch hits with power from both sides of the plate. I mean, it's close, but statistically beltron has the yet.

What about the downside? Well, besides his age, these numbers drop off in the second half the season. But but what jeff doesn't like him well, well, well, at least he likes holiday more.

He must make a good impression while the two of them were in same yeah holidays clearly, jeff guy, for whatever reason and ultimately, it's up to him to make the final call. I'm not seeing enough upside to beltron to stick my neck out. What is hinch to say? AJ hinch is the asteroid manager.

He doesn't have an official say in signing new players, but as the team's leader in the clubhouse and on the field, his opinion Carries weight. He says the team needs more lattin leadership right now. The clubhouse is split between english and span of speaking players.

Guy like beltron could unify them. Well, there is your answer, and jeff is not an easy guide to convince and things you can't measure. Chemistry leadership that I don't think we can sway in, leave the data to me. I can make a case for beltron.

And if jeff still isn't convinced, you can make the clubhouse chemistry, and that will Carry some weight this year when jeff going all in on a playoff run, I am so I mean, beltron the choice and he would elevate the latter players on our roster. They respect him. He would be a great mentor.

Or I then how to make the case? Fast gets to work on the numbers, and top man returns to his desk to prepare his pitch for building. That won't be easy to convince luna to change is mine.

But Tommy has been with this organization since I was known as the disastrous, and he's seen how tough decisions like this one can lead to breakthrough american scandal, sponsored by audio. I've bet you heard that IT takes ten thousand hours of practice to become an expert, right? Who came up with that? welcome.

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From ordering island si gram. And this is american scandal.

When jeff luna was hired as the general manager for the houston astro in two thousand and eleven, owner jim crane gave luna o complete control of the team, and in just a few short years he had rebuilt the astros s from the ground up using a combination of money ball style analytics and a controversial strategy of losing on purpose to get higher draft picks.

And by the beginning of the two thousand and seventeen season, luna had transformed the astro s from a flounders ing club into a winning organization loaded with Young talent. And amid all the teams unconventional practices, the signing of veteran sluggard Carlos beltron to a one year deal attracted little notice. Major league teams routinely added aging stars to their rosters to bring some needed experience and held mentally yg players.

But what analysts like brand and topman and mike fast could not see on their stat sheet was that beltron would bring another dimension to the astro, one that went beyond the leadership skills of an all star player. Beltron arrived at the astros with a deep whale of knowledge about a particular art form in baseball stealing science from an opposing teams catcher to discover what the pitcher is about to throw next. And beltran arrived at a time when the organization was already studying sign stealing as a potential way to carve out a competitive advantage.

Science dealing had been around since nearly the dawn of baseball and has LED to its fair share of controversies over the decades. But IT evolved into a full blown scandal with the two thousand seventeen astro. This is episode two, the game within the game.

It's the nineteen eighties in mona t. Porter reka, a Young Carlos beltran, picks a broom stick up off the ground, lifted into batting position, and then turns his eyes toward his older brother, neo, who is standing a few yards away. No nods at an imaginary ketcher winds up and herds a rolled up ball of tape and Carlos this direction, but Carlos never gets the chance to swing the ball of tape, gets cock by the wind and blown to the side of the street.

Carlos grown and asked his brother to pitch IT again, but I O waves them off the sun setting, and neo plans to hang out with his friends tonight. Carlos gripes broom stick bad in frustration. He plays with his brother for one last pitch.

Neo has already run off. So with the oran sun setting slowly on the horizon, Carlos grabs the ball of tape and his broom stick bad and starts walking to the nearest baseball field half an hour away. When he arrives, it's nearly twilight, and the darkening field is deserted, the air is humid, and the sounds of mosquitoes buzz his ears.

But this is where Carlos really feels at home. He heads over to home plate, tosses the ball of tape in the air, swings the boom stick and makes contact. The ball of tape only travels a few yards.

But in Carlos mine, he's hit a home run. Imagine stadium lights shining down on him and a crowd roaring his name. Carlos drops the broom stick and began to Victory lap around the basis as small hands raised up into the night sky in celebration.

This is what it's going to feel like when he makes IT to the major leagues by the end of his high school years. Carlos beltran's big league dreams are already becoming a reality. He's become a visual player on the diamond with a deep understanding of the game, and he attracts the attention of several major league teams, including the kansas city royals who draft beltron into their minor league system before his sixth birthday.

