In the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that has enveloped the Astros and become perhaps the biggest story of the offseason, Astros fan Tony Adams decided to analyze the data from the 2017 season in perhaps the more straight-forward way possible — Adams listened for any loud banging sounds (i.e. someone hitting a trash can) during every opponents’ pitch thrown during Astros home games in 2017. The whistling, clapping, and vocal signals the Astros allegedly also used to alert batters weren’t chronicled, as such sounds are harder to detect amidst the usual sounds of the ballpark.
After breaking down the 58 Houston home games that had available video, Adams made his work public at SignStealingScandal.com, with intriguing results. The banging sounds were almost non-existent for the first two months of the season before spiking during a May 28 game against Baltimore (an 8-4 Astros win) and then staying at a noticeably high level for most of the remaining games over the following four months. More data is available on a game-by-game basis, and on a player-by-player basis.
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So, they started stealing signs for an Orioles series???
Actually makes some sense. They’d beat on the Orioles anyway, so they get to try it out when it wouldn’t be noticed.
I looked at the sign stealing website. Interesting stuff.
So does this make Tony Adams a snitch? A rat?
how about a baseball fan?
I agree. I’m being facetious. Because we know Astros players and fans think Fiers is a snitch and a rat for telling the truth. Like the cheaters are the victims.
Mo4ever congratulations on being an absolute pot stirring weenie. Great job, mo!
Connor Byrne thinks so too.
I’d respect Fiers a lot more if he’d said something before he won that ring.
taking playoff money and a World Series ring, and ratting them out 3 years later is pretty weak
He’s an Astros fan. Also, he’s not breaking a clubhouse rule. Yes, some people like Pedro Martinez and Latroy Hawkins think Fiers broke clubhouse rules.
They blame the whistleblower not the cheaters. Criminal mentality.
No, they dislike how he went about it. You obviously got an issue with any one who has something negative to say about Fiers. It’s perfectly ok to dislike how Fiers handled this whole thing and think he’s full of it. He blew up at his manager for taking him out of the game in 2016. In 2017, he got suspended for throwing over the head of former teammate Luis Valbuena. Those aren’t the actions of a hero with integrity. No, this isn’t an attempt to negate what he said or defend the Astros. This is just letting you know that life is full of grey. I already know you’re gonna disagree as soon as you read this comment and that’s perfectly fine, just like how it’s perfectly fine to not approve of how Fiers handled this whole thing. With that being said, lets see him throw away his world series ring.
Nobody on this thread called him a hero with integrity or anything like it.
You correct, Spinach, but I’m just saying it’s ok to think Fiers is a rat who is full of it because of how he handled it while referring to past discussions with Mo4ever on this very topic. I know a guy who is disillusioned with sports right now. If you ask for his take on this whole thing, he’ll say 1. Astros did something wrong. 2. Fiers is a rat. No, he’s not an Astros fan.
Is Fiers Mother Theresa?
No, he’s Henry Hill.
The Astros are Jimmy Conway.
If you side with Jimmy Conway over Henry Hill, chances are you are a crook, too.
Hinch was adamant after the Yankees called them out that don’t cheat and never have. maybe fiers said hold my beer and decided to let everyone know Hinch was a lier. just saying.
Teams were complaining to MLB for close to three years about the Astros, but MLB took no action. It took the actions of someone like Fiers to bring it out into the open. I’ll cheer him the first game he pitches against my team, while of course rooting for him to lose. The arrogance of the Astros players is what did them in. They couldn’t envision a player going public. They forgot the fraternity of pitchers, who don’t like hitters blatantly cheating, is quite strong. Someone was going to blow the whistle. All fans should be happy the Astros were caught so that stronger guidelines are out in place. I don’t blame Astros fans. They had no part in the cheating. I do blame ones for trying to manufacture any defense for the team’s actions by trying to shift blame. At that point they do become guilty. If they want to restore some respect to the franchise they need to go out and win their first legitimate World Series under Dusty Baker.
So when is MLB going to listen to the complaints about the other 8 teams that have been mentioned? Just curious.
