Astros Under MLB Investigation over Video Shot During Game
Why was an employee of the Houston Astros shooting video during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series?
That’s the question MLB officials are investigating.
The Boston Metro broke the story that someone from the Astros organization was removed from a media-credentialed area next to the Boston Red Sox dugout.
The man did not have media credentials, and sources said he had a small camera and was texting frequently, according to the Metro. He was not escorted from the ballpark, but he was not allowed to return to the credentialed area.
MLB is investigating after an Astros employee was reportedly discovered with a camera near the Red Sox dugout during Game 1. https://t.co/xhDRKJZpRr
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) October 17, 2018
Security officials were on the lookout, the report said, because they had been warned about suspicious activity by Houston during the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Indians. It is not clear who warned the Red Sox about it.
MLB Chief Communications Officer Pat Courtney told the Metro that MLB is aware of the matter and will handle it internally.
The Indians did file a complaint with MLB over the incident that took place in Game 3 of the ALDS in Cleveland, which the Astros won 11-3.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that an employee of the Astros, holding a cellphone camera, was removed twice by security from the photographer’s area next to the Indians’ dugout.
Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reported that the man with the camera at the Red Sox game was Kyle McLaughlin, saying he is not a publicly named employee of the Astros but is affiliated with the team.
Kyle McLaughlin was caught in Cleveland and Boston pointing a cell phone at the opposing dugout. He is not listed publicly as an Astros employee, but photos obtained by Yahoo Sports show him wearing an Astros ID badge and flying on a private plane with an Astros logo. pic.twitter.com/boa3jCFSJh
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2018
Passan reported that MLB beefed up its security presence at Game 3 on Tuesday, sending three people from its baseball-operations office and another six security personnel to Houston.
“The league stationed an employee in each of the teams’ video-review rooms, according to the source. The paranoia among teams, the source said, ‘is like the NFL these days. Every club thinks the other club is cheating,'” he wrote.
Passan also reported the Oakland A’s reported to the league in August that they thought the Astros were stealing signs.
ESPN‘s Buster Olney contacted the Astros about the incident at Fenway Park and was told that the individual was deployed to monitor if the Red Sox were doing anything illegal.
Re: the Metro story about the Astros: https://t.co/FwIqJ1EDA0 The current concern (or paranoia) about stealing info/signs in this information era is unprecedented. Folks in the industry should be embarrassed about how ridiculous and petty this is now.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 17, 2018
Olney wrote that the investigation would likely result in a fine for the Astros, but nothing more.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, “I’m aware of something going on, but I haven’t been briefed. “I’m worried about the game.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he wasn’t concerned about it.
“That’s an MLB issue,” Cora said, reported ESPN. “They’ll do what they have to do.”
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