But the transition to professional baseball isn't easy for beltron. He is shy and speaks almost no english. He struggles to communicate with his teammates and coaches.

Still, he stays focused on his goals, cultivates new skills like becoming a switch hitter, and rises through the royal's minor league system until in september of one thousand and ninety eight, beltron places first game in the, in one thousand nine hundred ninety nine, his first full season beltron post two home runs and twenty stolen bases of food. So impressive that the american league in rocky of the year. But beltron doesn't stop there.

He continues working on his game and on his language skills. He starts to developing confidence both on and off the field. And in two thousand, when a bomb, Bruce lahens beltron on the disabled list, the twenty three year old center fielder develops a touch of defiance as well that summer beltron is ordered to report to the teams spring training facility for rehab, and beltron is unhappy about IT.

It's the middle of the season and the facility is located in David port, florida, over a thousand miles away from kansas city. Beltron wants to stay with his teammate and if possible, continue to join them on the road. So he submits a request to the teams management, but it's quickly rejected. He's told that the decision isn't personal. They are just following policy and that if belching doesn't report to florida, he risks being suspended.

Beltron knows that some teams in the major leagues make exceptions for their star players, and as one of only three kansas city players ever voted rookie of the year, beltron believe he's earned the right to remain with his team, so when he gets home that night, picks up the phone and dials his agent, Scott boris, to discuss the situation. Borris tells beltron he's down, only can, but the royal general manager won't budge. The team's argument is that beltron will be able to rehab his knee faster in boris says.

The G. M also reiterated that the royals have a no travel policy for players on the disabled list, and that making an exception for beltron and allowing him to stay on the road would set a bad precedent. This isn't the news that beltron wanted to hear.

He loves this league and his team, but he's tired of feeling as a porter reckon player, as a non english speaker and now as a player on the disabled list. He believes he's proven his worth to the team and he shouldn't be treated like an outsider anymore. So beltron tells boris he doesn't want to go to that run down facility in florida.

He's sticking to his guns, even if that means facing consequences. Beltran's decision to take a stand as a personal one so he surprised when his defines leads to long term gains for all players. The player's union defense, beltron and other major leaders began to speak up about the problematic rehan plans they've been prescribed.

The fall out over beltron on's incident prompts teams throughout the league to improve their rehab facilities, and beltran's anoxic efforts don't stop there. In two thousand and two, he launches the car, los beltron foundation, which offers education and sports to low income kids in porter ro. For beltron, being of service off the field is just as important as performing on the field where beltron is dominating.

In two thousand and four, he becomes the first player in history to finish four straight seasons with more than two home runs, one hundred runs scored, one hundred runs batted in and thirty stolen bases. He is also making strides in his effort to learn english. Overall, beltron is becoming a hot commodity, and in june two thousand four, he's traded to the houston astro, where he plays a single season before signing a one hundred thousand million dollar contract with a new york mets, the largest and the team's history.

And when beltron arrives in new york, he seems determined to show the world that he's worth every penny. After a brief slump in two thousand five, he goes on to hit more than one hundred home runs over the next three seasons. He appears in several all star games and win three gold gloves for his outstanding play in center field.

But beltron knows he can't depend on his physical talent forever. So as he nears the age of thirty, the mental part of the game starts to appeal to in more and more. And when one of his new teammate starts talking about ways to get even more of a psychological edge, beltron is intreat in two thousand and seven at the met spring training camp.

Gn floria. Beltron is at batting practice when he overhears, a veteran outfielder named Shawn Green, talking to a group of Younger players about pitch tipping, the subtle changes in a pitchers delivery that can tell a hitter what pitch to expect. Green is heading into its fifteen th season in the major leagues, and over the years he's gotten good at deify ing a small tics that signal what a pitch is about the throne.

Ultron puts down his bat, listens as Green explains that these ticks could be as subtlest the pitch of flaring open his glove or having a slightly higher leg gift. Often the pictures aren't even aware they're doing IT. Green tells the Younger players that he'd be happy to teach them to techniques for spotting these pitchers tips if they're interested in learning, but most seem hesitant.

One Young guy says the idea of watching the picture er's body language seems like a distraction. Hey, rather focus on the pitch. Another wonder that if it's so easy to spot pitch tipping, why everyone around the league isn't already doing IT? But as the group disperses beltron settle up next to Green, hey, Shawn, I picked up some pitch tips tricks in kansas city, but if you got some more to show me, i'd love to learn a short car.

