Sports

Yankees complained of Astros’ blinking lights in cheating saga

The Yankees’ complaints that they believed the Astros were using technology to steal signs in this year’s ALCS didn’t stop after Game 1.

Sources confirmed the Yankees notified Major League Baseball about blinking lights in center field during Game 6 at Minute Maid Park, and the alleged blinking stopped later in the game.

It’s unclear if this would represent a rules violation, but it is something the league would look into if a team were trying to gain an advantage.

The MLB investigation into potential cheating by the Astros is ongoing and league officials declined to comment Wednesday following an initial report by SNY.

The Yankees’ issue with the outfield lights adds to the list of accusations levied at the Astros, which date back at least to their World Series victory in 2017. Houston lost to Washington in this year’s World Series.





The Astros were cleared of any wrongdoing regarding the allegations the Yankees made regarding Game 1 of this year’s ALCS after coaches became upset with a whistle coming from the Astros’ dugout. There is belief the whistling wasn’t being deployed as a sign-stealing tactic and instead was used to incite further Yankees paranoia, since the Astros figured their opponent would be on high alert.

Houston manager A.J. Hinch called the whistling accusations “a joke” during the series and insisted his team played by the rules.

“Major League Baseball does a lot to ensure the fairness of the game,’’ Hinch said during the ALCS. “There’s people everywhere.”

Since then, though, the league has opened its investigation into possible cheating after former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers told The Athletic the team illegally stole signs by using a center-field camera and a team employee with a laptop near the home dugout. Someone would then bang a garbage can to relay information to the hitter at the plate.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said earlier this month that if any team is found to have cheated with the help of technology, it would face harsh consequences — especially in the wake of the Red Sox-Yankees Apple Watch scandal from two years ago.





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