The Houston Astros continue to be at the center of controversy for electronically stealing signs at Minute Maid Park over the course of the 2017 season.
The scandal first came to light when former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers described the process in an interview, revealing that a center-field camera captured the signs of opposing catchers in real time.
The feed was then transmitted to a television in a tunnel near the Astros dugout, where team employees attempted to decode the pitches. When successful, a loud bang on a trash can relayed to hitters which pitch was coming their way.
In the wake of MLB’s findings, many players from around the sport have taken the opportunity to speak out on the Astros’ blatant cheating.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have expressed their frustration with the organization’s handling of the situation, particularly as it pertains to the lack of remorse shown by players and Astros owner Jim Crane.
Clayton Kershaw, who on many occasions has shared his thoughts of the scandal, revealed that he was most taken back by the Astros electronically stealing signs in real time and also claims that all teams operated in similar fashion, via Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated:
“The only thing that bothers me is the real-time stuff,” Kershaw told SI about how Houston misused technology to steal signs, including making him the highest-profile victim of what went down at Minute Maid Park in 2017.
“I’m sure a lot of teams were going up to that line, but once [Houston] started doing it in real time and using technology in real time, that’s what separates it. “I’m sick of people saying that everybody was the same, that everybody was doing it. No. We weren’t all doing that. That was separated from everybody else.”
A narrative going around baseball is that most teams similarly steal signs in the fashion of which the Astros did, but Kershaw was quick to refute that, denying the use of cameras and other devices to capture signals.
While Kershaw isn’t sure what to make of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal anymore, he revealed that he wants to move past the incident and solely focus on the 2020 season.
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