Last here. I'll show a couple of things right now. Green points to one of the mets pitchers as he practices his different throws.

You see the way he really digs and into his glove before the next pitch. He's about to throw a change up ultron stairs at the mets pitcher. And sure enough, he works the baseball deep into his club, winds up and then throws a change up.

He needs to work on that. I mean, if I can clock IT in just a few pitches, he's cooked out there against a real, it's such a little thing and never would have noticed, I think, a pitch tipping and sign stealing too, as mental offence in the game. I mean, i'm pretty good at hating, but i'm a great hater.

If the other team sloppy and not aware of their body language, if they don't have their guard up you bit, i'm working my way into their heads. How longer to take you to get good at this? Well, when I was come up up with a blue jays, tipping and science dealing would require manager told us we had to get science when we were on second.

Scared the crap enemy, really. But then I became a, when I love puzzles game within the game. What about you though? Sounds like you have some experience with that. I might try.

But with science dealing, sometimes the catchers throwing down signs so fast at barely button, or or I get distracted pitch tipping, I don't even know where to start with. Some guy, no, you can always start with the pitcher's hands and feet. What are their hands doing in the globe before they thrown? Where did they place their feet on the mount? Watch our guy on this pitch.

Beltron gazes out at the match pitcher as he continues to practice. In the afternoon sun, he winds up and throws a fast ball. Where was his glove before he threw that heat in front of his chest? Where the? where? where? exactly? Well, pretty high up, almost near as color bone.

All right, maybe that yet. Now let's test that theory. Beltron watches the pitch again. He raises his glove to the height of his collar bone, winds up and throws a fast ball. Beltron can't believe in.

Almost as soon as he started trying, he found a tech he glencore over a who brings see yeah here getting IT. Now if you excuse me, i'm going to go find a pitching coach. Tell him this guy needs to clean up his tales.

Beltron nods and returned his gaze to the pitcher ice focused as a thrill. New skill takes ruin his mind. The skill set that beltron will Carry, refined, perfect through the next decade of his career, playing for teams like the giants, the cardinals and the yanks, until he finally hands back in huston taxes.

And it's there that beltrones pitch tipping and sign stealing expertise will take a turn from the mass to the unethical. American scandal sponsored by dell technologies who invite you to shot their black friday event for their lowest Prices of the year. The future is on sale today with limited time deals on select pcs like the X P S sixteen that accelerate with intel core ultra processors.

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While Carlos beltron is learning the art of science dealing and pitch tipping with new york mets, his future astros s teammate alex cora is in boston contemplating his future in major league baseball. Like beltron, cora was born and raised importer reo and discovered his passion for baseball at a Young age.

He received an offer or to join the minnesota twins when he was just seventeen years old, but opted to horn his skills at the college level before joining the los Angeles dodgers in ninety six. Eventually, core immigrated to the cleveland indians as a free agent before landing with a boston red socks in two thousand and five. Over the years, cora established himself as a strong utility player, specializing in second base and short stop, but playing almost every position on the field depending on his team's needs.

And beyond his physical skills, coral was also known for his keen intellect and knowledge of the game. But as he enters his thirties, cora is forced to face the fact that his physical skills are fading and that the red socks are actively training a rocky, a twenty three old named dust in patria to become their everyday second basement, which will cut into coras playing time. So it's an emotional period for cora, who has to practice alongside the man who's effectively his replacement.

But when the two thousand and seven season begins, correa notices that troyer is struggling to make an impact on the field, and he isn't the only one that sees on the team's management has also noticed the Young hot shot is having a hard time adJusting to the majors, so they asked cora to work with pa. Raya in practice and for the good of the team, correa agrees. So one late morning, a fenway park in boston, cora stands off to the side of the field, watching pedro a take batting practice over and over.

The dryer makes contact. The ball keeps coming off, is bad in the same direction. Down the left field line, I watched the rocky slap a few more balls into left and shakes his head and jogs over to the batting cage.

Stn, you know, there's Green on the right side of the field too, right? Yeah, but it's just my natural swing. I'm a poll hit. I get more power that way. Hey, look, powers great.

But if you try to hit the ball the same way every time your swing becomes predictable, and trust me, big little pictures are gonna take advantage of that. So you think I should change my swing, but it's more to do with your timing. I think you're just being a bit too eager trying out to jump on every pitch.

