Apparently, the "pure-as-the-driven-snow"Astros may not be so saint-like after all. Multiple reports (from multiple news outlets) recount a story of
an Astros employee lurking in the camera wells at Progressive Field and Fenway Park, with a camera trained at the opposing dugouts—with the apparent goal of sign-stealing. MLB is apparently actively investigating the situation. Some accounts suggest that Red Sox brass contacted Indians officials for more information—after word of the Cleveland incident surfaced. When the same employee was spotted do his skulduggery at Fenway, he was removed by park security. The bogus "cover story" used by Houston brass is that their "spy" was watching the Red Sox dugout to see if they were "improperly using a video monitor" during Game One of the ALCS. Yeah, right. MLB's chief communications officer
Pat Courtney gave the following "vanilla" response,
"We are aware of the matter and it will be handled internally." Astros manager
A.J. Hinch did his best Nixonian stonewall thusly,
"I'm aware of something going on (regarding possible sign-stealing) but I haven't been briefed. I'm worried about the game." Something is fishy. All of a sudden, the Astros have become a
very unlikable team—what with
TrollGate and this. Quite a fall from grace in less than one year.
