It seems so long ago that the sports world was furious with the Houston Astros, but Major League Baseball’s sign stealing scandals may be far from over, and the latest development implicates the New York Yankees.
According to a report from The Athletic, Judge Jed Rakoff has ordered the Yankees and MLB to unseal a letter sent by the league in 2017 concerning the findings of an investigation into sign stealing. That year, both the Red Sox and Yankees were fined by the league after each team accused the other of stealing signs electronically. The Red Sox alleged that the Yankees were using the YES Network to steal signs, but commissioner Rob Manfred wrote that the league found “insufficient evidence to support the allegation.”
According to the plaintiffs of a class-action lawsuit brought against the league by daily fantasy players – a case that has already been dismissed – the 2017 press release about the investigation hid the true nature of the Yankees’ scheme. The case was appealed on Friday, leading Rakoff to order the letter to be made public.
Via The Athletic:
“Plaintiffs alleged that the 2017 Press Release falsely suggested that the investigation found that the Yankees had only engaged in a minor technical infraction, whereas, according to plaintiffs, the investigation had in fact found that the Yankees engaged in a more serious, sign-stealing scheme,” Rakoff wrote Friday.
Rakoff wrote that “much of the letter’s contents have already been revealed in the 2017 Press Release.” But the plaintiffs claim the letter is revelatory, arguing it “proved Manfred’s duplicity.” Both MLB and the Yankees are seeking to keep the letter under wraps.”
According to The Athletic, the Yankees are expected to appeal the judge’s order.
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