"Find a lot more than they want to find" - When Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove called for wider MLB probe following Astros sign-stealing scandal
The Houston Astros were caught stealing signs during their 2017 World Series run. This involved figuring out what pitch was coming next and relaying that information to their batters.
San Diego Padres All-Star Joe Musgrove, who was a part of the Astros’ clubhouse, made a bold statement at that time. He believed other teams might also be stealing signs, but had not been caught.
"If MLB did an investigation as thorough as they did on the Astros with every team in baseball, they're going to find a lot more than they want to find," Musgrove said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
As per Jason Mackey, Musgrove even reportedly stated that during the 2017 season, he had seen many other teams steal their opponent's pitching signs which was a result of the available electronic means the teams were using at that time.
Later, the MLB discovered that the Houston Astros were using TVs, cameras and trash cans to relay opposing teams' signs to the Astros hitters. Houston manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were held accountable for the scandal.
In response to the controversy, MLB strengthened its anti-sign-stealing regulations. This included higher fines for violations and restrictions on using electronics close to the dugout. The goal of these adjustments was to make it more difficult for teams to cheat.
Joe Musgrove will start the second game for Padres
Joe Musgrove has been named as the starter for the San Diego Padres’ second game of the regular season which will take place on Thursday in South Korea.
Musgrove was limited to 17 starts last season last year because of an injury in his shoulder.
Against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he'll follow Yu Darvish, who'll start the season opener. The Dodgers will start both of their new acquisitions in the Seoul Series, with Tyler Glasnow going in the first game and Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the ball for the second game.