A video segment featuring Joe Girardi discussing sign-stealing on MLB Network has resurfaced, leading to questions about why the New York Yankees have not faced scrutiny.
The video has stirred up social media, showing the former Yankees manager detailing how the team obtained stolen signs during his tenure with the Bronx Bombers.
“I was part of a system where [the signs] came from upstairs, to someone in the dugout, to the guy at second base,” Joe Girardi explained before stumbling over his words.
This situation is distinct from the trash can-banging scheme employed by the Houston Astros to signal batters but still involves an element of stealing. In the video, the Yankees are implicated in a scheme that utilized a live video feed from an unidentified location.
Will Major League Baseball investigate this matter? It’s unlikely that any significant action will be taken.
The league seems to prefer the focus on a smaller market team like the Astros to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the lucrative Yankees.
Recently, while speaking on ESPN’s Golic and Wingo radio show, Girardi, now managing the Phillies, commented on MLB Commissioner Manfred’s handling of the Astros scandal, expressing doubts about its effectiveness as a deterrent for players.
“There are some people that lost their jobs that really were the people that had to pay for it, but there were a lot more people involved,” Girardi noted. “The financial gain for the players is substantial if they have big seasons because of this, so if there’s no punishment for them, I’m not sure that it stops. I’m really not sure. Because the financial gain, similar to the steroid era, is very similar. If you know it’s coming and you have a big year and you’re a free agent, there’s a lot (of money) to be made there and players want to take care of their families.”
“I’m not exactly sure what the right answer is, but I don’t know how much of a deterrent it is for players right now. There’s not a huge deterrent for the players and I think there has to be to make sure that it stops.”
