An old letter was discovered by ESPN that was sent to the New York Yankees by the Major League Baseball (MLB). The letter contained details about immoral and illegal technological use in the year 2015 and 2016 seasons. There were several scandals related to sign-stealing that happened throughout these seasons.
New York Yankees Were Fined With $100,000 By MLB
A request was made by the New York Yankees to take the letter from the Commissioner of MLB and keep it with Brian Cashman, the general manager of the Yankees which was denied by the Second Court of Appeals of the U.S. The publication of the letter was first done by SNY. The letter stated the violations regarding technology that happened way before a memo was issued by the commissioner and subjected all the teams to follow them in September 2017.
There were many circumstances of sign-stealing which had to be prevented soon. As per the warning given by Manfred, the staff and the front office members would be held liable for this kind of violation. Moreover, the individuals who will be found responsible for these contraventions will be subjected to a penalty which could even lead to a loss of chance to be picked for drafts.
The letter also revealed that the players of several teams used to observe the monitors in 2016 and 2015 to have the information about pitch-sequence. This was vital information as it was connected to baserunners and it was hoped that this tip will reach the batter. Furthermore, the letter accused Larry Rothschild, the former coach of pitching of the New York Yankees, of calling the replay room to know the identification of the pitch.
Yankees stated that they were penalized not for stealing signs, but for using the telephone in an improper manner in the replay room. The MLB fined the New York Yankees an amount of $100,000 and this huge amount will be donated to the Hurricane Irma relief.