Look for a ball that's more outside way to split second longer before you swing. Try IT care a steps back from the batting cage as the picture throws a changer. IT takes away from pedra, but he extends his bat and slapped the ball through the right side of the info.

No, that's IT how to feel. okay? I guess I never like hitting the other way because I can't hit the ball's heart and looked the powers gonna come.

You need to keep practicing and state patient. I mean, look, I was rocky too. You want to prove yourself and hit a home or every time, right? But you got ta relax and take what the picture gives you.

You know what i'm saying, saying I need to chill out. Maybe, maybe, but I mean, you've got intensity. I love that. Just don't let IT take over every time.

I when you step up to the play, take a deep breath balls come into you so you need to meet IT on your time. Well, thanks, man. But you know why you helping me like this?

I mean, I might be taken my job well. yeah. I mean, second basis, your position right now. I'm a utility guy and I know my role right now. Part of my role is making sure you are prepare alright for this next pitch.

Try clearing up and hitting IT back up the middle core a pots straight back at the pitcher, the join nods, takes another pitch and sense the ball sAiling over the pitcher's head towards center field. A joy turns to cora, smiling and chora feel something that surprises him, a sense of pride. Corus days playing a major league games might be numbered, but he's noticing a new passion growing in him.

He likes mentoring others. Maybe cora thinks he does have a future in majority baseball. After all, maybe he's destined to coach. Alex carr's career as a player in the major leagues ends in two thousand and eleven, and he begins laying the ground work for a transition into coaching. Meanwhile, his future colleague, Carlos beltron, spends the next few years playing for several different teams and continuing to hold his skills in the psychological aspect of the game.

With every season, beltron grows more comfortable at pitch chipping and sign stealing, and he's about to discover a whole new world of science stealing opportunities, thanks to a new major league baseball policy on how technology can be used in games in jane, two thousand and fourteen, the league approves the use of expanded video replay and games. This new system will give managers the ability to dispute more plays using instant replay to support their chAllenges to umpires, calls on the field and to support this new policy. Every clubhouse has to construct a replay review room.

In these rooms, often just yards from the dog. Out there will be screens with a live video feed of the game from various angles, and a clubhouse employee will monitor the feed throughout the game in case of manager calls and needs footage reviewed the goal of this new replay technologies to create fair r calls and games, but IT opens the door for other uses, including some that ban the rules. The practice of science dealing has always been legal, but limited to what players can see in real time with their own eyes.

Teams are not supposed to use things like monoculture or cameras to look for signs or communicate about them during games, but now these video replay rooms with high resolution game footage, including shots of the catcher signs, are providing teams a new way to study their opponents. And players like Carlos beltran, who's now in his second season with new york anchors, are eager to capitalize on this new information. In the summer of two thousand and fifteen, before a game, beltron sits in the replay room in the yankee's clump house watching footage of the team he's playing that night with two of his teams.

Beltron skills for pitch tipping and sign stealing have come a long way in the eight years since an Green tuder him on the mats. Now he's working with some of the best players in the league who are also skilled science dealing. So here in the late afternoon, the man huddle around the TV monitor, queuing up footage of the other teams, pitcher and catcher, trying to decode their sign sequences.

They play, pause, rewind, over and over while comparing notes. Beltron clocks are catch up, putting down a whole series of science. Three fingers, four fingers than two than one picture, responds by throwing a fast ball.

Beltron notes that he suspects this is a classic chase. The two sequence where the actual sign is whatever, follows a flash of two fingers, it's an easier sequence to crack. While others on the tape are more complex, one of beltron teammates points out that their opponent might change their science sequences tonight.

So even with all this studying of last night night's footage, there's no guarantee it'll pay off in the upcoming game, but beltron knows this kind of preparation can still produce results. If there is a choice between goosing all off and being in the replay room studying footage, beltron would much prefer to use his time productively. But beltron d admits his teammate does have a point, and if the guys don't want to be in here decoding sequences, they don't have to.

That's when another teammate speaks up. He also concedes that watching a last night's footage may be useless, but what if they were to watch streaming footage of the catcher during tonight game right here in the replay room? That could give them a real advantage.

After all, these TV monitors are just a few tries away from their dog. A if sequences were cracked in the middle, the game, that information could be released to the team. IT wouldn't be simple.