And I think the reason Astros fans don’t care is because 1) There was no rule against using technology in 2017, and 2) The World Series Championship is legitimate because everyone was playing by the same rules (ie no rule) and others were using technology too.
Everyone can bury their head in the sand and act like their team wasn’t doing it, but 8 other teams were mentioned in the same article as the Astros……and the Yankees and Dodgers were two of those teams.
Instead of throwing stones in a glass house, maybe everyone should feel grateful that the MLB wants to sweep this under the rug and act like the Astros and Red Sox were the only two teams using technology. Because if what other reports are saying is true, the Astros are just the tip of the iceberg. It just works in your team’s favor that MLB doesn’t truly want everyone to know how widespread this scandal reaches.
Takeitback is correct.
They were gonna kill Henry Hill. Fiers was not under that pressure.
no that was fiers actually.
They should have their championship stripped away for the simple fact that they had to cheat to beat the Orioles.
Maybe they just used the Orioles for a test drive, kinda like dating a few girls before settling down…
The Orioles are the “practice girl” of MLB. If you can’t score there, you might be hopeless.
It ended up being very beneficial for Mike Elias.
My new conspiracy theory is that having to hire Dusty as their manager is part of the punishment the commish handed down to the Astros.
Dusty is perfect for them. He is a high morale guy who the players love. Gonna need to keep the team together cause they are gonna go through a bunch of *ish this year.
Kind of crazy to see that only one player, that had help, on over 18% of the pitches had a good season.
You have to remember the context, and use these stats as the “bare minimum.” The only “tactic” that was counted was the trashcan banging, because he couldn’t hear the other less obvious tactics. So, you have to look at this set of data as incomplete, and it doesn’t really tell the entire picture.
he only broke down banging of trash cans and nothing else like whistling. also if there was no noise it was a fastball. so just because there was no banging does not mean they didn’t know what was coming.
What I deciphered from the so Sign stealing website… Bregman is a cheating scumbag. And Altuve was clearly more careful, electing to have a buzzer on his body instead of the trash can bang.
So Marwin Gonzalez has the highest percentage among players for bangs. Marwin Gonzalez proceeds to put up an ops above .900 in 2017. Every other year of his career is mediocre at best. Complete bs.
And he got a multiyear deal out of it. BANG BANG!
NINER GANG!!!
The report said that this initiated from a veteran player who was struggling at the time. I guess we can almost conclude that it was Marwin Gonzalez.
No that sounds like exactly Carlos Beltran
Nope. If said a veteran player that was in his first season with the Astros, brought this idea to the coaches because he was struggling and his previous team used the system.
Only 3 new players that year: Beltran, McCann, and Reddick. Only two struggled (Beltran and McCann) and they both came from the Yankees.
Well played takeitback. There may be 1 veteran not considered a veteran but a longtime player not mentioned; Gurriel.
Well, except the MLB report later confirmed that Beltran and Cora were the two that started it. Good try though.
He reviewed every home game pitch. WOW! That’s a lot of time and effort- good for him but bad for his social life.
said it only took 50 hours. not that much time.
I can’t believe you guys who watch EVERY SINGLE GAME didn’t have the wherewithal to do this!
Thank god the brewers have hella relievers since we got no starting pitchers
If you don’t think this rotation going into this season isn’t going to be better than last year’s hot mess you’re high.
So, Oscar the Grouch for Astros mascot this season?
Oscar the Grouch and Orbit look like they could have been separated at birth. Coincidence?
Keep in mind that the astros sign for a fastball was zero bangs…
Kinda like my Saturday nights.
Come on Dugdog don’t be bashful. We know you’re a regular cooze hound!
Can’t believe that word is allowed. Worse than the four letter c word.
Reddick, marisnick and Marwin have only had 1 800+ops season. It was 2017. Several others had career years in 2017 too. Just saying.
Kinda like the 2018 Red Sox. Basically everyone had a career year.
Sounds a lot like the 2019 Yanks too
It doesn’t really sound like the 2019 yanks, considering everyone was injured.
yep, dam those injuries..
MLB needed to ban multiple players for life. They’ve let the criminals walk free.
They didn’t break any laws so they’re not criminals. Call them cheaters instead.