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On Tuesday, a 2017 letter that details an investigation into an alleged sign-stealing effort by the New York Yankees was revealed for the first time. While its contents are not nearly as damning as the revelations about what the Houston Astros did five years ago, the Yankees did spend more than two years fighting the release of the letter in court.
So where did this letter come from? What does it mean exactly? What did the Yankees actually do? Will there be any further repercussions? What should fans — Yankees supporters and haters alike — take away from it?
We break it down.
What does the letter reveal about the Yankees’ sign-stealing practices, if anything? Are any players or coaches named?
Nothing we didn’t already know — other than the previously undisclosed amount the Yankees were fined by the league in 2017: $100,000 (in the letter, the league said the money would be used for Hurricane Irma relief).
While no coaches or players can be identified in the leaked letter, there are redactions in several places, including an admission of relaying real-time information from the replay room to the Yankees’ dugout, both physically and via telephone. (Sources tell ESPN that then-pitching coach Larry Rothschild improperly used the dugout phone to call the replay room.)
How does what the Yankees did compare to other teams who have been involved in sign-stealing over the past several years, particularly the Astros?
The Yankees are alleged to have used the video feed that was originally installed for instant replay review to try to decipher pitch-signal sequences of opposing catchers, ferrying that information to baserunners who might have an opportunity to interpret signs for hitters. This is similar to the way teams have stolen signs for decades, with the added element of technology. Using the replay room to do so was common in baseball at the time the Yankees were reportedly doing it, according to players and staff at multiple clubs. The letter, from MLB…
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Source : espn