If a sign was crack, someone would have to sign in to their guy on second base, would then have to signal to the player at bat. There are a lot of ways for that communication chain to break down, especially since all of this would need to be done in a matter of seconds. But IT, despite its complexities and dubious ethics, using this new technology to decode the opponent signs during the game is intriguing to beltron.

Ultimately, he and his teams or competitors, and they're passionate about finding any advantage I can. Besides the league, ordered clubhouses to construct these video roads, IT seems obvious that they, as players, would use them to compete at a higher level. So beltron tells his teammates that he'd be interested in figuring out how to do IT.

But for now, he needs to start warming up. So we rises and launch to the players. They picked up a few sequences of the posing, but they'll need more.

Maybe tonight they can take their first swing and using the replay room to decode them in real time. American scandal is sponsored by uncommon goods Spark something uncommon. This holiday was just the right gift from uncommon goods, incredible hand pig gifts for everyone on your list, gifts that Sparky wondered delight.

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By the second half of the two thousand and sixteen season, Carlos beltran has been traded from the yankees to the texas rangers. Alex cora is I in coaching roles in club houses across the country and providing commentary on sp. n.

And the houston across have started winning in a real way. General manager jeff controversial strategy for turning the team around with analytics is finally producing results. The tractors still believe luna is taking the human element out of the game, reducing players to just numbers and data.

But all luna cares about is taking his team to its most sought after milestone, a world series championship. But by mid season, it's clear that two thousand and sixteen will not be the year the astro get there. The teams still lacks a few components, and it's never more apparent than when the asteroid are playing their loan star state rivals, the texas rangers.

The rangers have always been a pretty good team, but this season they've been dominating the astros and starting to get to the players in houston. After one especially brutal laws as rows, relief pitch, patna shack trudges into the clubhouse to find his teammates looking frustrated and demoralized, some of them stared their cellphones, while others should have rest in their uniforms, heads hanging on their hands. They're all wondering how the rangers got won over on them again.

And niche hack is feeling as clues as the rest of them. All he wants to do is hit the shower and rings the strain of defeat of an but before he can head to his locker, the shah feels a hand on his shoulders. He turns to find one of his fellow bullpen pitchers, a Younger guy who really got lit t up tonight by rangers hitters ne shack.

Meanwhile, as a veteran and occasional mentor to the less experiences guys, he tells the Young reliever not to let himself get too down about tonight's game. Everyone has a bad won soon or or later, but the Young pitch isn't just frustrated. He's angry because he thinks there's only one explanation for how well the rangers hit tonight.

They must have had the astro's signs. Niche admits that may have been true earlier in the season, but the astros have been changing their sequence just for games against the rangers, so we doesn't see how is possible that the rangers are stealing them. But Young pitch leans close and says he started to think that the rangers may have someone sitting in the crowd getting decoded signs from the video replay room and signal to their hero what's coming nisha consider.

He has heard whispers that with the advent of replay rooms, some teams might be taking their sign stealing efforts into uncharted territory. Anisha admitted that in this done age, if he were a hitter, he brings something to every game and have them sit out in the center field bleachers with a pair boneheads to catch the size competitive edge cide. The financial incentives would be too tempting to resist a twenty point difference and batting average could translate to millions of dollars in a player salary.

But nisha also notes that when IT comes to sign stealing, the rules are clear. IT is only allowed when it's done without any kind of technology. So of the Young pitcher is accusing the rangers of cheating, they'll need proof, certainly more than just a sneaking suspicion, that the rangers are hitting a little too well.

Young pitch nods and says that might be all in his had still, he hopes that before tomorrow's game, their pitching coach changes up the signs again. This time comes up with sequences that are harder to crack. Anisha agrees with the advent of this new replay technology.

And who knows what else, a new sign stealing arms race could be underway. Anisha can't help but wonder how far some teams will go to stay competitive. In the two thousand and sixteen season, ultimately, no evidence comes to light that the texas rangers use their instant replay cameras to steal signs, but teams all over the league are growing increasingly suspicious of each other other's tactics.

It's in this environment late in the two thousand and sixteen season that an intern named direct by goa presents a spread sheet of other teams, signs that he calls code broker to the astro s front office at the time, code broker is just one of the asteroid. Many initiatives to use data and technology to gain an advantage. They're also using a radar system called track man to analyze pitchers by recording the movement and spin of their pitches, and they bring in high speed cameras to study their hitters and help them correct flaws in their swing.

