Waiting for the U.S. Second Court of Appeals to back up Judge Rakoff’s decision to release a letter between the Commissioner and the Yankees that allegedly reveals they were sign-stealing using the video room in 2015 and 2016. The Yankees and MLB claim if the letter is made public, it will create “significant reputational harm” to the organization.
The background is that outfielder/DH Carlos Beltran was a Yankee player in 2015 and 2016 who signed with the Astros in 2017 to provide “veteran leadership”. Beltran then chides the Astros for being “light years” behind the Yankees in sign-stealing and starts to set up the infamous plan to use a live video signal to decode catcher signals.
Commissioner Manfred was aware of the Yankee roles in 2017 but covered it up because this was the biggest franchise in the sport and he had issued no directive against the practice. In September, he then fines the Red Sox and Yankees for stealing signs and warns if he hears of any more violations, he will punish them hard.
Then the Astros are exposed in the fall of 2019 and Manfred clobbers them with fines, suspensions and the loss of four draft picks. The Red Sox are then investigated for their sign-stealing and punishes them much less because the Red Sox lawyered up and denied there was any wrongdoing.
So will the Yankees have their delayed day of reckoning as “cheaters” or will Manfred continue to cover up for them?
For the record, I would be just as PO'd at them doing this as I am at the other teams implicated (Astros and Red Sux).
Cheating has no place in baseball. PERIOD.