After a challenging 2020 season that was shortened due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some semblance of normalcy has returned to Major League Baseball. That of course has been helped by fans being permitted to attend games in limited capacities.
One of the more interesting storylines to watch is how the Houston Astros are being received following their sign-stealing scandal that came to light prior to the 2020 season.
The organization avoided the relentless heckling it would have faced under normal circumstances last year, but that hasn’t been the case with fans returning to ballparks this season.
During the Astros’ visit to Angel Stadium on Monday, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan threw an inflatable trash can on the field, via Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
Also hit a few fans on the way down… pic.twitter.com/MD8amZtkBu
— Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) April 6, 2021
A real trash can was thrown on the field later in the game:
It was a real one this time https://t.co/duv4C3Tmdh pic.twitter.com/o04dOZDTZd
— Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) April 6, 2021
The trash cans are a reference to the sign-stealing method Astros employees used throughout the 2017 season. They deciphered opposing teams’ signs on a television near the dugout and relayed the results to batters by banging loudly on a trash can.
Last month toward the end of Spring Training, a security guard similarly heckled Alex Bregman during an at-bat by mockingly banging on a trash can.
Bauer blames Astros for restricted in-game video
In the wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, MLB altered how teams can review in-game video. They closed off video rooms for in-game access last season and provided players with iPads that were loaded with clips of their opponent from previous games.
This year teams do have access to in-game video on those iPads, with catcher signs removed. Nonetheless, Trevor Bauer threw a dig at the Astros after his regular season debut against the Colorado Rockies.
“I think I executed well,” Bauer said allowing four runs in the seventh inning. “Maybe I fell into some patterns, maybe they started looking soft.
“I didn’t have time to really go back and break down the video since we’re not really allowed to watch video in-game anymore. New Astros rules or something like that. I’ll have to go back and look at it.”
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