When former New York Yankees star Mark Teixeira pulled the curtain on MLB teams' use of technology to steal signs

MLB star Mark Teixeira, who played for the New York Yankees from 2009-2016, once exposed the use of on-field technology by MLB teams to decode signs.

Teixeira claimed that Yankees athletes and coaches used replay monitors to analyze a sequence or indicator and would communicate their findings to teammates (though not in real time).

As reported by the New York Post in 2020, Teixeira said:

“This is what every team has done over the past few years with video rooms being close to the dugout and [it is] not against the rules,” Teixiera said.

The 2017 Houston Astros' cheating scandal rocked the entire MLB. The Astros and the Boston Red Sox were fined for offenses after rules regulating the use of devices to steal signs were amended following the 2017 campaign.

MLB investigated the New York Yankees and other teams

The MLB investigated the Yankees and Red Sox for possible breaches three years before the Astros became the poster team for illicit sign-stealing.

The Red Sox were also penalized an undisclosed sum for allegedly utilizing Apple Watches to relay stolen signs. The Yankees simply received an undisclosed penalty for unlawful use of a dugout phone during the prior season.

Mark Teixeira

@teixeiramark25

It is important for fans to know how other teams pick up on signs. This has been going on for years- the claim that “every team is cheating” is not true. ⁦@Joelsherman1⁩ does a great job showing the difference between the Astros and the rest of MLB. twitter.com/Joelsherman1/s…

Joel Sherman

@Joelsherman1

nypost.com/2020/02/21/mar… Teixeira took me thru what the #Yankees were doing with video in the Beltran years and i had MLB weigh in on the legality of it

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nypost.com/2020/02/21/mar… Teixeira took me thru what the #Yankees were doing with video in the Beltran years and i had MLB weigh in on the legality of it

It is important for fans to know how other teams pick up on signs. This has been going on for years- the claim that “every team is cheating” is not true. ⁦@Joelsherman1⁩ does a great job showing the difference between the Astros and the rest of MLB. twitter.com/Joelsherman1/s…

"It is important for fans to know how other teams pick up on signs. This has been going on for years- the claim that “every team is cheating” is not true. ⁦@Joelsherman1 does a great job showing the difference between the Astros and the rest of MLB." - Mark Teixeira

Mark Teixeira was also blamed by many. He pushed back against the accusations that the Bombers had been cheating.

“I don’t believe any of my Yankee teammates ever broke the rules by passing along signs to hitters in real time. We would have seen it.”

Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees

Three-time All-Star Teixeira has 14 games with home runs from both sides of the plate, the most in the major leagues. Additionally, he has three Silver Slugger Awards and five Gold Glove Awards. He was the eighth switch hitter in MLB history to reach 400 home runs.

Between 2004 and 2011, Teixeira had at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs per season. After the 2016 season, Mark Teixeira's contract with the New York Yankees expired, and he made the announcement of his retirement.

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