Astros won't face fine over camera wielding employee
A Major League Baseball investigation has found no evidence the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros improperly spied on post-season opponents, MLB said Wednesday. The probe was launched after the Cleveland Indians filed a complaint about an Astros employee apparently trying to photograph or video the Indians' dugout during their American League Division Series last week. The same man was escorted from an area near the Boston Red Sox dugout after taking photos during game one of the AL Championship Series on Saturday. That quickly sparked speculation that the Astros were engaged in the age-old practice of stealing signs -- decoding the signals that teams use to communicate in-game tactics such as what pitches to throw. In its statement on the matter, MLB said several teams had expressed concern over sign stealing in general before the playoffs but that the Astros were, in fact, trying to confirm that their opponents weren't improperly monitoring them. "With respect to both incidents regarding a Houston Astros employee, security identified an issue, addressed it and turned the matter over to the Department of Investigations," MLB said. "A thorough investigation concluded that an Astros employee was monitoring the field to ensure that the opposing Club was not violating any rules. "All Clubs remaining in the playoffs have been notified to refrain from these types of efforts and to direct complaints about any in-stadium rules violations to MLB staff for investigation and resolution," the statement added. "We consider the matter closed."
