Are the Astros using a camera to steal signs in the Game 5 of the American League Division Series? One former Rays pitcher seems to think so.
Seth McClung, who made his MLB debut at 22 with the-then Devil Rays in 2002 and pitched for the organization for three years, pointed out Tampa Bay was using multiple signs when there were no runners on base in the fourth inning.
He believes that indicates the Rays think Houston is using a camera to steal signs and relay them to hitters.
"The @RaysBaseball using multiple signs from the catcher to the pitcher with no @astros on base... folks, that means the Rays feel there is a camera on their catchers signs & that someway #Houston is relaying them to the hitters," McClung wrote on Twitter.
The @RaysBaseball using multiple signs from the catcher to the pitcher with no @astros on base... folks, that means the Rays feel there is a camera on their catchers signs & that someway #Houston is relaying them to the hitters. #ALDSGame5 #ALDS #RaysUp
— Seth McClung (@bigredbball73) October 11, 2019
Now, a lot of times this could be looked at as a former pitcher for an organization simply assuming the worst when a team isn't playing well. But here's the thing: the Astros have already been accused of this before, as have the Dodgers. So this is a current issue in MLB and not completely out of left field.
Last year during the American League Championship Series between the Astros and the Red Sox, Houston had a staffer caught taking photos of Boston's dugout at Fenway Park. MLB did nothing real to punish Houston for it, but the accusations did fly suggesting the team was stealing signs.
The Brewers also accused the Dodgers of a similar offense during the National League Championship Series the same year. They directly accused Los Angeles of using a camera to steal signs.
Houston scored three runs before the Rays recorded an out in the first inning off of Tyler Glasnow in Game 5. It scored four first-inning runs. Glasnow allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings in Game 1 and didn't give up a run until the fifth in that start.
It was also suggested Glasnow was tipping pitches in that inning as well as MLB free agent Trevor Plouffe said on Twitter he knew what the righty was throwing after one inning during spring training.
I had his pitches this Spring Training. Every one of em and it only took an inning. https://t.co/AmZ9cNuuPS
— Trevor Plouffe (@trevorplouffe) October 10, 2019
The Astros are also known for catching tipped pitches as they famously did so in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. So at this point there are a lot of guesses as to why Glasnow struggled and it will be hard to know for sure what happened until players and managers talk after the game.
It should also be noted stealing signs and reading tipped pitches is not illegal. However, stealing signs with a camera is, so the Astros would be subject to discipline if it is determined that is what they were doing.