Compared to such high tech innovations, the goal as code break or spied as far from dazing, but some of the organization are intrigued by its possibilities, including general manager jeff luna. Still, luna and his team know that technology alone won't be enough for the astro to make a real run at a world serious title. So to get the edge they need, they also look to bring on more veteran talent both on and off the field.

So in the first weeks of the off season, astros manager A J. Hinch hires alex cora as a bench coach and player analyst brand, and tom science, Carlos beltron to give the clues the latino leadership hinch believes that needs. Soon the asteroids front office starts to feel like IT finally has all the pieces that needs for a truly competitive team.

And for beltron. IT feels like he might finally have a shot at doing the one thing he is yet to accomplish, win a world series. Beltron will be turning forty years old in two thousand and seventeen, so he knows his time as a major league player is running out.

If you can't win a championship with the astro, you may never get another chance. So beltron is excited to arrive at spring training in florida in early two thousand and seventeen, but as he meets his talented new teammates, he realizes there is still one area where the astros are critically behind. One day after practice, well, tron calls for the astro s.

Players to gather around him in the locker room. Hi guys. Come, come here.

I got to tell you something. Uh, you are. Science sequences are way too easy to pick.

Call us. That was just practice. Why are you stealing science during practice? I'm not talking about practice.

I've been watching your science every time I play you guys over the last several years. They're all too simple. I can pick him up.

Be easy from second face. yeah. Well, even if you do know what pitches come to you, you still have to hit IT, right? You do.

But it's a lot easier if you know what's common. And IT makes a lot of difference when you chase in the playoffs. Mean a week team is nothing to make a come back, thanks to sign stealing.

But for a strong team like like us, this is the kind of advantage that can turn a game. But you guys, you just given away your science. They're too basic.

Listen, I play for the yankees, the rangers, the cardinals. I've been to the posts in six times. Alex cora were in a world series with a red socks, and he'll tell you the same thing.

This is what playoff teams do. They steal sight and make sure no one else is stealing from them. They win the mental part of the game.

The mental part of the game. Oh, we're just going to forget about the fundamentals. No, no, this is fundamental.

Let me in this way, you've ve got a former red sock and a former ani giving you insight about stealing side, what your plan is to ignore IT and keep going with the system. You have the system that did not get you into the playoff s last year. How's that mentality? Make this a Better team, the astro s players, games, each other.

Metro can tell he starting to win over because guys, look, I don't know about you, but I want to make IT to the playoffs. Fact, I want to win a world series. I've never done IT, but i'm willing to do what IT takes to get there.

Hope you are too as well. Tron walks away. He hopes he can inspire his fellow players to elevate the mental part of their game, may take him several weeks, get them on board with high level sign stealing, but he believes it's good.

First step, he imagined the clubhouse let up with celebration come form a frenzy of his teammate shouting with excitement, camera man crowded around and champaign bottle being popped. The word series might be several months away by for beltron so close he can already taste you. From wondering, this is episode two of housing astro's cost stealing for american scan.

In our next episode, the houston astros get to work with finding their code break er system for the cyphering sign. What as the league begins to crack down on electronic science dealing with other teams, the astro are forced to decide if they should give up their new found competitive edge. If you're enjoying american scandal, you can unlock exclusive seasons on one free plus binge new seasons first, and listen completely and free when you join wander plus in the wander APP apple podcast or spontoon y.

And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a survey and won dot com slash survey, if you'd like to learn more about the astro signs dealing scan, we recommend the Brooks winning fixes everything by evan drink and cheated by andy Martino. This episode contains reenacts and dramatized details in while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American scandal is hosting, edited an executive produced by nee linty grand for arca audio anything by Christian baroni sound designed by game real cool music by linsey grain. This episode is written by A J. Maria shell, edited by amazon that checking by a lisa john Perry produced by john reed, managing producer Olivia, senior producer andy hm, development by Stephanie gents executive producers are genuine beckman, martial lui and eron o flaring for wonder.

This is a story that begins with a dying wish. One thing I would like, my mother's last request, that my sister and I ve finished writing, the member sheet started about her german childhood when her father find a secret super weapon for adolf hitler. My grandfather, Robert lesser, had a the native project to build the world's first cruise missiles, which terrorized millions and left the legacy that dogged my mother like a curse.

He had some secrets.

I'm Susan rko joined my sister and me as we searched for the truth behind our grandfather's work, and for the first time, this the ghosts of our .

cheese who is listen .

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