In the aftermath of the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Major League Baseball is looking to crack down on cheating. According to Sports Illustrated, the league is working with the players association on a variety of new protocols to prevent future incidents. MLB has proposed that access to the dugout and clubhouse during games will be limited to players, seven coaches and necessary interpreters and trainers. Front office members would be banned from clubhouses during games.
SI also reports that it’s possible in extreme cases that televisions could be turned off during games in both clubhouses. One possible allowance would be to permit just a single television in the training room to air the game broadcast, but only on an eight-second delay.
The league is also looking to crack down on the use of “engineered” substance mixtures that can be used by pitchers. Cincinnati pitcher Trevor Bauer previously charged the Astros with using grip substances to increase the spin rate for their pitches.
The proposed changes are largely the result of commissioner Rob Manfred’s Jan. 13 nine-page report detailing how Houston cheated during the 2017-18 seasons.
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