Luhnow initially denied having any knowledge of the team's electronic sign-stealing systemGETTY IMAGES
The existence of "Codebreaker," an "Excel-based application programmed with an algorithm that could decode the opposing catchers' signs," shows that the Astros' front office "laid the groundwork for the team's electronic sign-stealing schemes," according to Jared Diamond of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. An intern in the Astros organization in '16 showed former President of Baseball Operations & GM Jeff Luhnow a "PowerPoint presentation that featured the latest creation by the team's high-tech front office." This "previously undisclosed information about the origins and nature of the Astros' cheating comes from ... a letter MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred sent to Luhnow on Jan. 2 that outlined the findings of a league investigation." During MLB's probe, Luhnow "maintained that he had no knowledge of any of the Astros' misconduct." However, Manfred wrote in his letter that "there is more than sufficient evidence to support a conclusion that you knew -- and overwhelming evidence that you should have known -- that the Astros maintained a sign-stealing program that violated MLB's rules." But while the league "collected evidence that showed Luhnow was aware of Codebreaker's existence and capabilities, it couldn't prove that he knew how it was used." Luhnow acknowledged to investigators that he "recalled the intern's PowerPoint slide about Codebreaker and even asked questions about how it worked." He said that he was "under the impression that it would be used to legally decipher signs from previous game footage -- not live in games" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/8).
POSSIBLY MORE IMPLICATED? Orioles Exec VP & GM Mike Elias said that he is "confident that he and any other members of Baltimore's front office with ties" to the Astros will "avoid being connected to the sign-stealing scandal." Elias, VP & Assistant GM/Analytics Sig Mejdal, Dir of Pitching Chris Holt and Dir of Baseball Development Eve Rosenbaum, all of whom worked for the Astros during the sign-stealing scheme, "were not mentioned" when MLB issued a report on its investigation last month (BALTIMORE SUN, 2/10). In N.Y., Joel Sherman named the Astros atop his list of the "50 most interesting people in MLB." He wrote the Astros organization is "really more an organism because the ramifications of the Astros' cheating scandal keeps spreading and spreading." Three managers -- the Astros' A.J. Hinch, the Red Sox' Alex Cora and the Mets' Carlos Beltran -- and Luhnow "lost jobs" due to the scandal. The issue will "loom over spring training -- and then the season -- with the likelihood of more and more characters being swept up in it, especially once Manfred rules on if the Red Sox were cheating with sign-stealing" during their World Series-winning '18 season (N.Y. POST, 2/9).
WORSE THAN STEROID ERA? In L.A., Bill Dwyre wrote steroid use is "probably more serious but less conspiratorial than what the Astros did." The Astros "were a gang, organized crime." Dwyre: "Almost worse: An entire baseball team adopted a philosophy that should be anathema to baseball. They decided seeking any edge was worth it, no matter the moral and ethical damage. The bad behavior may have leaked over to the Red Sox; it may have robbed the Dodgers of a championship" (L.A. TIMES, 2/9).
POTENTIAL SOLUTION? In S.F., John Shea noted Giants C Buster Posey suggested using a microphone to help catchers "transmit signs to pitchers." Microphones would "do away with the necessity for a catcher to use fingers and hand gestures to inform the pitcher what pitch to throw." The catcher "simply would converse with the pitcher." Posey said, "I don't know exactly how it would look like, but I asked about that a few years ago because I was tired of having to change signs seven times a game. ... I don't know what the hurdles are, but it would definitely help." Posey said that he brought up the idea with former Giants manager Bruce Bochy "a few years ago and was told it's not something" MLB would "consider at the time" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/8).
