Houston Beloved 2019 Cheating Scandal

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The Houston Astros 2019 cheating scandal was a significant controversy that rocked the baseball world. It centred around allegations that the Houston Astros, a professional baseball team competing in Major League Baseball (MLB), used an illegal scheme to steal signs from opposing teams, which gave them a massive competitive advantage which helped them win the championship during their 2017 season and possibly beyond. The scandal came to light in November 2019 following an extensive investigation by the MLB. Sign stealing is not uncommon in baseball; it is a part of the gamesmanship of the sport. It has been around since the game was invented, but the methods employed by the Astros were particularly egregious. Usually, when a team steals signs, …show more content…

The Astros, however, were accused of using a combination of cameras, monitors, and signalling systems to decode and relay opposing teams' signs to their batters in real time; they used trash cans located in the dugout to signal to their teammates what type of pitch was coming if it were a fastball they would not bang on the trashcan. However, if it were an off-speed pitch, they would bang on once or twice (Vigdor). This gave Astros hitters an unfair competitive advantage since they could anticipate pitches more accurately, greatly enhancing their chances of success at the plate, which led to them winning the World Series in the 2017 season. The scandal gained widespread attention after former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers went public with allegations of the team's sign-stealing practices in an interview with The Athletic (Drellich). "That's not playing the game the right way," said Fiers (Drellich); his revelations sparked outrage among fans, players, and officials …show more content…

Although the organization eventually initiated measures to confront the issue and sanction those involved, their initial reaction of refuting the accusations and failing to provide transparent information severely minimized public confidence and trust. The Astros could have taken two key actions to enhance their crisis management approach. Firstly, they should have promptly acknowledged the allegations, initiating a comprehensive internal investigation to ascertain the facts and mitigate the situation's impact. By doing so, they would have demonstrated a commitment to accountability and transparency, potentially minimizing the scandal's massive

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